A miscellany post! (and I need your input)
(can't post without a photo, you know! And this produce IS sort of miscellaneous.)
1. Contentment Thoughts
The contentment series is officially over, but I had a couple of things I wanted to address and clarify because of some reader feedback. 🙂
First, when I mention looking at people who have less, I am not at all suggesting that we should take joy in the fact that they have less than we do. Looking at people with less isn't about feeling superior (though certainly there are people who do that)...it's about realizing what you have.
When we learn about people who are so desperate that they have to make mud cookies, we should ache for them and long to alleviate their suffering. And we should look at our leftovers or our beans and rice and think about what a luxury it is to have food. Other people's suffering should help us look at our circumstances with new, more contented eyes.
Secondly, I don't think contentment should cause us to stagnate or to stay in bad circumstances. Indeed, contentment is more about your attitude than about what you do.
As a for instance, Mr. FG and I are not fans of his work schedule. This Tuesday-Saturday thing is kind of a pain, especially when coupled with the super early bedtime and rising time.
To help me be content with this, I remind myself that at least Mr. FG has a job, that this job pays the bills, that having Mondays off can be handy because no one else does, that getting up early gives me quiet time before the kids are up, and that it's awfully good we're homeschooling because we can adjust our school schedule to match Mr. FG's work schedule.
Does this mean we're sitting back and doing nothing about the job situation? Nope. But it does mean that while the icky schedule situation continues, I'm not thinking miserable, discontented thoughts.
So yes...definitely work to change your circumstances if they need changing, but in the midst of that, still strive for contentment. Contentment is about finding a positive attitude in bad circumstances, not about embracing the bad circumstances themselves.
Also, I don't think that my contentment principles really apply when we're talking about personal growth. I don't ever want to be content with my faults. I want to be always growing...I want to be more patient, more organized, more loving, more merciful, more unselfish, and so on. An "Oh well! This is just the way I am!" attitude isn't what I'm going for. 😉
Ok! Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
2. I'm on BlogHer.com!
My Is homemade bread cheaper than store-bought? post is on BlogHer's website, so if you missed it when it ran here, go check it out!
3. Coming next month: A productivity series
For a long time now, I've been getting emails and comments asking me how I do all that I do. And I've kept meaning to write a series about the things that help me to be productive, but I haven't been productive enough to get that done (maybe I'm not such a good person to write this series after all!).
I've got a plan in place now, though, and barring some unusual event, every Thursday in November, I'll share the things that help me to get my work done.
4. E-Book Input
I'm considering writing an e-book on a topic relating to frugality. I still think a real book is way too big a project for me, but I think I could handle an e-book (I think.).
The price point of this book would probably be around $5 because I want to make it super-affordable.
But, I also want to make it super-helpful, so I'd love to have your input on the topic choice. Here are a few ideas I've been tossing around, but do let me know if you've got some other great topic idea, and I'll consider that too!
-Celebrating Christmas frugally
-Saving money on groceries (this would definitely focus on basic principles rather than on deal-hunting)
-Clothing children on the cheap
-Fast and frugal scrapbooking
I'll make my topic decision based on what you guys want, so speak up! (and that includes you lurkers...come tell me what you want! 😉 We're all very nice and we promise we don't bite. ). I really want to make sure that I'm pouring my efforts into the topic that will serve you the best.
Today's 365 post: Colors after the rain
I would very much like to hear about clothing children on the cheap --I'd also like to know how to know what is enough clothes per child! That's something I'm struggling with right now as a first time mom who has just had her child grow out of all the clothes she got at her baby shower!
they don't need tons when they are babies since during the first 2 years they outgrow their stuff so quickly & they aren't really getting dirty ( except for vomit) i never really invested in a larger wardrobe until they are atleast 2 and they usually fit for a year. i always keep my eyes open at off season at target. they are cute clothes & you can get them on clearance for a great deal. i got my son some long sleeve dress shirts in summer for $2.48 each. now that's even cheaper than my goodwill here
I think the groceries idea is best because there's too much open endedness to things like clothing kids and Christmas budgets. Each family is so vastly different in their needs for stuff like that...I'm afraid you'd have to do a lot of circular talking in those topics.
And good luck with your productivity series! I just wrote a post on that topic this week...and it was much trickier to compose than I had originally thought. All the best!
True, but the same could probably be said for grocery shopping too. People's grocery needs vary a lot!
I'll just have to be satisfied with offering what I know on each topic, and I'll be aware that what I know is not exhaustive. It'll just be my perspective and ideas, and that will make it a little different than other e-books out there. You'd probably have to read e-books on a single topic from a lot of different authors in order to get a really well-rounded, exhaustive take, you know?
And that's why I think it's good for lots of bloggers to write posts and e-books because each of us has a different perspective.
Dear Kristen,
I am a 60-something, retired single person with no children, and very little in common with your lifestyle, but I love your blog and would love an e-book. I read your blog every day and always find something I like and can use. I am picturing something along the lines of The Tightwad Gazette with various writings on various topics concerning frugality and living a good life. I am a sometimes scrapbooker and would appreciate frugal scrapbooking tips for sure. Most of all I like your attitude about life and how to live it.
I would love to read about celebrating Christmas frugally - my annual conundrum!!
I would love it if you did grocery shopping in your book. But, if you do grocery shopping, could you make your strategy broad enough that it works for those of us who don't have a good discount store within reasonable convenience? Also, I would love to learn how to cook ahead--don't think you do that (or at least I don't think you do). But as a working mom, it would be a help...as long as it doesn't eat up my whole weekend.
I'd love an e-book with a lot of formulas & recipes for making things yourself instead of purchasing them. I know there are a million recipes on the internet, but I don't like always searching for, say, what spices to mix to make taco mix, or how to make home-made detergent. I'm already doing coupons and saving grocery shopping- now I want to know how to avoid buying so many groceries in he first place!
All the topics are helpful. Is it possible to have a mini chapter on each one of them? 🙂
I know I voted scrapbook below, but this would be a great idea too!!!
I would like to see an ebook on the fast and frugal scrapbooking. I got married a little over a year ago and I have yet to start a scrapbook for my wedding photos. The reason is that, it can be so expensive to scrapbook. There is a small store in a nearby town that is all about scrapbooking, but when I go in there, I end up spending way too much for way too little.
Not only do I want to do a wedding scrapbook, I've been wanting to do a scrapbook for our "dating" life together. We have tons of photos, but no scrapbook. And the photos are still on my computer. I want to get those printed and in scrapbooks just in case something goes haywire with my computer.
So I vote SCRAPBOOK!!
Keri - I would suggest purchasing scrapbook items at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Jo-Anne Fabrics during their 50% off sales. Actually, Hobby Lobby has one this week. Also all of these places have clearance areas with scrapbooking things. I recently got married myself and am working on our wedding scrapbook. I found all sorts of clearance stickers and paper! Scrapbook stores are way too expensive!!
Sara
I also vote for the scrapbooking idea. Since you asked. 🙂
Grocery shopping, thrift store shopping tips, meal planning and holiday planning would all be topics I would be interested in reading about.
I would be interested in all of the above topics -- but would love your "Contentment" ideas sprinkled in, too. LOVED that series -- it really expressed how the foundation for cheerful frugality begins in the "cheerful" -- all the clever saving ideas have to build on that, and it bears repeating, at least for me.
And I did not think you were advocating feeling grateful at someone else's expense (all the links to find out more and to contribute to helping are key here!!) or using contentment as a means to stagnate in miserable situations. Thanks again for such an uplifting and timely series. I can't wait to get the ebook!
I vote for the scrapbooking idea but I would also be interested in the kids'clothing book.
I would love to hear more about celebrating Christmas on a budget. I have gotten to the point where I don't really enjoy Christmas because of the money that is spent on gifts including money that people spend on me. I want Christmas to be about Jesus and spending time with family.
Love your blog, btw.
My vote for your first book would be grocery savings. Will you include HOW to set up a meal plan? Maybe a price book? I have figures in my head, but when I get to the store, I forget & get flustered. And I'm really awful at meal planning, which I think is really half the battle with grocery savings. About a year & half ago, I started heavily couponing and built up a stockpile...but during that time I've learned a few things...stop buying it even if it's free/cheap,because...really, is it healthy? can I make it healthier and less $ by making it from scratch? Thanks to you, I've made yogurt (we're a big yogurt family) - even if I buy only organic milk and yogurt starter, it's still cheaper.
i think shoping, kids clothing, would be the best, would effect most everyone.
Pick them out of a hat! LOL
and if it works, move on to the next topic...
I vote for the grocery shopping topic for your e-book. Like Karen S., I am interested in learning any time-saving/organizing tips you have for cooking and/or preparing healthy food (like you do for Mr. FG) throughout the week. I live alone but work long hours and occasionally find it a challenge to eat healthy and keep everything in order as well as I would like. I've gotten better about not buying my lunches--that's a huge money sucker, not to mention mostly unhealthy.
I self-edited, so part of my comment doesn't make sense. Of course you prepare food with nutrition in mind for all your fam, not just Mr. FG. Originally I wrote something about prepping work lunches in advance.
I'd vote for kids' clothing as a first choice, scrapbooking second. I was going to say that I think there's about everything anyone could say about grocery shopping principles online already, but clearly there's an interest in your perspective, based on the comments above, so I guess I was off-base there 🙂
Hi there, always enjoy your writing and totally understand where you are coming from, no explanation is due to me. I think that children are the basis of where you and many others are right now so that should be the focus of such a book. Of course feeding them and yourself is a topic that would be conducive to such a book and then of course the Frugal Christmas is something that many may need help with including the children.
Whatever you write will be such a great thing and hopefully many of us and new folks can come to find you and support your endeavors.
I would love to see your meal planning process and how you organize your recipes along with your grocery shopping advice. Thank you for all you do.
I think you should do them all, and others that come up as well. One at a time. Then when you've done a bunch, you'll actually have a book. (Bird by Bird, as Anne Lamont would say) And you have a great following already! My vote for a sub chapter would be planning meals and shopping for one.
I vote for all, except maybe the children's clothing since my daughter is fully grown! I'm especially interested in the scrapbooking since that is my hoppy of choice. But any of your topics are great and I enjoy reading them all! I look forward to your productivity series since I can be very un-productive sometimes.
I would love to have you talk about your meal planning and the grocery shopping that comes from that plan. And where do you get your ideas for meals and how do you keep track of them all. I have started a small looseleaf notebook of favorite recipes that I can make (and a lot of them are yours!) and have even catagorized the recipes like a cookbook so that is a start for me, but as for planning an entire week of meals I can't seem to think that far ahead. And I would definitely buy your ebook on whatever you decide to write about. You have become my daily dose of calmness and I love to go on your site to see what you have to say and the pictures you post each day! Thank you!!
I really need help with menu plans corresponding to grocery lists. I want to go and get what I need, for each meal if each day of that week. I consistently spend 200 dollars every two weeks and never have any food in the house!!! I want inexpensive good-quality meals
I like all your ideas and they all interest me, but think groceries/feeding family frugaly without feeding them cheap junk is a good first. Although I think all the topics are great. Sorry, I may not be much help for you to decide.
Love the idea of the e-book. Definitely a plus for readers who don't have the time to go through your past posts on the web site. Don't forget to focus on what I feel makes your frugality different, its based on your values, not just on money. There are a lot of resources out there that can tell me how to get cheap things cheap, but that does not always fit in with other things I value like quality and sustainability. So I think that you can include any topic, as long as you can relate it to the overall values picture. That's a book I would read.
I also agree that cooking healthy but frugally with meal planning would be exactly what I need. Good luck with the ebook, I look forward to purchasing a copy!
I vote for scrapbooking on the cheap. I just had my second baby, and now have double the amount of adorable pictures to scrapbook....and the cost is adding up quickly 🙂
I think you would have good information to share about all of these topics. I would especially like to read more about frugal holidays and avoiding commercialism. For those of us who are not technology-savvy, would you explain what an e-book is? Would it be part of your website? Thanks and I really enjoy your blog.
Clothing children on the cheap would be my vote. Especially if we can get past hand-me-downs (which I get very occasionally) and Goodwill (which I don't have ready access to).
I think you could publish several ebooks based on your experience. Working from home, homeschooling, photography/scrapbooking, but you should really ebook your baking/recipes. Ive tried many of your recipes and they are always great. The bread is wonderful and Ive never had a fail. Offering them in one downloadable source would be fantastic. Thanks for all your bloggy efforts!
I really don't think I need a lot of advice on living frugally. However, I would still purchase and read your book, simply because I love your writing style. You consistently remind me to focus on the little things and to keep things simple. I would love, love, love to also read a book, by you, on contentment and thankfulness, and on productivity. My suggestion is to write all the e-books people are suggesting. If they do well with your blog readers, put them all together and publish them!
I know you never thought so many people would follow you. Does it amaze you now to see that so many people want to purchase a book by you? 🙂
I would love to hear your ideas about frugal gifts. Christmas and birthdays as top priority! Thanks
I agree with Charyl - you have so much knowledge to offer! I also agree that you should start with your baking advice and recipes. I think it would be a lot easier to put together, as you have so many photos taken and recipes written already. Might as well set yourself up for success on your first e-book attempt!
If I had to pick a topic for myself, though, I'd love to see an e-book on children's clothing. We live so far from family that hand-me-downs don't happen all that often, and although I'd love to shop more at Goodwill, the three (three!) nearest us are all of the up-scale boutique variety - I can find cheaper clothes that are just as serviceable at Meijer or Target!
How about a topic on frugal leisure time, i.e., your dinner-dates, your vacation times. We all need to have time away from the routine of life, but society dictates spending a lot of money for even a dinner out with the family at McDonalds. My son has four children. He says a trip to McDonalds can run between 30 - 35 dollars.
I love all your ideas. I am excited to see the finished product. I have already gotten lots of ideas from your fun blog, so an e book would be fabulous. Maybe a few ideas about gardening (even in small spaces) and frugal ways to support local farmers and the local economy.
I too think an ebook series would be great as step toward publishing them altogether as a book. I've been wondering what I'm going to do for my Frugal Girl fix while I'm nursing, once I finish reading you archive 🙂 Maybe your first ebook will be finished by the! I vote for either meal planning and grocery shopping (I too want to know how you search out and store recipes) or clothing for children. I really enjoyed your contentment series and would also like to read this kind of writing sprinkled throughout whatever topic you write about. How exciting to be working on a new project around frugality. I wish you all the best with it, you have quite the community here rooting for you 😉
I would love to read your sections on Christmas and groceries. I don't scrapbook or have any children yet, so I'm not as interested in those topics. I think the thing I would most appreciate is a section on living well on the cheap. My husband and I have had a very tight budget for the last few years and sometimes I feel like we're missing out because we don't have much money to eat out, go on vacation or even just get out and do something fun for the day.
I need help with cleaning and organizing!
Hi! I would love to buy 3 of the e-books, in the following order:
1) Christmas
2) grocery shopping and menu planning - I second the vote above for a subsection on meals for one, if possible. I know you have said before that with a family that wasn't reall your area.... But I would still love any tips!
3) scrap booking
Can I offer 2 suggestions? One is lots of photos in the books (I love the photos in your blog!) and perhaps think about the seasonal/sales aspect - for example a Christmas book is likely to attract more readers in the lead up to Christmas and just after it. So if you plan to complete the book in that period perhaps it's a good idea to make it your first. If not, then the Christmas one could be put aside in favour of one of the others first. I would think that grocery savings and scrapbooking are likely to sell well all year around, so if you could plan to 'publish' them anytime.
Just a thought! Love your blog!!
I was going to leave a suggestion about writing about fun things to do with the family on the cheap, but I have to agree with a lot of the readers above. I particularly love your absolutely positive, genuine, and humble attitude toward life. That will come through in your writing. My advice for your ebook is to write about the area you are feeling most passionate about right now, and absolutely include your gorgeous photos.
I like the e-book ideas!
I could not agree more! All the topics are reasonably sized for an e-book, and certainly of interest to your readers. I love the idea of frugality for Christmas, but I think it would be most timely to publish that e-book in the fall, as the holiday season starts to get underway... so maybe writing one of the others first might work out better. Plus, it would give you a whole Christmas season to take more lovely photos.
I know...I should have thought of this a few months ago. But maybe if I got it together in two weeks?
I do have lots of photos from last year, so that would help.
I'm with Charyl. People are interested in all the topics you offered and then some! I bake and cook from scratch to help our family stay healthy and under budget, but sometimes one goal doesn't line up easily with the other. Would you consider including recipes and tips on the topic?
I think the main thing I am in interested in is how to make my grocery shopping more frugal. Recipes for cooking from scratch and meal planning. Actually just anything about how to run a more frugal household. Kids, buying books, clothes, etc. Do you have favorite spots for certain things you buy that aren't food? Like music, books, electronics, cleaning supplies, toileteries , Gardening supplies etc. Scrapbooking isn't really something I am interested in although I used to be an addict. I used to really love Christmas but it seems like now it's all about the gifts and I just can't compete financially and want the most bang for my buck these days. Any help in those areas would be much appreciated. = )
I guess I'm the cranky old lady in the group. I just don't buy e books. Even at $5 or less. The internet and library have more information than I can use.
I love your blog and would support your work in other ways when suggested.
No worries...e-books aren't for everyone! I've only just bought my first 2, and I have to say that I prefer print books.
But, writing a print book just isn't in the cards for me right now. 🙂
Perhaps you could organize the book chronologically - "A Year in the Life of a Frugal Girl". Then you could account for all sorts of topics as they come about throughout the year.
If you looking to keep it simple (one topic), then my vote is for frugal cooking/menu planning.