Nix9to5

Zaycon Back in OK–Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast for $1.69/lb

// January 13th, 2012 // No Comments » // Deals

If you didn’t get a chance to take advantage of Zaycon’s chicken sale when they were here before, they’re coming back!  Buy a 40 lb./case of ginormous, plump, fresh, boneless skinless chicken breast for $67.60–only $1.69 per pound.  If you don’t need 40 lbs., think about splitting a case with a friend.

I kept the whole 40 pounds, but Hot Husband eats chicken for lunch just about every day.  The freezer full of chicken breast has also served me well during the January Spending Freeze.

In the Oklahoma City area, there are four pick up locations on January 25:  Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, and Yukon.  Order by January 20 (or while supplies last) for pickup on January 25.

Zaycon also sells lean ground beef and bacon in addition to special offers at their “savings events.”  They deliver throughout the United States.  Find out what, when, and where Zaycon will be selling by signing up for Zaycon notifications.

Buying 40 pounds of chicken sure put a cramp on the “spending freeze” but as much chicken as we use, I can’t afford to pass it up.

On another note, Target toys are 70% off if there’s anything left.  We stocked up and have Bear’s birthday and Christmas gifts for 2012 purchased for about a quarter of the price (or rather, we bought 4x as many toys for what we budget).

These two expenses hurt our January spending but will save us literally hundreds of dollars over the course of the year.

Groupon: Printerpix Customized Photo Album only $9!

// January 9th, 2012 // No Comments » // Deals

I haven’t shared a Groupon in a while, because I’ve been trying to slow down my own spending, but today’s deal is too good to pass up.  Right now, you can save 82% on a personalized leather-bound photo album from Printerpix–a $49.99 value for only $9.  Plus, if you refer a friend who buys their first Groupon from your link, you get $10 in Groupon credit.

This is an online deal, so anyone can get it.  These photo albums are great keepsakes and make fantastic gifts for grandparents!  Get your Printerpix Groupon.

Spending Freeze Challenge

// January 8th, 2012 // No Comments » // Budget, Couponing, Money Matters

At the beginning of 2010, I was determined to find a way to stay home with the Bear.  Leaving him every day, even with the Best Child Care Ever (we looooove Auntastic), was taking its toll on me.  I knew that I’d have to get our spending in check and come up with a realistic budget in order to see if quitting my full-time job with paid medical benefits was even feasible.  One of the first things I did was implement a “spending freeze.”  I couldn’t believe at how much impact one month of extreme frugality had on our budget.

Fast forward two years, and I’ve been spending carelessly,  not using coupons, and not working as diligently as in those early months of my mission to nix the 9 to 5.   If I don’t get a grip on things soon, it’s going to spiral out of control.  Enter the first Spending Freeze of 2012.

For the month of January (and possibly February, depending on how it goes), I’m not spending anything unnecessarily:  we’re eating from the pantry and only buying perishables and things we run out of; we’re using coupons whenever possible; we’re not buying anything extra no matter how great the deal is; and if we eat out, we’re using Groupons, EatAroundOKC deals, gift certificates and so forth.

I realized last night, I have to be careful with Groupon meals at restaurants, too–there’s always a tip, and it’s easy to go over the coupon amount if you aren’t careful.  Last night’s “free” dinner cost us $7.83.  We spent $4.00 on Diet Pepsi.  How ridiculous is that?  If we’d have ordered water, we’d have stayed within the certificate limit and would have been out the tip alone, meaning we would have fed a family of three a YUMMY dinner for only $3.

As for eating from the pantry, I’m lucky to have a freezer full of chicken, thanks to Zaycon Foods, and I have a few pounds of ground turkey and a ham.  I shouldn’t have to buy meat for the rest of the month.  I also am pretty well stocked on household cleaners since I made my own laundry soap and dishwashing soap.  I also have several other homemade household cleaners, like the Tub & Shower Magic, that I’ll have to tell you about in another post.  Having an abundant supply of these things will enable me to go at least a month without spending in these categories.  However, my stockpile of things like paper towels, toothpaste, and toilet paper are depleted, so I may have to buy some of those things.

At the end of the month, I’ll evaluate the success of the freeze.  Any extra will go to our savings account in order to build up a suitable cushion against lean months.

I was telling the Amazing Amanda about my spending freeze for the month, and her sisterly competition gene kicked in.  She said, “Hey–how about if we have a contest to see who can spend the least on groceries this month?”  Because I also have a very strong sisterly competition gene, I agreed right away.

We decided to start the challenge that day, rather than making it retroactive to the beginning of the month (too bad, because I think she was already $180 in, and I was $10 in . . .).  We’re sending each other our grocery totals and dining totals, and we’re including household products as well–so my CVS and Walgreens spending count as well as my actual grocery store spending.  Actually, we’re counting all spending except for bills, gas, and repairs.  Good thing, we aren’t counting repairs, because I’ve already been hit with a $201 plumbing repair bill this month–happy new year to me.

I don’t think we determined a reward for the winner, except maybe excessive bragging and gloating.

Since we started the challenge a couple of days ago, my spending has totaled $11.47:  I spent $7.83 at the Jo’s Famous Pizza (stupid soft drinks . . .), and I spent $3.64 at the grocery store on a dozen eggs, six yogurt cups, and orange juice (my total before coupons was nearly $9.  Oh, coupons–why have I neglected you?)

I haven’t heard from the Amazing Amanda about her spending yet, but I’m guessing she’s at zero, since they just had a big shopping trip before we started our “contest.”

Having an accountability partner–especially one you can safely taunt–really helps keep my focus in check.  After all, I hate to lose, and I really hate to lose to my sister.

If you’d like to get in on our bragging-rights-only contest to see how little you can spend this month, just leave a comment below.  The more the merrier!

If you’re looking for a resource to help you get started, you might check out The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year.  On her website, the Money Saving Mom has lots of tips for how to manage your resources and be a better home economist.  A reader testimonial on her site tells how one family is able to save $500 a month just by switching to a cash system, which seems particularly relevant to our spending freeze challenge.

Are you ready to get started?

Happy New Year from Nix9to5

// January 2nd, 2012 // No Comments » // Life in General, Money Matters, Work at Home

Now that the whirlwind of the holidays has come to an end, I’m ready to settle back into a routine.  Well, maybe not so much “settle in” as “develop.”  I’ve been toying with some task lists and productivity apps to try to find a way to efficiently manage my time and my projects.  Surprisingly, I’ve had a very productive couple of days, even with traveling across three states for “Christmas, Part Two.”

I’ll now be able to share with you some of the gifts I made for Christmas.  I’ll have the “recipes” for a Vanilla Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub and a Brown Sugar Almond Oil Scrub that I made for the women in my family (and that launched an obsession with coconut oil).  I still have some DIY cleaning product recipes for you as well.  Oh–and a few easy craft/home decor projects I made, too.

A couple of years ago, I launched Nix9to5 shortly after the start of the year.  Fresh on my mind was developing a budget and sticking to smart spending strategies.  Since that time, I’ve become lax in my spending, and as such, things have become a little tight.  When I first started the site, one of my main principles in making it as a work at home mom was that what you don’t spend is as important as what you earn.  Maybe more so.  It’s time for me to go back to basics as far as budgeting and saving, and so that’s where I’m starting 2012–with a spending freeze.  For the month of January, I’m planning on spending money only on necessities like perishable grocery items.  We have enough stuff in the freezer and pantry that, for the most part, we should be able to eat without having to buy much.  Maybe an ingredient here or there, but nothing major.

I’ll be interested to see how much “extra” we have at the end of the month if I’m careful with my resources again.

My goals for this year are to be more productive with my time, to spend more quality time with my family, and to be a wise steward of our resources.  I’d like to make 2012 my “Intentional Year,” focusing on how I spend my time rather than letting time just happen and pass me by.

I hope this year brings you and your family many blessings.  What are your goals for 2012?

Tub and Shower Magic

// December 16th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Housekeeping, Life in General, Money Matters

If you have a frosted glass shower door, you’re going to love this . . .

You all know that in an effort to save money and embrace my inner hippie, I’ve been making some of my own cleaning products.  I’ve made homemade laundry detergent, homemade dishwasher detergent, and a gallon of liquid hand soap from a single bar of soap (post to come).  I’ve been looking for some good household, kitchen, and bathroom cleaner recipes, and have come across several–some of which I’ve tried but found ineffective (Cleaning your tub with a grapefruit sprinkled with salt?  Fail.)  However, this “Tub and Shower Magic” I found on Food.com (via Pinterest, of course) really did work wonders on my shower door.

Tub and Shower Magic

• 12 ounces white vinegar
• 12 ounces Dawn dishwashing soap

Microwave the vinegar until it is hot (I did one minute), and then pour it into a spray bottle.  Add the Dawn and shake well to mix.  Spray it on your soap scum, then wipe away and rinse.  No scrubbing necessary.

Our shower door went from this (oh, this is embarrassing):

To this:

The only thing complicated about this is rinsing all the soapy Dawn off–which could probably just be taken care of by the next shower.  Next time I try this, I may use a little less Dawn to try to reduce the amount of suds, but maybe not, because it worked SO WELL.  I’m not sure I’ve every just wiped everything away so effortlessly.  Usually, that ol’ door takes a lot of scrubbing.  It also worked great on the faucet handle.  We have hard water, so it always looks dull and scummy in that shower.  I figured that no amount of scrubbing would take care of it . . . and I was right NO scrubbing did!

If you have a shower door like this, or if you have a stubborn soap scum ring in your tub, you’ll love “Tub and Shower Magic.”

What is your favorite household cleaning remedy?

Being a WAHM: What Doesn’t Work

// December 3rd, 2011 // 4 Comments » // Money Matters, Time Management, Work at Home

When I first started working from home, I did so with a complete fervor and dedication.  I mean, I had to make this work.  I was terrified that we wouldn’t be able to pay bills or that I’d have to go back to working outside the home and leaving my sweet boy every day.  I worked late hours.  I budgeted and clipped coupons and watched sales and scoured deal sites and coupon blogs.  Whatever I didn’t earn through working, I made up through savvy shopping.

When everything worked out fine, I got a little lax.

I procrastinated writing assignments.  I stopped watching the sales so closely.  I let the coupon inserts pile up and remain largely untouched.

My income went down as I stopped getting quite so much work done.  Our expenses went up as I stopped being so vigilant about shopping wisely.  I started spending more on luxuries as well as necessities.

Procrastination and spending freely do not work well with being a Work at Home Mom.

I’ve been looking at my billing and our bills, and I realize that I need to get back to that dedication I had in the beginning.  My office desk has become cluttered with arts and crafts supplies for me and for Bear.  I need to clear it back off and move my laptop from the living room couch back into the office.  I really think working from my desk helps signal “WORK,” not only to me, but to Hot Husband and Bear as well.  I mean, if I’m typing on the couch, how do they know whether I’m working or browsing Pinterest or playing Words with Friends on Facebook?  They are much less likely to interrupt me if I’m at my desk.  Well–Hot Husband is.  Bear knows no boundaries–including bathrooms.  Sometimes, mama just wants to pee in peace, am I right?

I also think it helps to reframe how I think about some of my leisure time.  Let’s say I decide to spend a half-hour catching up on Facebook statuses or reading the news or getting clever ideas off of Pinterest.  Half an hour doesn’t sound so bad, does it?  Now, if I look at it from the perspective of work, depending on the client, in that same half hour I’m messing around on the internet or watching TV or making some crafty whatnot for the house, I could be earning up to $55.  Seriously, if you tried to CHARGE me $55 (or even $15 on  my lowest paying projects) to use the internet for half an hour, I’d think you were out of your ever-lovin’ mind.  If I start thinking of my time-wasters as expenses, I’m much less likely to waste that time.

It’s amazing what you can do (or do without) when you put a price tag on it.  Several years ago, I was in a body transformation contest.  The grand prize was $50,000.  In twelve weeks, I did not cheat one time.  I didn’t eat anything unhealthy, didn’t splurge for special occasions, and never missed a workout.  I went from a size 14 to a size 4 during those twelve weeks.  The way I managed to stay dedicated is that every time I was tempted to cheat, I told myself one of two things:

• “The person who wins this contest isn’t skipping any workouts/eating dessert.”
• “Man, that (cheesecake, nap, Mexican dinner) sounds good, but not as good as $50,000.”

And So It Begins . . .

// November 25th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Crafty Stuff, Money Matters

As I write this, I am so full I could pop. My New England Maple Apple Pie was a huge success, if I do say so myself.  I was pretty impressed, but my favorite part was how Hot Husband, He of the Healthy Eating, raved about it.  I must admit I’m feeling a little proud of myself.  Bloated, but proud.  (Note to self:  In the future, do not wear skinny jeans to Thanksgiving dinner, m’kay?)

For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving is The Official Start of the Christmas Season.  I know I plan on starting the decorating right away, and though I avoid venturing out on Black Friday,  I know many of you enjoy this madness and are scrupulously developing a strategy for hitting all the best sales (and others are probably already back).  Too many years of working retail have sucked all the joy from that kind of shopping for me.  I’m more of a Cyber Monday kind of girl, preferring to do my shopping online, lounging in my fleece pajama pants and sipping a coffee flavored with one of the special edition holiday creamers (LOVE THOSE).

Speaking of sales, if you haven’t checked out NoMoreRack yet, now is a good time.  I’ve gotten some great deals there–my very, very favorite boots in the world I bought for less thann $30–and they started their Black Friday deals at midnight.  They offer electronics, clothes, accessories, shoes, lingerie, toys, beauty products, kitchen products . . . really, everything.

If you’re staying home and decorating, and if you don’t plan on spending your day perusing online sales, I want to share with you one of the Christmas decorations I made.  This is an easy DIY, and if you’re into instant gratification like I am, you can whip this out in no time flat.

First here is my inspiration from Craft Goodies via Pinterest (of course).

Cute, right?  I saw that and figured that I was smart enough and crafty enough to figure out how to make my own.  Now, sometimes (frequently) I figure that I’m smart enough and crafty enough and then realize I am not, in fact, either.  This project, though, was a success.

Here is my version:

Not as cute as the original, but not too shabby.  This project cost me less than the retail cost of the bell, which was on sale for 50% off at Hobby Lobby.

Here is what I used:

• Wood letters (Actually, mine were MDF.  You could use any material–I just went with what was on sale for the cheapest.)
• Wooden plaque to use as a base
• Large jingle bell (Mine was already decorated–bonus!  If yours isn’t, find some holly or ribbon or something.)
• Red and black acrylic paint (0r whatever colors tickle your fancy)
• Super strength glue (I used Amazing Goop from Eclectic Products)

That’s it.  I painted the base black and let it dry.  I painted the letters red and let them dry.  Then I did another coat.  I glued the jingle bell to the middle of the plaque and then glued the letters on either side.  I did have to kind of strap them down until the glue dried–about 24 hours before I was brave enough to remove the supports.

Done and done.  Without drying time, I’d say this took me less than 10 minutes and less than $10.  I probably should have sanded the Y, because it looks a little raggedy, but whatever.  Live and learn.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Coming up, I have some other, even easier DIY Christmas decorations to share with you.

More Good, Clean Fun: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

// November 20th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Crafty Stuff, Life in General, Money Matters

While I was busily making my own homemade laundry soap, I decided to go ahead and make some dishwasher soap as well.  I was a little leery of this project because (1) I’ve never been a fan of powdered dish soap, and (2) I’ve never really been crazy about any dishwasher detergent I’ve found.  I didn’t think that homemade dishwasher detergent would work very well, and was afraid I’d end up with a dishwasher full of cloudy, spotty, half-clean dishes.

I went ahead and tried it anyway, figuring that it couldn’t be worse than the last bargain dishwasher detergent I bought.  It wasn’t an expensive project, so if it didn’t work, then I could just throw it out and count it as experience.

Instead, I was really, really happy with how well this cleaned my dishes.  It makes a gazillion loads worth, and I didn’t do the price breakdown, but I’m guessing with as much as it makes, it’s well worth the time and saves a lot of money in the meantime.

I used this recipe I found from Being Creative (to Keep My Sanity) via Pinterest:

• 1 box Borax
• 1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 24 packages unsweetened lemonade drink mix
• 3 cups Epsom Salt
• Lemi Shine hard water rinse aid

DIY Homemade Laundry Soap

// November 19th, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General, Money Matters

I was going to wait a bit to post this, trying to keep these activities in chronological order, but this topic got so much response on my personal Facebook page that I decided to go ahead and write about it now.

I’m kind of a closet hippie.  I mean, I would be a hippie if it didn’t seem like so much work.  Also?  I hate the smell of patchouli, so I’d never make a very authentic hippie (although it has been so long since I shaved my legs I may be a little closer to authentic than I would hope).

I’m also kind of a cheapskate.  I’m not a very good cheapskate, though, because sometimes, it’s a lot of work, too.  Finding sales, clipping coupons, driving from store to store . . . occasionally (lately), I’ve just paid way too much for stuff because it was easier.

I guess I’d be a better tree-hugger and a better frugalista if I were not so lazy.

Occasionally, however, I find a project that appeals to both the green side and the frugal side.  If it’s not too much work, or if it’s worth the savings, I’m all for it.  Homemade Laundry Detergent and Homemade Dishwasher Detergent happened to fit the bill.

I’ve been toying around with the idea of making my own laundry soap and dish soap, but I wasn’t sure how well it would work, and I wasn’t sure it would be worth the effort, and I wasn’t sure it would save enough money to make it worth my while.  I finally broke down and tried it, and I’m sold.

Now, I can generally buy laundry detergent for about $0.06/load.  One of the sites I looked at for homemade laundry detergent did the cost breakdown at $o.01/load.  As much laundry as I do, a nickel a load savings isn’t bad.  If it were a lot of effort, I might not be willing to make the switch, but it’s easy, and I don’t have to clip coupons or wait for a sale to get laundry detergent at a price I’m willing to pay.

Here’s the “recipe” I used for homemade laundry detergent (found on Frugally Green via Pinterest):

• 1 bar Ivory soap (the recipe says you can use 1/3 bar Fels Naptha or use Ivory, Octagon, or Zote.  I didn’t find Fels Naptha.)
• 1/2 c. Borax
• 1/2 c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 6 c. water, plus 4 c. water, plus one gallon and 6 c. water

I washed several loads of laundry with this yesterday, and it seemed to work just fine.  If you prefer scented soap, I’m sure you could add fragrance, but I didn’t bother.  It just smells clean, which is what I prefer.  Also, thanks to discussion on the Nix9to5 Facebook page, I added 1/4 cup white vinegar to the wash to act as fabric softener and to brighten whites and any one of a million other things vinegar is supposed to help with–and no, it doesn’t stink, which is what I was afraid of.

Homemade Laundry Soap is a keeper.  I’ll definitely make it again, and it may be the only laundry soap I use from here on out.

So much to tell you about, so little time.

// November 18th, 2011 // No Comments » // Budget, Cooking, Crafty Stuff, Life in General

I just looked and realized that it has been almost a month since I posted.  And let’s be honest, I didn’t so much post as upload pictures of the Amazing Amanda’s birthday party for Super D (which was both precious and awesome all rolled into one).  Since that time, a lot has been going on that I’ve wanted to share with you, but I haven’t (1) had the time or (2) taken the time to sit down and blog it.  Since I last posted, we have had Halloween, two birthdays, and now Thanksgiving is about to roll in.  I’ve also accomplished some cute crafts and other DIY projects that I want to share with you, but now I have so much that I can’t decide where to start.  I guess the best way is to just start where we left off.  In the upcoming posts, you’ll see:

• Bear’s Halloween
• Bear’s Godzilla Birthday Cake (He’s three!!  Not a baby and barely a toddler anymore. He’s–dare I say it?–practically a preschooler!!!)
• Nothing about my birthday.  I’m the Chief Cake Maker (read:  Only) around here, and so there is nothing to show you.  Besides, I’m significantly older than three, so it’s far less exciting).
• The Wonder That is Zaycon Foods
• Easy “Stained Glass” art project for kids
• Homemade Laundry Detergent
• Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
• DIY “Miracle Mask”
• Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
• Cute and EASY Christmas Crafts
• A Giveaway Courtesy of SeenOnTV Express