Boogers, Peanut Butter, Dirt, and Hand-me-downs

My kids wear hand-me-downs. I'm sure that's not a surprising statement since my name is Frugal Moore. Still, I'm proud to say, my son is almost a year old, and I have not had to spend a single dime on clothing for him. Indeed, I have family members who are kind enough to buy my poor child some "non-used" items of clothing once in a while, but the majority of his wardrobe is definitely second hand! My daughter is not excluded from the deal either. I'm blessed to have friends with children just a little older than mine, so every time the seasons change, I get a phone call: "hey, I'm cleaning my kid's closet, be ready!" I also do the same thing to friends who have children younger than mine. I wash, fold, and bag it all up, and give it away!
I find it pointless to spend lots of money on kid's clothes, because they outgrow them so fast. Children also tend to be messy (in case you didn't know already) so why buy brand new clothes, if they are just going to trash them?!?
I have always thought that wearing hand-me-downs was normal. I did it growing up. In fact, I still do. (That's not a surprising statement either, right?!) but I have found that, at least in my neck of the woods, most moms don't like the idea of dressing their kids in used clothes.
I'm not criticizing those moms. In fact, I respect their opinion. I believe everyone should have the freedom to choose how they are going to spend their God given money, that's why I live in America. But I also believe there's a misconception about hand-me-downs. Sure, they are previously used items, but it does not mean they are crappy.
I think a lot of parents, mothers especially, buy expensive clothes for their kids because they want them to look their best. They want them to be liked by others. That's human nature. We all want to be liked by others, but there's no freedom if we are constantly worried about someone else's perception of us. Kids are kids, they will always be messy, and no one will judge you if your child is wearing dirty clothes at the park because he decided that rolling down a dirt hill was more fun than doing whatever else you wanted him to do. I've come to the conclusion that as long as my kids are around, there will always be boogers, peanut butter, and dirt somewhere near them. So I choose to be free. I choose to not care about what others may think. I choose to save the money. I choose to roll down the hill with my kids if that's what they want to do.
Sure, I care about my children's appearance, I care about their hygiene too...and although their clothes are hand-me-downs, they are the right size, stain free, with no holes, and some times, even fancy name-brand stuff!!! I'm not going to lie, sometimes they do look homeless with mismatched clothes, but that's only when my husband is in charge of dressing them...Poor guy, he has no sense of fashion!!
Either way, the point of this post was not to judge mothers who like to buy their children new stuff, or to convince anyone that used clothes are cool. What I wanted to write about, actually, was the unspoken rules that go along with the hand-me-down game. So, whether you are new to the game or a veteran, please consider these tips or hints.

* Always ask before giving used clothes to someone, and don't be offended if they say no.
* Likewise, if someone offers you hand-me-downs, it's ok to politely decline if you don't need or want them.
* Never ever give away clothes with holes or stains. If you would not dress your child in it, don't assume someone else will.
* Make sure the clothes are appropriate for the receiver. For example, don't give a one year old boy a size 4t pink sweater. Believe me, it happens!!
* If you don't know anyone who could benefit from your extras, consider donating them to non-profit organizations, such as Waterfront Mission or the Salvation Army.

Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday on facebook I implied that my lettuce wraps were better than P.F.Chang's. Oops, big mistake...I don't think I've ever had such popular status update. Now I have tons of friends asking me to share the recipe.
The "oops" part is that I actually did not follow any recipes! I JUST MADE IT UP!
I had chicken and lettuce in the fridge, and I did not want to eat "grilled chicken salad" again, so I decided to go "Rachel Ray" on my family (I know Rachel Ray is a person, but in my language it's also an adjective to describe people like me that just make recipes up...it can be a verb too...ex.: Did you just "Rachel Ray" that?) Either way, I gathered a few more ingredients and "voila" chicken lettuce wraps for dinner!!

So now that the big secret is out, I'll share with you what I cooked last night...if you don't like it, Google another lettuce wrap recipe...it won't hurt my feelings, I promise!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup of cashews, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, minced
1 cup red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup of Teriyaki Takumi collection sauce...the original.
6 large leaves of "living lettuce".

Saute onion, garlic, green pepper in olive oil for a few minutes.
Add chicken.
before the chicken is completely cooked, add mushrooms, cashews, and Teriyaki sauce.
Let it simmer for a while.
serve it inside a crispy leave of lettuce.
(the secret to make it delicious is the yummy gingery teriyaki sauce and the crunchy lettuce!)

P.S.: yes, this recipe is frugal! I'm not sure how much the ingredients cost, but I know It comes out to be way more affordable than P.F.Chang's!!!
P.S.#2: I obviously did not take the picture above. I got it from she-fit.com. In this blog, the girl has another lettuce wrap recipe. She uses a different teriyaki sauce and adds more ingredients, like celery and carrots, which sounds good too. So check it out, if you dare.

Food for Thoughts and Friends

Once a week we get together with some friends to fellowship and share dinner. One family is in charge of the main course, and everyone else bring side dishes. We rotate locations and cooking responsibilities, so it's never a burden but a fun time for everyone. We call it friender...Friends and dinner...I'm not sure who came up with that name, but it's pretty brilliant, in my opinion.
When we first started friender, the meals were pretty fancy. Some of the main courses were salmon, sushi, and even steaks...but then, we all realized it was getting expensive to "fellowship", even if each family was only in charge of the main meal once in a while. Since all our friends are frugal like us, we agreed to bring it down a notch. I tell you, we have gotten pretty good at coming up with affordable but still delicious meals...
The other week, for example, I made lasagna. A BUTT LOAD OF LASAGNA (by the way, that's a really gross idiom, if you think about it) for $10...Alright, The total cost was actually $12.54...Still, I fed 7 people for less than $2 dollars a person!! There was plenty of lasagna for everyone, and I don't mean to brag, but it was pretty delicious too!!
Here is some of the other main courses we've had: Chili, breakfast for dinner, spaghetti with meatballs, fajitas, chicken salad sandwiches...but my favorite friender ever was the FISH FRY. Why? Because one of the guys actually caught all the fish himself...so the whole dinner was basically free!
Getting together with our friends weekly has been a blessing. We have gotten to know each other better. We have shared lots of food, laughter, and even concerns over the years, but overall it has been lovely.
DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS YOU CAN COUNT ON?
We all have different beliefs and different lifestyles, but we do have one thing in common...we feel loved when we feel that we belong.
So, smile at a stranger, call your grandma, and invite a friend over for dinner...It will only cost you $2 dollars!!

The Coupon Lady

I have been part of a group called "mothers of preschoolers" for two years now. We get together once a month to do a "craft" project, and talk about our kids. I'm not going to lie, I suck at "craft" things, but I go because they have free child care and delicious snacks. I also love the fact that I get to sit down, relax, and have “adult” conversations for a couple of hours. We had our first club meeting of the year this past Thursday. There were a lot of moms there. One particular girl caught my attention. I overheard her telling another mom about coupons and how to save money at the grocery store. I LOVE meeting other frugal people, and I also LOVE learning new ways to save money!! I always clip coupons from the Sunday paper, but I'm definitely not an "expert" at the "discount grocery" subject. This girl, on the other hand, could probably write a book about it. She told us she bought a trunk full of groceries once for $3.99...at PUBL#X...Say what?! I couldn't believe it. My eyes lighted up, my heart started beating fast, and I wanted to hug her. I was jumping up and down when I asked if she would share her secrets with me... I bet she thought I was "special"...Oh yeah, and I also asked if I could write a post on my blog about her, and she said YES!!

So here is what she told me:

*clip manufacture coupons from the Sunday paper.
*sign up for "costumer rewards" programs, such as "baby club" at Publ#x. (they send you store coupons in the mail).
*Also, there are two blogs you should check daily. (IHEARTPUBLIX.COM and TOTALLYTARGET.COM) The authors of those blogs do most of the "hard work". They find the good coupons online and post them on their blog for you. They even give you tips on how and when to use certain coupons to maximize your savings!

She also told me:

Most stores will take both manufacture and store coupons for the same item, and they also accept competitor’s coupons!!

OMG'sh!! I have never been so exited about grocery shopping in my life. I have been collecting my coupons; I will let you know how it goes.

P.S.: If you want to connect with other mothers of pre-schoolers in your area, you should check out MOPS.ORG
P.S.#2: I don’t legally endorse and I am not legally endorsed by Iheartpuplix.com, totallytarget.com or mops.com. Visit and follow those sites at your own risk!

Please Don't Kill The Sea Turtles

According to the dictionary frugal means “economical in expenditure and not wasteful”. That’s definitely me. Now, with that being said, I’d like the opportunity to explain why I’m that way.

First of all, I’m frugal because I live on a budget.
To live on a budget is to have a plan on how to spend your money; it has nothing to do with being “broke”. You can be on a budget whether you have a lot of money or no money at all. I think people often frown upon the "B word", because they associate it with “restrictions” or “rules”, but in fact, since our family started a monthly financial plan, we have experienced freedom. We know exactly how much money comes in and out of our bank account, and there’s peace of mind that comes with that.

Secondly, I’m frugal, because I don’t like debt.
A good friend once told me to always “live within my means”, I interpreted her advice as “don’t buy useless crap you don’t need on credit so you don’t get in a financial mess later”. I personally think that’s the most useful thing I’ve ever learned, besides “how to find and attend all the free food events on campus” hints from frat guys in college.
Since I've gotten married, My husband and I have tried to stay away from credit cards. We like to pay cash for everything we buy. If we can’t afford something we want, we save our money until we can pay cash for it. I love not having to depend on "Mr. capital one" and their ridiculous interest rates.

Lastly, I’m frugal because I’m environmentally responsible.
As I mentioned on a previous post, my dad always calls me “hippie”, which is totally not the right word to describe me, since I don’t wear tie-dyed shirts, I don’t smoke pot, and I DO shave my armpits. I have tried to explain to him what being “green” means, but he’s such a “baby-boomer”, he just doesn’t get it. By the way, I’m not sure what the term “baby-boomer” actually means. In my world, a “baby-boomer” is any person who is older than me, who does not understand the internet and still pays their bills by mail.
Ok, now back to being environmentally responsible. I don’t like wasting our God given precious resources, so I reduce, reuse and recycle. It feels good to know I’m doing my part to reduce my family’s “carbon footprint”.

So, here is a summary of what I’m trying to say:
I’m not cheap, broke, or a hippie. I’m a person with a financial plan who is not wasteful with my resources and who cares about the Earth.

Now, here is what I originally wanted this post to be about:

5 ways to reuse PLASTIC BAGS (mommy edition)!!

* Instead of buying expensive diaper pail bag refills, place stinky disposable diapers in regular plastic bag before tossing in the pail.
*For easy cleanup, place a plastic bag inside your sink when you peel fruits or vegetables. That way, you can quickly gather and dispose of the peels.
*Wrap gifts with plastic bags. (I got the idea and picture from realsimple.com)
*Always keep a few plastic bags in your car for emergency situations. Those valuable things can be used as a “throw up bag” on road trips, or to hold wet clothes, or to protect your new “hair-do” from the rain, or as a trash bag, or…ok, I think you get the point.
*If you don’t like any of those ideas, please consider depositing your used plastic bags in a recycle bin at your local grocery store.

Alcohol-ic

My first experience with alcohol was in college. I tried drinking it so I could "fit in" and be cool, but all I ever got from it was awful hang-overs and multiple embarrassing stories. Here I am, seven years later, experimenting with it again. Don't you worry friends, this time I won't be drinking it, just cleaning with it, I promise!

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol 70% usp, is like a miracle sent from heaven. I love cleaning with it! Baking soda and white vinegar are also on the top of my list of favorites! Those three ingredients are so cheap and "green", and yet so effective for your day to day cleaning.
Here is some of the facts I found on my "research":
White vinegar and rubbing alcohol disinfects and baking soda deodorizes. wow! complicated, right? So, when you mix vinegar, baking soda and water together you get an awesome all-purpose cleaner. Oh, and the best part is, when the baking soda and vinegar mix together, it bubbles!! I was so excited to see that! I felt like a home-schooled kid doing a science experiment.

Out of all the "recipes" I tried, this one is the most effective:

Mix 1 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water.

I used this solution to clean my kitchen appliances, baby's high chair, and other surfaces that just needed to "wiped", not necessarily "scrubbed".

For hard core cleaning, like the bathtub and bathroom floors, I used pure baking soda with a little bit of water and scrubbed it with a sponge, then I used vinegar and water to disinfect. It worked!


I used rubbing alcohol and old news paper to clean my windows and mirrors. WOW! What a difference! I can actually see out of my bedroom window now, which reminds me, I got an awful lot of yard work to do...

Brown rice and bean burrito

Preparing a healthy meal does not have to be time consuming or expensive. This is a quick, cheap, and healthy idea!
This recipe makes 8 burritos!!

1 medium onion, chopped ($0.70 lb)
3 cups cooked brown Rice ($2 md bag)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed ($0.70)
1 steamed sweet potato, mashed ($0.50)
1 (11 ounce) can corn, drained ($0.60)
8 (8 inch) wheat flour tortillas ($3.00)
1 avocado, sliced ($0.50)
1 cup prepared salsa ($2.00)
Put it all in the center of a tortilla, sprinkle a little chili powder on top, roll it up, and EAT IT!

Total cost: $1.25 per burrito. (just as cheap and fast as Mr. Ronald McD's!)

You may add these extra items to your burrito (if your BUDGET allows!!): Cheese, lettuce, mushrooms, bell peppers, fat-free yogurt, etc...

Dress to impress!

I feel like a 10 year old girl writing all my personal little adventures on my diary. Except instead of waiting for my little brother to find my diary, read all my secrets and broadcast it to all the neighbors, I have skipped the middle man and posted it directly on the internet.


On a different note, I’d like to share one other frugally green idea.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a bachelorette party. My good friend from college was getting married and she wanted me to celebrate with her.
To be honest, although I was honored to be invited to such special event, I did not want to go. First of all, the party started at 8pm, and usually by that time, I’m already in my pajamas. Secondly, I’m a stay-at-home mom, and the words “make-up”, “bar” and “limousine riding” are definitely not part of my job description. Also, my wardrobe consists of lots of t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. I don’t own anything fancy at all.
I thought I had many valid excuses not to go...until, the day before the party when I decided to clean up my closet. I found many “treasures” in there, including an old pair of skating shoes with duck tape holding the soles together (I told you we were frugal), a hand full of dead roaches, and a collection of old bridesmaid dresses. I tossed the shoes and the dead roaches away, but I kept the dresses. I tried them on, one by one. I remembered all the special weddings I got to witness and all the fun I had celebrating those special days with my friends. Then I remembered my own wedding. I don’t want to get all emotional here, so I’ll skip all the mushy-mushy details, but I’ll tell you this: I loved every minute of my special day, and I still love being married to my best friend.

So, I decided to step it up, set aside my excuses, put on something cute, and go celebrate a once in a life time day with my sweet college friend.
What did I wear? One of my old bridesmaid dresses. I’m not kidding...A golden, strapless dress...It was a long gown originally, but I cut it to knee length and hemmed it myself. I wore it with a brown leather belt and shoes. (It looks a little wrinkled in this picture, but it looked fabulous at the bachelorette party!)
Total cost?!
Cute cocktail dress: FREE
A glass of sweet tea at the bar: $2
A night full of fun with a good friend: PRICELESS

Family Room

Eight months ago we purchased our "dream home". We bought a 1959 mid-century modern home. It's 1600 sq-ft, with slanted roof, and a really high selling. We love the location, it's right across the street from a public park, a mile away from the grocery store, and within five miles from all our friends.
We decided to furnish the house with 1950's and 1960's furniture, to go along with the style of the home. My first project was the family/kids play room.
I wanted a family room that would be mid-century modern, colorful, and easy to clean, since my family is a little on the messy side. I shopped thrift stores, antique stores, eb*y, and other places online for the best used furniture deal. After a couple months I finally found these couches on Cr%#gslist. I paid $300 dollars for both couches, an awesome side table (not shown), and the coffee table/foot stool. I've seen similar couches on eb*y go for over $1000! I'm very please with them, both couches and coffee table are made of wood and vinyl, which makes it very easy to clean. Now I just need a pretty rug and some pillows, but that's another post!

Bread Baking Story

We always eat wheat bread. Lately, we also have been trying to buy foods with little or no preservatives, if possible. At the grocery store the other day, while walking down the frozen foods isle, I found a kind of wheat bread that does not have a lot of preservatives. I was very exited about my discovery, until I saw the price...$5 for a loaf of bread?! Seriously?!
I bought it anyway. I usually don't mind paying a little extra for higher quality foods, but to tell you the truth, the bread sucked. It was hard and it tasted like cardboard.
So I decided to make my own fresh wheat bread. I have gone down that road twice before, and it was a disaster both times! In my very first attempt, I gave up when I spilled flour all over myself. The second time, I almost burned the house down, and the final product looked more like a cement brick than a loaf of bread.
I'm awful at baking because I'm awful at following instructions. I'm also a "know-it-all", I always deviate from the original recipe because I think I know best.

So even with my long history of failure, I decided to try bread baking one more time. I dove head first into the adventure. I found a simple recipe I liked and I went to the grocery store to get all the ingredients. I got home, put the kids to nap, and started working. After 4 hours of beating, pinching, punching, and resting, the dough was ready to be baked. I sat there staring at the brown mushy blob of dough while the oven was pre-heating. I was so nervous. I did not want to mess it up this time.
I finally had the courage to put the dough in the oven, and 35 long minutes later, the master piece was ready!! My husband was so excited to come home to some fresh, preservative free, wheat bread that actually tasted good!! My kids loved it too!!

In a lot of ways, baking have been like going to a psychologist. It has helped me understand myself. I have slowly come to the realization that, just like in real life, I don't have to "know it all". I just have to be willing to step back, let a "recipe book" tell me what to do, and hope I don't burn the "bread" in the end!

By the way, I followed the recipe for wheat bread from the "Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book". This recipe does not require a "bread Machine". Total cost?! $10 for 8 loafs!!!!

From Trash To Treasure!

I found these chairs in the trash! I was driving to my parent’s house when I saw them on the side of the road. While hanging out with my family, I kept thinking about them, so on the way back to my house, I stopped and loaded two of the chairs into my car. My aunt was with me. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a little on the crazy side, but I’m ok with that. I’ve always wanted to learn how to reupholster something and I thought these chairs would be an easy first project.
I started by wiping them with a rag. All the dirt and paper that was stuck to them came right off. I didn’t even have to sand or re-stain them!! I unscrewed the cushions from the chairs and started to rip the old fabric off. That was the grossest part of the whole process. The old cushion was saggy and stinky. I started to imagine all the bum-bums that once sat on those chairs, and how many toots those old cushions must have endured. I almost quit right at that thought, but I didn’t. I was too far into the process to give up.
I tossed all the nasty material away.I purchased new padding and fabric at the craft store. I used a staple gun to attach them back to the chairs. Total cost? $6 for each chair.
I would like to think there are no more toot particles stuck to the cushions now, but with a family like mine, I'm pretty sure I'm wrong!

Retro Pillows!

I found two huge panels of curtains at an antique store for $2 a piece. They were very retro looking with green and orange flowers. I think there were over 6 yards for fabric! What a deal!
I took them home, washed them, and with a little magic, they became pillows!!
Ok...I'll tell you the truth: I don't really have magical powers. I just cut the fabric into squares, hand-sewed them together, and stuffed them with some pre-made pillow inserts. They look great on my orange, mid-century, vinyl couches! Total cost? $5 for two pillows! I still have over 4 yard of fabric left, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Any suggestions?

About Us

If I were to ask my family and friends to describe my husband and I, I'm pretty sure they would use the word "frugal" a lot. We enjoy clipping coupons and shopping for good deals. It's almost like a game to us!
My dad would also add the word "hippie" to our description. We bring our own bags to the grocery store and we also recycle all paper, plastic, and glass items. Before we buy anything "new", we always look for "gently used" items first.
We like to call ourselves "Frugally green". We don't like spending a lot of money, and we like to live an environmentally responsible life.
Most of the time combining the two attributes is very hard, so being Frugally green has become a life style. It has determined what kind of car we drive, what we eat, and even where we live. Follow us as we embark in this blogging adventure!