Category Archives: Catching Raindrops

Catching Raindrops in Water Barrels

I love hearing from people who have made changes in their lives because of something I’ve shared here, and on our Facebook page, or challenges I’ve made to encourage others on ways to take control over their own financial future. It’s not always possibly for someone to take on a second job; or even in some cases, working outside the home at all. But there are lots of ways we can all make changes to help save and stretch the use of the money that IS coming in to the home. So I was really excited to hear from a friend of mine who had not only done just that…but utilized one avenue quite literally, by catching raindrops in her water (buckets) barrels!

Meet Erica Manly, a stay at home mom, who previously worked full-time outside the home. Much has changed in Erica’s life over the past five years, including marriage, quitting her day job, having a baby, and moving three hours away from her family for her husband’s job. Erica’s life changed…so Erica had to learn how to adjust her lifestyle to her new normal. Let me let her tell you more about that.

My name is Erica and I’m a wife and stay at home mom to the cutest and busiest little three year old you’ve ever seen. In order to make it possible to stay with her full-time and to save for our future (and hers), I am always looking for ways for our family to save wherever we can. We became even more serious about saving last year after reviewing exactly how much money was going out every month. I started serious couponing first, because most of our budget was going to the grocery store. I wouldn’t call what I do “extreme couponing”, but we are definitely saving about $400 per month in comparison to two years ago between the grocery and other big box store spending. And as a bonus, our cupboards and closets are full of food and toiletries!

I also took up gardening last year with one raised bed garden of vegetables. Whenever I decide to start a project like this, I’m sure my husband cringes as this means work for him. He built a nice raised bed for me and filled it with a truck load of dirt. Our friend had started extra tomato plants and had other extra seeds, so we actually spent absolutely nothing on our plants!

As a new gardener, I noticed how much more everything grew when it rained in comparison to my usual watering from the hose. Our friend calls it “magic water”.

Partly inspired by our Catching Raindrops friend, Gloria, I told my husband that I needed a rain barrel. The way I remember it, he rolled his eyes and sighed. A couple days later, my man was researching rain barrels and told me he found some 55 gallon drums for sale nearby and had found a way to tie them into our downspout under the back porch. Within a week, the project was complete – three 55 gallon drums filled with water after one good rain.

I can’t break down exactly how much money it is saving us, but I was watering our new landscaping on the front of the house and/or the veggie garden almost everyday. Since installing the rain collection system, I have only pulled the garden hose back out a few times. I am looking forward to expanding my garden this spring to two raised beds of vegetables and using my good and bad experiences from last year to improve. My husband will also add another rain barrel or two to be sure we never run out of rain water.

While my ways may be extreme to some, and my reasons to save money may be different from yours, there are almost always ways to spend less and save more for a rainy (or even not rainy) day!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go follow my child around while turning off lights and try to explain (again) that just because you can flip all the light switches now doesn’t mean you need to turn all the lights on!

Why You Should Make a Plan to Get Prepared this Year

Leave a reply

Last month I started seeing commercials from a popular grocery store chain advertising several non-perishable items. It wasn’t a standard store advertisement about the latest promotion, sale, or couponing opportunity. To paraphrase the tagline for this campaign, it was about stocking up the pantry with essential items (canned goods, bottled water, etc.) to remain prepared. I think one of the line was “Winter’s coming. Be prepared.” It caught my attention because it’s the same thing I’ve been saying for years. Last year’s unexpected winter ice storm that hit the South, definitely caught many of my college students off guard and unprepared. Some people, however, feel that if they don’t live in tornado alley, along a hurricane coastline, have a house at the lake, or live in the upper Midwest during the winter months, then they don’t have to worry about weather related issues. The truth is that a natural disaster can strike at any time, almost anywhere. But it still surprises me how many people don’t take that reality very seriously; some just refusing to take the time to plan ahead.

So as I’ve been watching the news coverage of the flooding in Missouri over the Christmas holidays, I was reminded of the Nashville floods of 2010, and watching the creeks around my neighborhood flowing over and covering streets and highways. And hearing of people trapped in their homes; some calling out for help because they had children in the home, but no groceries in the house. Who knew that just five years later, I’d be watching the same thing happening to my hometown of Columbia, SC, including my college alma mater (University of SC). Two days into the flooding they were on a boil water advisory due to contamination of their water supply. After checking up on several friends, I learned some were without both water and electricity.

My sister woke up to discover her house completely surrounded by water, with both streets into the neighborhood flooded over. She and her boys were trapped for a few days. But because of our upbringing, she was prepared, having gone shopping the day before after hearing of the possibility of excessive rainfall and flash flooding. She was fortunate to have only lost power for a couple of hours, and not a couple of days, as some did. I wasn’t surprised at her level of readiness.

I contacted a high school friend of mine after the worst part of the flooding event was over, and asked her to share with me her family’s story of how she prepared for that October event.

I’m typing this on my tablet as I sit under the hair dryer at my beautician, which is where I was when I really started paying attention to the weather reports.

My husband and I had talked earlier in the day and he told me he would go to the grocery store and pick up some things. When I got home late that evening, I found he had picked up a few things, but not enough to be stuck inside for a couple of days. So by the time we went back to the store that Saturday morning, the only bread left were a few packs of hamburger buns. The checkout lines were down the aisles; but we got what we needed.

Since our water supply comes from a well and not the city we made sure we had enough bottled water, because we knew if the power went out, the pump wouldn’t be able to pump water for us. So I also filled up one of the bathtubs, along with some jugs with water to be able to flush toilets. You gotta be able to use the bathroom, right?

While I was never a girl scout, my daughter was, and her troop leader had taught them a lot of survival skills. Having to prepare for this weather was kind of like preparing to go camping; primitive camping. You have a checklist of things you need: sleeping bags, tent, snacks, flashlight, lanterns (the wind up, battery-operated kind) oil, and a Coleman.

By Sunday morning, when I heard church services were cancelled, I realized how bad it was in some places. Although we were blocked in due to streams and creeks flowing over the bridges we needed to cross to get out, our area of town was basically ok. We experienced no loss of power, had safe water supply, and our house did not flood. The only ting we need was some roof work.

We were truly blessed. We had everything we needed. My philosophy is that it is always best to be prepared even if the predictions don’t come to pass. I know there were many people who weren’t, and unfortunately, suffered as a result of it.

My New Year’s wish for everyone reading this is that you make a resolution to make a plan for your life this year. That plan should include things to do to remain prepared in life; prepare for those things which we can do, since there’s certainly many other things that happen that we can not control. Increase your chance to truly have a Happy New Year!

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

Thanksgiving 2015

Leave a reply

It was another typical morning for my niece. Once again, she was running behind, having spent way too much time getting ready. So out of the door she got ready to run, without eating breakfast. When I insisted she grab a breakfast bar, she said they were out. Of course, I’d already looked through my sister’s pantry the night before, just checking out what was there. So I’d already seen a brand new box of my new favorite, BelVita breakfast bars. She admitted she’d forgotten they had just purchased some, and grabbed one before leaving. As she did, my final words to her “It would be too ironic for you to be serving a meal to those who don’t have any food; and then you pass out from not eating, even though you DO have food!”

You see, my 17 year old niece was doing something I was very proud of — spending her Thanksgiving morning, along with her mom, serving meals at her church to those who didn’t have the means to buy, prepare and enjoy their own. They do more than just serve the food; they also spend time with those families and others who stop by.

Sometimes, I think my nieces and nephews don’t consciously think about what they have available to them every single day. I suppose it’s something we all can be guilty of at one time or another. Just last night, a nephew who had been visiting that evening, wanted my sister to stop by McDonalds on the way back home. Yes, it was way past dinnertime, and she should have prepared him something to eat. But, the fact that she had already told him she didn’t have any money on her, AND that they had plenty of food back at home where they were heading, didn’t phase him. He still wanted to stop and get something from a fast food restaurant; inspire of the fact that he didn’t have any money on him either.

I don’t know what decision she made once she got into the car and headed home. But I really hope she drove straight there and made him eat something they already had in the house.

I thought also about how many times we give in to the “easy,” with no thought of the practical. We go to fast food restaurants, order take out, have pizza delivered (one of the first things my nephew wanted earlier in the day) — all while our pantries are full; refrigerators well-stocked; and cabinets hold all of the extra snacks for those movie nights and drop by friend moments, without giving it a second thought. I would argue that unless one of “those” commercials come on during our favorite sitcom, we don’t regularly think about how many families aren’t warm and sitting in front of TV enjoying the latest episode of anything. Or how many are going to bed at night just as hungry as they were that morning?

Thanksgiving is a time when we can sometimes feel guilty about all of the things we have — the food, the family, our time with family and friends — especially as we’re reminded about how little others may have. I don’t want to walk around beating myself or anyone else up over the head, feeling bad about blessings that may have been bestowed upon us. But I do wish that we all could work harder to appreciate what we have; remember to thank Who it is who gave it to us, and allows us to have it; and be more open to share our blessings with others. I include myself in that group.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Leave a reply

I hope everyone had a wonderful new year’s eve and were able to welcome in the New Year with positive anticipation! For me, my resolutions for Catching Raindrops is to do a better job of sharing positive and encouraging news and stories here (in addition to the facebook group); and to encourage more discussion among the members who would like to contribute their own stories, ideas, and ways they have adjusted their lives to their new lifestyles…creating their new normal.

For me personally, my resolution also includes taking better care of myself — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I believe that everything ties into one another. When you’re not feeling well physically, it can have an impact on your mental and emotional state. On the other hand, keeping a positive attitude when you’re going through challenges, can often times help the heal process. And eating well helps to build your immune system and body system in good shape in general, helping you ward off some of the other things that can run your down. So with that in mind, my personal focus is getting more vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds into my body, and less refined sugars and junk food! This should also help me keep focused too — which means being more attentive to this page in the future as well.

So happy new year everyone. Be happy. Be healthy. Be blessed!

Football Season is Officially Here! That Must Mean so is Autumn!

Leave a reply

On display in front of Kroger!

Don’t Always Believe What You First Read!

Leave a reply

Looks aren’t the only things that can be deceiving!

On my last major shopping trip at the grocery store, which I do about once a month to gather all of the basics to restock the pantry, I picked up my normal go-to cereal of frosted mini wheats and continued my stroll down the row. As I looked over all of the many different choices of cereals today, I shook my head, thankful that I wasn’t a mom trying to shop for my kids and their pull towards the sugary cereals or the ones with the latest animation or blockbuster movie character on them. Nearing the end of that aisle, I came up to a particular brand’s section and noticed they were running a great sale on their products. Being ever so wise to jump on opportunities to save money, I put my mini wheats back on the shelf and reached for something different; a cereal I hadn’t tried before, but that sounded like it would provide me with the same kind of low fat, high fiber breakfast I was looking for.

Yeah, I was trying to be good. I always convince myself that if I buy plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with other low fat, low sugar, and high fiber foods as the majority of my shopping, then I can make the excuse to indulge in one “goodie” on that trip. When I shop Walmart, that goodie is always a bag of Indiana kettlecorn popcorn! But I was at a grocery store that didn’t carry that, and hadn’t made up my mind what little treat I might pick up for myself.

But then…I saw it! That pretty blue box of goodness I remembered and loved so much from my childhood.

Oh decisions, decisions…Should I stick with the “smart” choice; after all, it promoted the whole grain goodness and fiber that I wanted. Or should I indulge for just this one time (how many of us haven’t said that in justification, more than a few times?). They were both on sale, so money being equal, and desire growing stronger, I decided that the best way to talk myself out of it was to look at the breakdown of the nutritional information on each box.

Yes. That will help to being me back down to earth and talk some sense in me, I thought. I’ll just take the two boxes and put them side by side, and see with my own eyes why choose Kellogg’s Smart Start was going to be a much better choice than to give in the the extra sugar and calories of the Frosted Flakes cereal. It’s always harder to justify a purchase when you can see in print all of the extra calories, sugar, sodium, fat grams — whatever you’re trying to watch — right there in ink on the side of the box. I knew the answer already. I mean, one was whole grain, fiber loaded cereal, and the other made no bones about being sweetened (frosted) corn flakes. But until I could just see it; read it for myself, then I knew I could convince myself to put the blue box down and move on. After all, there was much more shopping to be done!

And there it was. Right there spelled out, ounce for ounce, serving size for serving size, sugar, fat, calories. My reason for walking away. But, but wait a minute! What am I reading?!

My Frosted Flakes had fewer calories than the Smart Start! What? Okay, sure, Frosted Flakes’ serving size was 3/4 cup and the Smart Start was a full cup. But they were both wrong! Who eats only a cup of cereal? Seriously, when’s the last time when you weren’t on a diet, that you measured your cereal? Most of us pour; and we typically end up with about a cup in a half. So sure I was taking in 220 calories for 1 1/2 cups of FF, but with Smart Start being 190 calories for a cup, that meant the same 1 1/2 cups for SS would be 285!

But even I know you can’t just look at the caloric intake, so I went to the fat grams. One gram for SS wasn’t bad; even if the FF was zero. But the sugar is what caught me by surprise. Only 11 grams for the FF (22g for the 1 1/2 cups) but practically as much sugar in the SS at 14 grams (or 21g for 1 1/2 cups). That wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that looking at the face of the packaging, and the name of the cereal, who would think that it would contain THAT much sugar?

Of course, the Smart Start DID have a higher fiber content, and plenty of vitamins — but hey, that’s what my One-a-Day is for! Needless to say, I was a little disappointed that I had initially allowed myself to be tricked, just by the wording and packaging of one product over another. Because for the things I like to look out for, as far as my own nutritional needs versus dietary concerns (fat, sugar, sodium, and yes, fiber), it turns out the Frosted Flakes wasn’t such a “bad” thing for me after all.

At the end of the on-site quickie research, I ended up buying them both, and am alternating between the two for breakfast. But as a reminder to us all, don’t always believe what you first read; read on and make sure it’s really all that you thought (or didn’t think) it would be!

Summer on the Cheap!

Leave a reply

Kimberly Pierce Carter is a stay-at-home mom of three children, ages 10, 6 and 3. “Being a stay at home mom is the best and the hardest job I’ve ever had,” said Kimberly, whose two daughters and young son keep her busy. “I learn something new about my children or myself almost every day!”

Having only one source of income, one thing Kimberly has also learned is how to seek out the best deals for her family, not just at the grocery store or mall, but to provide various activities and educational opportunities beyond the classroom, without spending a lot.

“When summer approaches, one of the first things I do is check out our local library summer schedule,” she says. “Our library has a fantastic summer reading program and they give the kids little prizes along the way, which helps to keep my kids motivated to want to read.”

In most communities, libraries are an excellent place to find not just reading programs, but other activities geared for kids of all ages. Some places offer plays, live music, and even arts and crafts. “Our library has some fantastic programs all during the summer and they are free! From one-man puppet shows, to African rhythm instruments, to a wildlife exhibition, there is always something to see or do once or twice a week, in addition to story times.”

Another outlet that Kimberly takes advantage of during these long days of summer is Vacation Bible School (VBS) at her church. Most VBS programs are open to community kids, regardless of whether or not they are members of that church, and just like programs at the library, most VBSs are free. “One of the things I like about the VBS programs in our area is that the kids get to learn about God, make various crafts, play games, and meet new friends; kids who may not attend their school.”

Other activities that parents can get their kids involved in range from special free movies that Regal Cinemas (and other movie theaters) offers throughout the summer or heading to the local city or state parks for a picnic or nature hikes. “We pack our lunch, sunscreen, some sidewalk chalk, a container of bubbles, and a few outdoor games, and it makes for another great day in the outdoors.” Many parks offer free or minimal cost nature programs and special projects for kids to engage in as well.

Just like with parks, moms can also look for street festivals, community fairs, music programs, and other special events designed to attract families. “At least once a month our Farmers Market holds a family night with games, face painting, and other entertainment. And of course, going also gives us access to some great local produce.”

So just because your kids are out of school for the summer, doesn’t mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars sending them off to camp, or think that saving money means having them sit in front of the television or playing computer games all day. There are a lot of free or inexpensive things to do with your kids that can be educational, entertaining, and fun experiences for the whole family.

Kimberly has been married to her husband Chance for over 16 years, and they live in the San Francisco East Bay area.

Meet Our Mommypreneur

Leave a reply

Rosie Schmitgen is a busy woman who believes that putting family first helps keep everything else in their right place. A wife and the mother of three vivacious and busy children, Rosie is also an entrepreneur, running two businesses she co-owns with her husband. With the flexibility of being a self-employed businesswoman, Rosie is able to keep focused on her family while still growing her businesses, all from home.

After several years of buying and flipping properties for resale, Rosie and her husband Allen started Schmitgen Rentals 17 years ago. A home and apartment rental business based in Corpus Christi, the company rents fully furnished and unfurnished homes and apartments to vacationing families or traveling business people throughout the year. With a 15-year background in retail management, Rosie’s desire to serve people by providing them what they need has helped to grow the company each year since its start.

Her other company, Beyond Espresso of Corpus Christi, which was started seven years ago, is a rental company of commercial grade coffee machines from Italy. Targeted for placement in small and large businesses, Rosie also provides rental of the popular cappuccino and latte making coffee machines for special events, private parties, and fundraisers around the country.

Rosie lives in Corpus Christi where she has been happily married to Allen Schmitgen for over 18 years. She loves being a cheerleader to her kids, Justin, Caleb, and Aleena, as they grow into their own individually creative self. But balancing the life of a wife, mom, and business owner can definitely take its toll. And as women, sometimes we are the last ones to take note. For Rosie, it was her oldest son Justin who recently told her that she needed to start taking better care of herself. Noticing how tired his mom was getting by the end of each day, 15 year old Justin told her that it was because she wasn’t eating right and not getting enough regular exercise.

What a revelation coming from a teenager! What was probably more shocking to Rosie was both of her sons insistence on her providing them with healthier food options for their meals, as well as their desire to join a gym so that they could get regular exercise. As if the roles were reversed, it was mama Rosie who pushed back. “I tried to explain to my sons how time consuming it would be to research all of the right foods, in addition to adding another trip to an already hectic schedule by trying to get them to and from the gym throughout the week.”

But Justin pushed back harder. “Mom, I have researched the foods, I will tell you what to buy and I will help you prepare our meals for the week,” he said, showing an incredibly high level of maturity for a teenage boy. So Rosie agreed to give it a try, and has made plans for the whole family to join a local gym and work out together. But it is the last words of her son’s plea that is probably the most worth sharing. They are words that ring true for everyone, and hopefully will prove inspirational to those of you reading this, as you go through the day, and plan your week, and wonder how you can fit even one more thing in it.

“In being organized we will eat better, have more time for things, and be healthier.” Justin Schmitgen (15 year old kid who wants his family to live a better life)

Back to School? Already!?

Leave a reply

Yes, it really IS that time of year again. Well at least for those who live in the southern states! While our northern counterparts get to enjoy the true time period of the summer months, most southern states head back to school before the unofficial, but always noted, Labor Day end of the season. For some states, like here in Tennessee, that means the countdown to the return to classes has already started, with some places in the T-minus three weeks, and counting…

Yes, I actually said THREE WEEKS! One Catching Raindrops in Water Buckets facebook community member indicated that her kids start back on August 1st!! Maybe that’s why stores such as Walmart, Target, CVS, Staples, and others have already started their big Back to School online push. A lot of these specials are only good through the end of this week. So even if your kids don’t return to school until September, you might want to go ahead and check out some of these super specials they’re posting. I found a link to a great website that lists each separate store’s school supplies specials: Back to School Specials

Hey, and an idea for those of you who don’t have school-aged kids, how about picking up some of these supplies yourself (several items under a dollar) and dropping a bag of school supplies off at your church for them to distribute to parents in need!

So get out and take advantage of opportunities to catch raindrops in your water buckets!

The Garden Gal

1 Reply

TL grew up on her family’s farm in a small Kentucky town. The middle child of three kids, gardening was always a part of her life growing up. “We grew a large garden that we would plant, raise, and pick,” TL described. “Mom would can enough vegetables each year to get us through the fall, winter, and even into spring.” As a child, TL says she didn’t enjoy having to garden every day. “I’d much rather be chasing bugs.” But eventually, she came to enjoy the hard work, as well as appreciating the food that came as a result. “When I graduated and moved away from home, I missed the farm, and the animals, and sometimes even my family,” TL joked.

After moving to Nashville, TL eventually moved to a home she rented from an older couple in East Nashville. “The home had a large back yard, and my landlord, Mr. Huffine, had a huge garden. One day, after his tiller stopped working, I asked him if I could take a look at it. I’m sure he didn’t know at the time that I was raised on a farm, and had learned how to fix farm equipment from my dad.” After that day, TL and the Huffines became more than tenant and landlord, they became friends. And for the next 15 years, TL worked beside Mr Huffine in that backyard garden, not just growing vegetables, but learning lots of life lessons from his 93 years of life experiences. “We would work together almost every day, planting, preening, hoeing, and even more importantly, talking.”

TL says that one of the biggest joys she gets through the gardening experience is sharing the harvest with other people who needed it. She and Mr Huffine would give away tomatoes, green beans, okra, and other items to anyone who asked or who they thought might need it. We loved watching other people enjoy the work of our hands and the blessings God had given us that year,” she continued. “All the sweat, the blisters on our hands, the years of some times having to replant the garden due to climate issues, are small drops in the bucket compared to the joy your heart feels when you give it all away.

TL is a full-time nurse in the ER at a Nashville (TN) hospital. Gardening is a passion she takes seriously. “Gardening’s not for everyone, because it does take a lot of time, but if I can do it with my schedule, then anyone seriously interested in it can learn how to do it as well. It does require time management and a commitment, but the rewards of eating my own organically grown vegetables far out weigh the time and cost.”

It’s been almost a year since Mr Huffine passed away (October 2012). And TL continues to garden, growing not only vegetables, but wildflowers for Mrs Huffine, who comes by to see her and see how the garden is doing. This year, TL was even able to show the Huffine’s daughter how to plant a garden; something their daughter had always wanted to learn to do from her dad.