5 Ways to Save Money While Homeschooling

Budgeting and finances are not the most enjoyable things to think on, but we must or end up in a mess. For most families walking the road of home education saving money is important. Did you know 8 out of 10 families I questioned are on an extremely tight budget for their school?

These are the average middle class families just like mine who are working to keep all bills paid while buying curriculum for their children. Two of those eight are taking advantage of their state’s tax credit for homeschooling. While it's something we would never do (if we were offered), more and more families are accepting the help. It's never too late to save money while homeschooling.

When my son was ready for kindergarten, I bought all of our books with a portion of my last paycheck. Yikes! I had no clue what I caused for the following year. I did not realize how much we would be sucking in our budget waistline for a belt to fit. Thankfully, I was able to sell just about all of the two kits to help in buying for the new year.

Ways to save money while Homeschooling

Set a budget – a budget set in place keeps from over spending. It’s hard especially when you see all that is out there for home education. But if you know ahead of time what you want to use (are going to use), the budgeting is not so bad.

Buy Used – don’t let the thought of used materials scare you away. Over the years, I’ve become more open to buying used for certain items. The only thing I don’t consider buying used is our Math since it is a computer disc method of learning. I’d rather buy new and have the availability of returning it if something goes wrong. Sometimes, buying used you do get burned with a seller not describing mishaps with books. I had this happen with our 8th grade Science. The seller said, “lovingly used”. When I questioned writing and highlighting in the book, she said there was minimum. Yeah, each page was covered in doodling and highlighting. If you’re leary when buying through a sale group, ask the seller to take pictures of the problem areas. If they are not willing to, don’t buy from them.

Non Consumable Books - when schooling a family of more than one, consider the cost of throw away workbooks. You can turn consumable books into non consumable - place the worksheets into a page protector and use dry erase markers to work the page. When finished, wipe clean and store in a three ring binder for the next child.

Wait for Newly Published Curriculum – several years ago, I mention I don’t like reading reviews of curricula by people who did not spend their money on it. I was told by another mom who works for a curriculum company I wasn’t being fair. I was being fair and still am. While I know those who receive items in return for an honest opinion are great for certain things. A newly published curriculum is not. I want to hear from someone who has spent their money and six months to a year working through the curriculum. Those who are writing reviews in return for curriculum are not allowed that length of time. I recently read the reviews of a curriculum I dearly wanted to use when it first came out. I’m glad I waited because there are lots of things several reviews (from buyers) mentioned that I would have been frustrated with. Just because it is all the rage with reviewers, remember they are allotted a short amount of time to work with a portion of the curriculum before their review is due.

Sell Old and Unused Items - I mentioned selling the kindergarten kits. If you have books and related items that are not being used and you know they never will be– sell them. In the past, I use to sell on Ebay, but with their added fees along with Paypal fees, it’s not worth it anymore for me. I hit the Facebook selling groups with good results. Use that money for next year’s books or set it aside for things like a microscope and slides – pricey for decent items.

Just remember:

Investing -  the key behind homeschooling. You’re making an investment in your children. Determine what you are willing to invest in. Investing less in one subject opens the door to invest more into another subject. For our school, our biggest investments are in Math and Science. While they take up a good portion of the budget, I don’t let this keep me from investing in the importance of them.

These are some of the Facebook sell groups where I am a member:

Teaching Textbooks Swap and Sell

Teaching Textbooks Buy/Sell/Trade

Abeka Used Homeschool Items

Used Homeschool Curriculum and Books

What are some ways you save money while homeschooling?

Don't forget my post about Saving Money with the Library.

Healthy for You: Asparagus and a Recipe

Asparagus is one of those vegetables you either like or you don’t. We never ate it while growing up so I honestly didn’t know if it was something I would like. My dad loves it and shared a bite with me at a restaurant about 10 years ago. It was in a salad and I couldn’t get over the woody taste. That taste caused me to wait seven years before I would try it again.

Because of my sister talking about them, I tried cooking Asparagus and Brussels sprouts. She told me to make sure the Asparagus stem snaps in the natural area it wants to bend. This would keep from getting the part of the stem that has the woody taste. Although the Brussels sprouts won my heart, my husband continued asking for Asparagus. Oddly enough, I researched Asparagus and found it to be on the high purine list of vegetables. This worried me because of my husband’s gout, when you watch someone suffer from the pain and effects of gout, you want to avoid any purines if possible.

Healthy for You - Asparagus

Back in February, I cooked Asparagus because it had been asked for and I cringed while cooking because I knew what was going happen. I was ready for the “I told you so” part that would come in the next day, but it never came. For several days afterwards, my husband talked about how good his ankles felt even after long days of driving. So, I bought another pound of Asparagus and we tried it again the next week. The only thing I did differently, I divided the Asparagus up for several days because the feel good feeling didn’t last longer than several days.

I researched Asparagus again, this time for all the health benefits it has to offer. Let me tell you, these little vegetables are packed full of healing benefits.

One cup of Asparagus contains vitamins A, C, E, K, and several B vitamins along with folate, copper, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber. There are also anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and the cancer fighting compound, glutathione.

No wonder my husband was feeling so well after eating this little miracle vegetable. Those anti-inflammatory properties are a huge benefit for joint pain.

A whole cup of Asparagus only has 20 calories. That calorie count should be a little encouragement for those dieting.

While Asparagus has a higher count of purines than many other vegetables, plant purines are less concentrated than animal purines. This means the rise in uric acid levels will not be as high a risk like animal purines. For my husband, I tend to worry a little so I make sure he is not eating anything that could trigger his gout when eating Asparagus. As long as he is not seeing any bad side effects, I’ll continue cooking this little vegetable for him.

I was a little surprised to find this little vegetable to be a wonder pill for my husband. But thankfully, it’s a food we don’t have to sacrifice eating. Because of the health benefits in Asparagus, I think I could learn to love them.

There are many yummy recipes for asparagus. But since I cook only a handful at a time most nights, I sauté them. If you are cooking a full pound of asparagus, you can double the seasonings for your taste.

Simple Sautéed Asparagus

Ingredients:

• Asparagus

• Oil - enough to coat the stems

• Pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning

Directions:

In a small container mix the dry ingredients with oil. Toss the asparagus with the oil mixture and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a healthcare provider. I am simply a wife who is sharing what she has learned from research and a trial and error routine of finding healthy foods for my husband to enjoy.

Preserving Foods WITHOUT a Garden

Want to preserve foods but don't have a garden? You still can without spending a ton of money. Whether you live in the city with little space or you have room for a garden, you don’t need a garden to preserve foods for your family. While it is ideal to have your own garden, there are many reasons for not doing so. But they don’t have to stop you from enjoying the harvest of fresh foods and preserving them for your family.

We live in an area where we have access to just about everything when it comes to fresh produce. Communities see the importance of offering weekly farmer’s market days to their locals. Family owned produce farms and businesses are popping up all the time. The state of Georgia has several large state farmer’s markets within reasonable driving distance from any part of our state. There is also a huge international farmer’s market close to Atlanta. While I don’t consider the latter’s prices good enough to buy in bulk for preserving, we enjoy shopping there for items that can’t be found elsewhere. We truly are blessed.

GATHERING FOODS TO PRESERVE WITHOUT A GARDEN

Seven places to find the treasures:

Family and Friends

– do they have garden space for you to work? Or if you don’t have the time or the ability, buy seeds and plants and offer to share the bounty in return will open the door for produce.

Farmer’s Markets

– communities are opening up more to this idea for local garden owners. Do your research on those closest to you. Get to know the sellers and tell them what you are looking for and why; many will be happy to work with you or get you in contact with someone who can help.

If your state has a farmer’s market, visit it. If it is open year round go at different seasons to see the produce. Find a farmer who is willing to work with you on the items and price. - Many will negotiate prices.

Pick Your Own

– these farms are perfect for items like blueberries and strawberries. Many of these farms have a huge variety of items to choose from. Check out the

Pick Your Own

website for farms near you.

Flea Markets

- don't ignore this idea, because the big flea markets have produce vendors and local farmers who will set up for a few hours on the weekend to sell their goods. In the past, we had a farmer set aside their spotted and over ripe tomatoes that would not sell to others so I could make spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and salsa. One weekend, we bought three cases for a discounted price because they were not beautiful.

Preserving Foods WITHOUT a Garden

The next three considerations we have not used. I’ve researched them several times in the past and they are not feasible for us, but may work out for you.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

– as a consumer you are subscribing (or buying) into the harvest from a local farmer. While many farms are fruits and vegetables only, there are many more who offer other farm items like meat and dairy. There are risks when buying a membership to a CSA; paying up front with no reimbursement for missed pick up dates or slim harvest for the week and failed crops just to name two. Check out the

Local Harvest

website for farms in your area.

Produce Co-Op

– buying shares in a co-op is done either weekly or bi-weekly. While most of these are boxes with enough produce for a week or so for a family, they may run specials on bulk items that are in season (tomatoes, apples, and oranges). By doing a little internet search you should find local co-ops using local farmers and stores instead of those from who knows where. If you can’t find one locally, you may even consider

Starting Your Own Produce Co-op

with friends and neighbors.

Produce Trucks

– just recently an out of state friend mentioned she was already putting away GA peaches. She purchased these from

The Peach Truck

. If your community has a Facebook group where announcements about these types of services are posted, watch for them. The more people interested in a delivery location, a company will add location stops.

It doesn’t cost a lot of money to have a garden, but it does cost sweat equity. Remember that when you are considering the costs of buying foods from others to preserve. Last August after we moved, we went to the big Farmer's Market in Atlanta. We took $100 to spend and only spent $80 on all of these goodies. There's a basket of summer squash beside the watermelon on the left.

That box of muscadines in the right corner of the picture turned into yummy

Muscadine Jelly

and

Muscadine Syrup

.

With these conveniences, preserving foods for a family doesn’t require having a garden spot. You too can preserve foods for your family to eat all year long.

Do you preserve foods for your family? What types of foods do you or would you like to preserve?

Do all to the Glory of God I Corinthians 10:31

In 1983, my 6th grade class was given the opportunity to do something no other 6th grade got to do before or after. The high school was not as big as it had been but big enough to send two groups to The Wilds camp for the yearly week away from school. That year, my class got to attend so space would be filled. From the time I was a little girl hearing my brothers talk about camp, I dreamed of attending the week long camp held every March. My time finally came. While the camp boasts of beautiful mountain views, waterfalls, hikes, and tons of activities to keep a teen happy, that is not their main goal. Reaching the hearts of young people and leading them to Christ is the ultimate outcome they strive for.

Anytime the whole group gathered for a meal or a session we quoted I Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. This verse was my class’s memory verse the week before. We had it memorized for camp and we also learned the song arrangement that was sung there.

Do all to the Glory of God

As Christians, we are to live a life for others to see Jesus. Our life is not our own, so to simply live for ourselves is out of the question. When we continue reading the following verses we see why. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. (I Corinthians 10:32-33)

 Living for Jesus is not about ourselves and what we can gain. But what we can do for others so they will want to be saved.

 Life is not easy. We face situations every day where others are watching how we react. Will they see us react in a way that is pleasing to God? Or will they be turned away from wanting to know more about Him?

Every year for the next three years I was taught no matter what I did, I was to do it to the glory of God.

• My schoolwork – did I do it to the glory of God?
• My actions towards family and friends – were they to the glory of God?
• The way I dressed – was it to the glory of God?

After high school, when I entered the workforce during and after college – was everything I did to the glory of God?

• As a wife, mother, and homemaker – is everything I do to the glory of God?

Of all the verses I memorized as a teen, I Corinthians 10:31 is the one I remember the most. While the others are just as important, this one always comes to mind when I needed to be reminded am I doing everything to the glory of God.

I've joined the Through the Word Challenge at the Christian Ladies Network. You can read more about the challenge.

Helping to Develop Your Child's Self-Worth

“My son’s behavior is because of his self-esteem. As a teacher, it is your job to be building it up.” Those were the quick words a mother told me about her third grade boy in the car pickup line. She didn’t want to get to the root of the problem, but rather put the blame on another.

When I talked with my adviser, she was mad because another year had come around with the mother refusing to come in for any parent-teacher meetings. The advice from a wiser, more experienced teacher showed me something that day, the root of the problem we were having wasn’t about self-esteem but the child's self-worth.

Self-worth, most people consider it as a synonym for self-esteem, but they are two different things we need to separate. Self-esteem (what you can do) is the external actions that are valued in society today. Self-worth (who you are) is the internal you, your character, your heart, the value many want to over look.

Today’s society tells us we need to be above average in the things we do. Young moms are pushing their tiny tots into pre-schools so they will be more advanced when they enter kindergarten. Those little ones are missing out on valuable mommy time and just being a toddler. Older children all across this country are hearing words like, “You’re a better player than they are”, or “You let them beat you out for that trophy”; words of comparison and hurt.

Each individual is different and functions on their own level no matter how hard we push them.

Parents, whether you want to admit to it or not, there is always someone who is better than your child at something. You need to realize it before causing a rift in your relationship with your little fella. The childhood years should be just that – a childhood having fun as a kid without any added pressure. Just remember, there is someone better than you at what you think you excel in. We all want our children to grow up to become good productive, generous adults. We don’t want them to look for the love and compassion they crave in the wrong areas. It happens. As a parent, we need to get to the heart of our children and help grow their self-worth.

Developing Your Child's Self-Worth

Comparison – don’t do it! Don’t ever let your child hear you compare them with another. Their mental and physical abilities are different from others. More likely than not, they will quickly pick up on this on their own and work on things themselves. Children have their own interests, allow them to pursue them without pushing on them what another is doing.

Positivity – our actions and words are important for those around us – be positive. Let your children hear you speak positive about the things they do. Let your face speak positive because when they misbehave a negative look may be all it takes to stop the behavior. When your child comes to talk about a sensitive subject, don’t push them away. Don’t tell them it is nasty, sinful, and it is not right. If you are not ready to talk about it, make time so you can get your thoughts together. Be honest with their questions. If you don’t answer their questions honestly, they will get a worldly answer elsewhere.

Meaningful activities – encourage your child to find something that will bring them joy. If they are interested in learning a craft (sewing, knitting) or a foreign language, let them. Children are such a joy for those who are living in nursing homes. Many of them were placed there and forgotten by family members. Taking an hour or so a week to visit and spend time with the elderly brings joy to all involved. Our children can learn so much from the older generation. Don’t let them pass on without letting your children experience their stories.

Integrity - teach your children their actions and beliefs must be the same. They need to learn this step of self respect early on, so they will care about their character and what others know about them. With the adviser’s help and the help of another older teacher, I was able to work more on showing this young man his self-worth. It was also the last incident for that mother to not attend any parent-teacher meetings if she wanted her son to attend the school. Of all the children I taught, this one little boy as a lasting memory in my mind. We had our challenges that year; I can’t help but wonder where his life has led him. He was more than his self-esteem.

52 Easy Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

Are you looking for recipes that are easy to prepare and in a skillet? Whether you cook with cast iron or stainless steel, you’ll be sure to find a recipe that piques your interest in this list of 52 Easy Cast Iron Skillet Recipes. If you are gluten free and/or vegan, I have you covered. This list came about because I was in search of recipes to cook for my family. Little did I know my list would morph into something that caused me to share the list. I even included some of my recipes just in case you missed them in the past.

52 Easy Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

Appetizers
Cast Iron Cowboy Queso Dip – My Crafty Life
Campfire Pizza Nachos – Cooking With Janica
Easy Baked Shrimp Dip - Macheesmo
Southwest Dip aka Wild West Dip – Yummy Healthy Easy
Meatball Sub Dip – Wine and Glue

Bread
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Chive Blossom and Potato Focaccia – Farm Fresh Feasts
Easy Cornbread Skillet with Scallions – Savory Tooth
Wild Blueberry and Turkey Pull Apart Rolls – Easy Cooking With Molly
Skillet Irish Soda Bread – Jo Cooks

Eggs
Hungry Man Breakfast Skillet
Baked Eggs with Herbs and Bacon - Reuse Grow Enjoy
Broccoli and Sweet Potato Frittata With Thyme – Savory Tooth
Italian Skillet Eggs – Thrifty Jinxy
Cheesy Bacon Egg Hash Brown Skillet – Julie Eats and Treats

Chicken
Spicy Chicken Stroganoff With Broiled Zoodles - A Sprinkling of Cayenne
Skillet Broccoli Parmesan Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta – Thrifty Jinxy
Chipotle Chicken Wraps with Kicked Up Avocado Cream – Mashup Mom
Honey Mustard and Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes - Matters of the Belly
Skillet Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Asparagus - Creme de la Crumb

Beef
Low Carb Portobello Skillet Lasagna - Mashup Mom
Tex- Mex Cabbage Beef Skillet - The Foodie Affair
One Skillet Beef Meatballs with Rice and Peas – The Food Charlatan
Skillet Beef Short Rib Pot Roast – Vodka and Biscuits
One Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice – I Wash, You Dry

Pork
Chipolte Pork Cast Iron Meal – My Crafty Life
Irish Dublin Coddle – Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Hawaiian Spam Skillet Dinner – Dining With Alice
Low Carb Swiss Chard and Sausage with Burrata – Farm Fresh Feasts
One Pan Apple Butter Pork Chop Skillet - The Cookie Rookie

 Seafood
Cape Cod Casserole – Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Honey Garlic Shrimp Skillet – The Cooking Jar
Orange Rosemary Glazed Salmon - Cooking Classy
Lemon Butter Scallops – Damn Delicious
One Skillet Skinny Seafood Alfredo – The Seasoned Mom

Veggies
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
Quick Thai Vegetable Broth in the Skillet – Recipe This
Easy Garlic Buttered Roasted Mushrooms – Iowa Girl Eats
Sauteed Zucchini and Carrots - Cooking With Curls
Skillet Roasted Asparagus With Garlic, Rosemary, and Lemon - Kylee Cooks

Desserts
Low Sugar Iron Skillet Apple Pie – The Jenny Evolution
White Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie – Baking With Mom
Pizza Hut Copycat Skillet Cookie Dough – Recipe This
Skillet Blueberry Cobbler – The Blond Cook
Snickerdoodle Skillet Cake - Annie’s Noms

Gluten Free and Vegan
Mexican Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns – Strength and Sunshine
Black Bean and Avocado and Egg Hash - Pumpkin and Peanut Butter
Gluten Free Shrimp Scampi - A Sprinkling of Cayenne
Easy Skillet Sweet Potatoes With Cilantro- Gluten Free With LB
Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns - Strength and Sunshine
Skillet Roasted Cinnamon Pecans – Beaming Baker
Paleo Vegan “Meaty” Taco Skillet – Sweet C’s Designs

 Now that your mouth is watering, go cook something.

The Loneliness of Jesus

Moving away and leaving everything of familiar behind can be hard. It is hard. Learning your way around to find businesses and offices takes time. Finding a church where you feel at home, hopefully happens, but sometimes it doesn't. Making new friends can be a problem if there is no hospitality shown.

Being the southern girl I am, it was hard for me to have to repeat myself more than one time when talking to people when we lived in Montana. I had to do the same thing with some locals because of a lingering German or Scandinavian accent. Sometimes we both giggled and smiled, but other times it was hard to not give a scowl back in the situation. Leaving behind what is familiar can bring loneliness. We are not alone in facing loneliness, Jesus experienced it also.

The Loneliness of Jesus

I recently read about the loneliness of Jesus. I have never thought about Jesus being lonely and how he must have felt while living on earth. Jesus lived a perfect life with ways and thoughts no other person could understand. It must have been hard for Jesus to live a perfect life when he was a boy. Even Mary and Joseph couldn't fully understand what Jesus experienced. I'm sure they were not able to stop stinging words and actions of others towards Jesus; just like we can't with our own children. The siblings of Jesus dealt with obvious differences between them. Even some of them didn’t believe him (John 7:5) until after his resurrection. (Acts 1:14)

Jesus had a LOVE for people like no other. While a few accepted who Jesus was, there were many more who rejected Him. (Isaiah 53:3) Because of this, Jesus wept (Matthew 23:37-39) for Jerusalem the last time he entered the city.

In a very human sense, Jesus was alone.

Jesus came to earth for one purpose - to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) While fulfilling the promise God made, Jesus had to endure rejection and hatred by those who did not believe in him. He endured a betrayal by one of his disciples, a beating that no regular man could have lived through. Jesus even endured the task of carrying his cross until another took over. He endured the effect of taking on the sin of the world while hanging on the cross. I can't imagine being forsaken by my family. But Jesus experienced being forsaken (Matthew 27:46) by the Heavenly Father.

Jesus, the only one who can truly understand our loneliness when we experience it, is the One who understands it and takes it away.