An all-over-the-place Q&A
I asked my Instagram followers to send me some questions for a Q&A post, and so today, we've got a pretty random collection of questions!
Who paid for driving expenses (gas, insurance, etc.) when your kids were licensed?
We split gas with them for the first six months after they got their licenses (Random, I know!).
For insurance, the deal is that we will split it with them 50/50 while they are in high school/college. After that, they'll be responsible for 100% of it.
And you didn't ask, but...we paid for driving school for them.
Are you continuing homeschooling even though most states have closed for the rest of the year?
Yep! We are finishing up the school year as planned.
I haven't seen any reason to disrupt Sonia and Zoe's schooling, and honestly, I think it's been good for them to have something to occupy their time.
I anticipate too much free time being a challenge once school is finished, and I am already thinking about ways to face this upcoming problem.
How is your church continuing during quarantine?
Services are broadcast online; it's not at all the same, of course, but it's better than nothing.
One great thing is that Zoe's youth group has had a weekly all-girls Zoom meeting and also a weekly girls-and-guys youth group Zoom meeting. This has been really awesome for her!
What's your favorite activity during quarantine?
Hmm. I like watching The Crown with Sonia, catching up on some work inside and outside the house, and also making fires in our fire pit.
Do you still make your own yogurt (plain or vanilla?) and bread?
We eat less yogurt than we used to now that we know Sonia doesn't handle dairy well, but yes, I do still usually have some homemade jars in the fridge, and usually they're vanilla.
I need to try making some non-dairy yogurt for Miss Sonia.
Here's how I make homemade yogurt without a machine or InstantPot.
I do still keep up with some baking, but not quite as much as I used to when my kids were little.
Like most people, I've been doing more baking since the lockdown started. Thank goodness I snagged a 50 pound bag of flour!
What are your older two kids up to? How are they handling the quarantine?
Well, college classes are all online now, and their jobs are paused for right now (either due to closures or because full-time employees are getting the limited hours available), so we are navigating unemployment filing for the first time.
I think people in entry-level jobs are really suffering now because so many of those jobs cannot be done remotely.
Fortunately, Lisey was already planning to do summer classes at college, so she will still have something to keep her busy even if her job does not call her back this summer.
How has your parenting changed through the years?
I'm not sure exactly how much has changed because of me or because of my kids getting older.
I mean, I am more hands-off now than I was when they were younger (they are more independent and don't need me as much!), and I do a lot more talking/listening and less "Here's what I want you to do."
But I think that's really more due to them being older than to some change in me. You don't generally parent teenagers the same way you parent preschoolers!
What are some really fast, few-ingredient meals?
Check out the comments on this post; readers shared all their best fallback meal ideas...basically, what they make for dinner when plans have gone awry and they're trying too avoid takeout.
I listed a few of my own fallback meals at the end of this post.
A few other ideas:
-any kind of sandwich. Elevate a sandwich by buttering the bread/rolls and browning the buttered side in a skillet. Instant fancy! 🙂 Or do some kind of grilled sandwich or panini. Hot and melty feels more like dinner. Keep croissants in the freezer; they're fancier and feel more like a meal than sandwich bread.
-greens topped with quick cooking protein* + some kind of dressing + whatever veggies/salad toppings are in your house.
*shrimp, chicken breasts, bacon, sliced chicken sausages (hard-boiled eggs if you think ahead a bit)
-snacky dinner. Crackers, cheese, fruit, popcorn, raw veggies, dip, a frozen hors d'oeuvres; whatever snacky things you can find!
Are your children embracing your frugality?
That depends from kid to kid. Also, I think it's a little bit early to tell, because the way you feel about frugal habits can certainly change once you pay all your own bills!
What once seemed like a ridiculous frugal activity could start to seem quite sensible when it's your money at stake.
Lisey is probably my most frugal kid; she has worked hard and currently has enough saved to pay cash for her two remaining years of college. She does a lot of smart things with her money, but she does also spend on fun things, like traveling.
(Even when she travels, though, she is really smart about keeping the costs down.)
I know that I can teach frugal habits and model good money management, but ultimately, money management will be up to my kids once they are on their own. They'll have the knowledge they need, and that's all I can do as a parent.
And of course, I will love them the same regardless of whether they are as frugal as me or not.
(Odds are good that they will not be QUITE as frugal as me. Ha.)
So. I've already asked my Instagram followers, but do you have questions for me, blog readers?
If you do, leave your question in the comments, or you can email me (kristen@thefrugalgirl.com), and I'll do another Q&A post once I've got enough questions.
I hope this isn't too personal a question. Are you still thinking about studying nursing once you're done home schooling and is there a particular type of nursing you're drawn to?
Not at all too personal, and I'll just answer it here. Yes, I'm still thinking about it; I need to go talk to an advisor once lockdown is over to see how many of my previous college credits will apply to this degree and figure out what I'd still need to take.
I've always thought labor and delivery would be a good fit for me, or possibly NICU. But I don't know for sure!
I highly recommend This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay and Birth as an American Rite of Passage by Robbie E Davis-Floyd (I bought used buy hopefully the library has it).
Yay Lisey! For saving up enough cash for college. That's awesome. I wish I had been that smart (and motivated) at her age.
Don't be surprised if your kids turn out as frugal as you. My mom was really frugal when we were kids. I didn't realize it at the time because she always made it fun. We would have contests to see who could find the best deals at the grocery store, or use the most coupons. We would make household items and make fun meals at home. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized my parents went through financially difficult times. Now as a mom and a household organizer, I try to model a lot of things my mom used to do, like recreating our favorite restaurant meals, and having my kids help cook. Making playdough instead of buying it, and finding fun in stuff around the house. (My son is obsessed with heavy equipment so I got him some excavators and dump trucks at the dollar store for Christmas and have given him a pan of rice so he can dig and dump.) I lost my mom when I was 16, but I think she would love that I'm carrying on the tradition of frugality, and that I married a man who is not a spender which helps a great deal as well 🙂
What a lovely tribute to your Mom this post is, and you are!
Aww, your mom would be so proud!
I often think that about my depression era grandma. She died when Lisey was a baby, but if she were still here, she would be so happy to see my frugality. 🙂
I just used your yogurt recipe again last night after years of not making any! I used my crock pot to keep the water bath warm while the yogurt thickened and it worked SO well!
I don't have any more questions (you answered them!), but congratulations to you for teaching your kids how to be independent and handle money. That is a parents' responsibility, but now-a-days, I wonder if parents know that!
I've been following you for a long time and I like that Lisey is learning how to do things around the house and with her car when it comes to maintenance and upkeep. When my daughter went to college, so many kids did not even know how to do laundry because their mothers still did it for them. Nevermind, changing the oil and checking things in the engine or tires.
Great job!
My boys were surprised when they went off to college. "Mom, why can't kids do their laundry? Duh" Made me feel a bit better. Both have learned to cook quite well, but not sure that they can because of me.
I definitely am interested in hearing how the non-cow milk yogurt turns out.
I follow Happy Healthy Long Life on Facebook. She is a recently retired medical research librarian and is vegan. She has fabulous non-dairy and non-meat recipes and food recommendations including milk yogurt alternatives. She also shares about a variety of other (mostly health related) topics. You might find good options there. (Kristen and Patricia)
Ok, I'll go check it out! I've run into trouble with some dairy-free sites because they rely so heavily on nuts instead. But poor Sonia can't eat nuts either.
Canned full-fat coconut milk makes great yogurt but it needs a thickener. I use gelatin, if you want to keep it vegan use agar agar. Depending on how sensitive she is to dairy (most cultures are dairy-based), you have to pay attention to the culture, too. You can buy vegan culture. Personally I don't preheat canned coconut milk--just add culture and incubate. There's some theory that is dangerous, but if it's canned, it's already been heated, IMHO. I'm not dead yet.
Soy is supposedly good for making yogurt, too (preheating not necessary. Just add culture and incubate.) BUT I'm leery of soy for many reasons (gmo's, pesticides, phytoestrogens).
What does everyone look forward to doing when quarantine is over?
Since you wrote "everyone." I'm looking forward most to going to friends' houses, second-most to going to a library or bookstore.
Going to the public library
Going hicking
Seeing the family again
Going to the restaurant
Going to the movies
A normal routine at school for the kids
Grocery shopping like before instead of masks and social distancing
Reopening of health services such as dentists
And hopefully one day be able to go to work without worrying about catching Covid and without having to use gown/mask/gloves/face shield (I'm a hospital health care worker)!!
I do!!
1) do you still grind flour? Or have your wheat grinder? Can you talk a bit about the diff kinds of wheat berries you've used and which you prefer? (I have a heckuva time finding the soft pastry flour kind!)
2) I see Lisey has a septum piercing! My teen wants one. Did it hurt a lot?!
3) I have a 5 month old and am finding it hard to connect with my husband. How did you and Mr FG maintain your relationship and marriage when your kiddos were young?
Are you planning to post on this blog for another decade or two? Or do you enjoy your new blog more? Have you looked into making your blog into a book? Why haven’t you started your own mastermind group for bloggers? If you had to eat the same 30 meals for the rest of your dinners, what would they be?
Are you planning on keeping your subscription services? Have they run their course or do you still look forward to getting them? I've finally canceled a couple, after having them for a few years. I just felt like that was enough.
Lisey is pronounced with an "s" sound, not a "z" sound?
(I make up voices when I read sometimes, and want to do it properly).
Yep, yep! It's an "s" sound. Her actual name is Elise, so, an S like that. 🙂
My daughter's name is Elise. I get a lot of compliments on it.
I'm wondering if you still were/are teaching piano. Seems like a long time since you mentioned that.
Your kids (Lisey, oh my!!!!) are looking so grownup.
If you make non-dairy yogurt, I would love the recipe! You care about both frugality and the environment which often go hand in hand - especially when it comes to buying quality items - but what do you find to be most worth your time? Is there anything you wish you were doing that costs more than you are willing to pay?