Monday Q&A | Being on TV, Halloween Candy, and a Boring Conversion Story
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
Before I start answering some questions, I just wanted to say that a number of you have written in to ask about what homeschooling material I use. I'll try to get something together about that (it's quite possible that I won't, though, because sometimes I don't follow through with my good intentions!), so in the meantime, you may want to read through the posts I've written about homeschooling before, including a post about the kindergarten materials I use.
How did The 700 Club find out about you?
Are there any interesting stories related to filming the spot that you have to share?
How did it affect your readership?
-Linda
I can't remember if I answered anything exactly like this before, so my apologies if I have! Dana Ritter, a producer for CBN, is a regular blog reader of mine, and it was her idea to film a spot about me and my blog. She emailed me to ask if I'd be interested, and after thinking about it for a bit and talking to Mr. FG, I said yes. I don't particularly like being on camera (I especially hate watching myself!), but since I write my blog to help people save money, I was interested in the opportunity to reach more people.
Filming was really interesting...I wore one of those clip-on microphones that reality show people wear, and having a camera following us while we were shopping was a very unique experience!
As far as my readership goes, I had a really large spike at first (my server crashed a time or two that day!), and my email subscriber numbers doubled, which was awesome. My traffic has settled down since then, but it's higher than it was before I was on TV. I've received lots of encouraging emails and comments from people who saw me on TV, so I'm really glad that I shoved my fear-of-being-on-TV aside!
In case you haven't seen it, here's the video of the TV spot (email subscribers, you'll have to click over to the blog to see it, because for some reason, videos don't show up in email feeds!).
It thrills me that you are so open about your faith and that you really give God all the glory in all that you do! I was interested in your testimony of how you got saved. Were you raised in a Christian family? Where do you attend church?
-Sarah
Well, I have a really, really boring conversion story. I was raised in a Christian home, and I can't ever remember a time when I didn't trust and believe that Jesus died for my sins. So, I don't have a specific date where I can say that I became a Christian, but it had to have been early on in my life.
I'm so grateful to have been raised by parents who love God, and grateful for the work that God has done in my heart (because of course simply having Christian parents doesn't make one a Christian!). And I am grateful for the work I continue to see God doing in my life...conviction of sin, provision of grace for growing in godliness and many other mercies.
My family and I attend and serve at a Presbyterian church (PCA) near our home.
How can I do green and frugal Halowe'en treats? I love giving out candy, but it's always struck me as being pretty expensive, not to mention all those little wrappers are awfully wasteful. I thought about giving out baked goods or repackaging bulk candy, but I know (and understand) that many parents are nervous about letting their kids eat food like that from a stranger. Is there anything I can do?
-Emily
Unless you live in a small neighborhood where all the parents know you, I don't think there's much you can do! Most parents will not allow their children to eat treats from a stranger unless they're individually wrapped.
We don't celebrate Halloween ourselves, but we do give out candy to the neighborhood children. To keep this from being super expensive, I usually buy a big bag of Smarties or lollipops instead of chocolate or other more expensive Halloween candies (I've been known to buy some Reese's pumpkins for Mr. FG, though!).
Readers, do you have any ideas about how to make Halloween candy more green and frugal?
Today's 365 post: Dirty Drawer (you know you want to go see my mess!)
Current review posts: $100 Similisan giveaway and $100 Kellogg's giveaway (ends tonight!)
Why don't you celebrate Halloween? 🙂
Well, it's a little bit complicated (and this is probably a hugely controversial issue anyways! lol) so I'll just say that we feel a bit uncomfortable celebrating that holiday because of our faith, and so to err on the side of caution, we don't.
If you feel comfortable delving into this, I would love to get your full perspective on Halloween 🙂
I'm thinking that's a can of worms I'd prefer not to open up here. lol There are some cans I don't mind opening (like Walmart and coupons!), but I think I'd rather pass on this one. =P
I'm not all that keen on Hallowe'en either. The origins of the festival have been lost but it has been dreadfully over commercialised. I'm horrified by the amount of plastic merchandise on sale in supermarkets, most of which will probably end up in a landfill site after the festivities are over. However I would hate to turn children away from my door so homemade biscuits are an acceptable compromise.
I hate the commercialism of Hallowe'en too. I also feel very uncomfortable telling my children they're allowed to beg/demand sweets from people. In my village, we would be asking neighbours we knew- I don't get the whole knocking on strangers doors thing at all.
I'm English, and so this isn't a custom I grew up with, but my (now ex-) SIL is from LA, and she told us stories of taking bags of treats to the ER for x-raying to make sure there weren't razor blades in the apples/sweets??!! I have no idea if that's true, or what sort of area she lived in, but....
I appreciate this isn't what it's like for everyone else reading this, and I'm not suggesting you should all stop, as it's clearly a lot of fun for you, but it's not for me.
However, my problem is with 3 children under 11, it's hard work to be the parents of *only* children not trick or treating. (They're not, but it feels like that to them). The last 2 years we've managed to be away, but it's the day before school this year, so we may go out to a restaurant, or to the cinema, if there's one not showing a horror film!
Kristen- I wouldn't mind giving out sweets to the other children, but my children would find that too hard- they'd want to be out with them. How do you help your children accept it's just not what your family does? I wonder if homeschooling helps choices like that? For my children, it's their school friends that would be visiting. Maybe it's not that, I don't know, but if you have any top tips, I'd be grateful!!
Homeschooling probably does help.
Also, we offer them a consolation prize in the form of some fun (we got this idea from a friend). Mr. FG and I hide candy in their bedrooms, turn off the lights, hand them flashlights, and they all go and try to find the candy. It's sort of like an Easter egg hunt, except the darkness means we don't have to work too hard to hide the candy! lol
Thanks Kristen :o)
Very cool, Kristen! I had never seen the CBN segment before. It seems weird because it occurred to me that I had never heard your voice, lol. Your segment was great and your baking skills continue to amaze me. I love The Frugal Girl. Thanks for doing this everyday. One day I am going to find the guts to attempt some type of bread 🙂 Maybe....
I had never seen your CBN excerpt before. What an awesome 5 minute clip! I know you have inspired so many!
I got a packet of (I forget how many) certificates for free fries @ Burker King. I know it's not the healthiest, but Ithink the whole booklet cost $1 and what I don't give out, my kids can use.
We hit the dollar store for pencils, crayons, stickers and other art supplies to mix in with the candy. The kids seem to like it. At least they don't look disappointed when they're at the door 😉
We live in a neighborhood where Halloween in a big, big deal and we get tons of kids. Since we live in a smaller town surrounded by rural, farming areas we get alot of kids from those areas who drive in to trick or treat in our neighborhood. Some people don't like that but it doesn't bother me and it's safer for their kids (one child was hit and killed several years ago while trick or treating along a rural road). I just know we get tons and plan my budget accordingly. I start buying early and stock up little by little when I buy my groceries. I buy the less expensive things that go far (like smarties, suckers or tootsie rolls) or the good stuff on sale with coupons. I try not to buy stuff I like or I end up eating it before the kids come! LOL
My friend who lives one street over from me gets more kids than I do and she buys about 800 pieces of candy to make it through the whole two hour trick or treat! If I run out or run low I have been known to take some from my kids buckets (they get way, way too much anyway) and hand it out. It's a fun evening where you see lots of people. I don't mind all the kids as they all seem pretty polite (even the teenagers are pretty good) but the parents that trick or treat with the infants in the strollers kind of irritate me! I mean really, I know full well that infant is not/should not be eating candy so go buy your own mom and dad! I didn't grow up really doing anything for Halloween so this is all newer to me but we enjoy it and just make room in our budget.
The dollar store idea is a good one. My daughter came home last year with a home made goodie in a ziplock baggie. There was a note attached with the name, address and phone number of the person who made it and a basic ingredient list so people with allergy issues would know what was in it. I felt pretty safe letting her eat it, since you wouldn't put that info on it if it was harmful. That may be a possibility!
There are lots of coupons for candy this time of year and sales at the store. We also save parade candy to give out and pencils or stickers. At the grocery we found little boxes of raisins on sale too. At least its in a paper box and the parents will appreciate.
I'm loving these non-food ideas. That had never occurred to me. lol
I take advantage of the candy deals at CVS in the months leading up to Halloween. This year, I have several bags of the good stuff (chocolate candy bars) and it didn't cost me a penny since I paid with coupons and ExtraCare Bucks. I've also got full-sized bags of Skittles for the close friends of my daughter who come by, also "purhcased" free with coupons.
If you don't have time left for coupon shopping, I'd give out nickels or fast-food coupons. Wendy's usually has Halloween coupons for free Frosties, and I think McDonald's and Burger King also offer Halloween coupons at affordable prices.
I'd not seen that clip, you are so cute & it's fun to see your kiddos in motion.
Dh & my conversion stories are those earth shakers, happy to say our own children will be able to say they trusted Christ early on.
Halloween candy: well, smarties, dum dum's, cheapie chocolate are good ideas. One thing I like to do AFTER Halloween though is to go out & buy clearance candy to stuff our Christmas stockings with. Course if I get hit by a craving having that much stash around is dangerous lol
Oh, I feel like that too when I see videos on other blogs...so fun to see people moving. lol
I notice a certain similarity between "How I Became Frugal" and "How I Became a Christian." I bet "How I Met My Husband" is a real barn burner. (I do remember you met in church, not an auspicious beginning for an exciting story.)
That story is a LITTLE bit more interesting and I'm happy to share it in a Q&A if you want.
In general I do seem to be awfully boring, though. lol
Yep, yep, yep! I think we NEED the "how I met my husband" story. 😀
A comment on being green and giving out Halloween candy... You can give out candy with paper wrappers (like DUM DUM lollipops or salt water taffy). The paper wrappers would hopefully break down sooner than plastic wrappers.
I'm not all that keen on Hallowe'en but would feel mean turning children away from our front door empty handed. Not wanting to get sucked into the merchandising machine that surrounds the festival I decided a couple of years ago to bake and ice Hallowe'en biscuits. I have cutters in the shape of bats, spider webs etc and make up icing in suitable colours. I hand them out unwrapped and have never had them refused.
We get a ton of kids on Halloween and I just have to suck it up and pay for it, because it's my son's absolute favorite time of year and we go all-out with decorating, etc. Well, by that I mean we add a few things each year and now that he's 9, we've got a lot of stuff and he creates and draws decorations too. (Currently, he's using his Lego Mindstorm robot brain---a very expensive present from his grandmother years ago---in combination with a $1.99 skull from Michael's to make it "animatronic" as he likes to say.) We spend a set amount each year and he understands there's not any more in the budget. He spends from his savings, too. But the most important thing is, we're not going to give out any chocolate from companies that use child slave labor: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/is-there-child-slavery-in_b_737737.html
That's just so horrifying---no matter how cheap it is, if it's on sale or whatever, it's not green, or Christian, for that matter, to predicate your fun on someone else's suffering.
I clicked your link. I had no idea! I must be living in a cave or something. So glad I didn't buy any chocolate for Halloween this year - shaped pretzels and candy corn taffy are this years treats. I will not buy Hershey's chocolate anymore.
Me too! I'd never heard of that before. Thanks for sharing the link!
Living in the UK, I don't buy Hersheys (very little available, and I don't have the, um, acquired taste for it 😉 ), but it makes me wonder about where British chocolate comes from.
I mostly buy Cadburys or Fair Trade when I do buy chocolate, and already boycott Nestle, http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html for why, and you don't have to have breast fed your babies to agree. The US list of Nestle products is here- http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2009/10/07/the-updated-nestle-product-boycott-list/
Thanks for the link, I'll have to do a bit of research.
Hazel,
Thank you for posting the Nestle info. I had heard of this boycott before, too, but mostly forgot about it since I don't buy their products, either. People really need to be informed about what these huge companies are doing to us and the planet. (And I haven't eaten a Hershey's bar since I was a kid, it tastes like candle wax to me!) I prefer a good Fair Trade dark chocolate, we have a company here in Seattle called Theo's which offers many delectable varieties...
Well.. I don't ever get any trick or treaters, but my mom likes to hand out small, individual-sized bags of popcorn to kids. She also has a stash of halloween pencils that she orders really cheap on Amazon.
My favorite treats were homemade rice krispie treats.. and I'm sure if all the info was added on the bag (like a previous commenter noted), it would be ok to eat. I'd probably call the person because I'm anal. It's a gift 😉
My kids like to get the individual popcorn bags b/c I am more likely to say yes when they ask to have one of their Halloween treats if they ask for the popcorn instead of the candy!
You don't celebrate Halloween but still pass out candy? Isn't that celebrating? Now that my kids are getting older I am explaining to them why we don't celebrate Halloween and what we truly believe. There is nothing good or holy about Halloween and it may even provide an opportunity for them to share Christ with their friends. I notice it is all about the candy, I can get them candy at the store, but I will not tell them it is okay to accept it from strangers just this once when all year long, I tell them not to. Especially this year it falls on Sunday. It just seems wrong.
If we were dressing up and trick-or-treating, I'd consider that to be celebrating it. 🙂 But certainly if your conscience dictates that you not even hand out candy, then go that route.
I feel like handing out candy is a way of loving my neighbors, but I definitely don't think everyone needs to be similarly convinced.
We have taken to giving out pencils, stickers and similar things as well. My son is peanut allergic, hence cannot eat a lot of what he gets trick or treating. After we had him, it made us aware there were probably a lot of other kids out there that couldn't either (peanut allergic, diabetic, etc). Costco also had a large pack of small playdoh packages for trick or treating this year also that I will be handing out to the little tiny trick or treaters.