Saving Money at Home

Family working together at home, New York, 1908, LOC.

We were sitting at the kitchen table on a recent afternoon. My granddaughter suddenly jumped up and ran to the front window. We quickly followed her. "I heard a horse," she told us. There was a clomping sound of horses as we looked to see an Amish family riding down the road.  It reminded me of the old days before there were any cars in use. Since that day I have seen them go by a few more times.  We have been told that a new Amish family has moved into our town. I am thankful to have them as neighbors.  I am inspired by the beauty of their plain method of living.  Their skilled way of an old-fashioned life reminds us to live simply with a careful use of finances.

I am always trying to save money, here at home. I work on keeping the expenses low to avoid excessive pressure and burdens on our simple way of life.  I am looking at the year ahead, rather than just the coming week. I know it will take a great deal of effort and time to save for the annual car insurance (in the spring) and the fall expenses of homeowner insurance and property taxes. I must diligently save for these and many other common and expected bills.  I also have to quietly save for medical trips for our patient. These may come at uncommon times as well as scheduled ones.  We are getting ready for one of these trips which will happen in just a few days. I must always be about the business of saving.

I had some notepaper on my desk.  When I think of something I need, I will write myself a note or a list.  I always wait until the next time I have to go out on errands or to the store before buying anything. I often add a few grocery items like milk or butter to this list. There were a couple of non-food items I needed for the coming week. Each day I would look at the list and think, "how in the world can I manage to spare the money for these things?"  One morning I came up with a way to get by without them. I was so relieved!  This is why it is so important to wait before we buy.  We often need time to pray and think. Sometimes we may be able to get creative and manage without using money, which is so scarce these days.

The immigrants before us, here in America, had a great deal of work to simply get through each day. They worked hard and had to budget and plan and be very cautious with every penny that came in.   This type of thinking seems foreign in our modern culture. But saving money at home, praying for our needs, and being careful with what we are given will bring a sense of contentment and trust in our Heavenly Father who dearly loves us. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.  

Overcoming Worries and Troubles - Reviving the Prayer Journal.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 Help for hard times at home - 

House Keeping in Hard Times: Essays and Encouragement from a Christian Housewife

 Paperback, 180 pages

 As you read the entries, you will get a sense of what it is like as a Christian housewife through the ups and downs of life.  Topics include motherhood, marriage, taking care of children, cleaning, living on a low income, saving money, and building up the family with faith as the foundation.

Beautiful Days at Home

Our long-awaited flowers, here in Vermont.

 

Last year, I bought a $2 package of flower seeds. The picture on the envelope made them look so pretty. I thought they would be lovely here at our humble estate. After the planting, there was not much happening. A few green leaves appeared. There was very little growth.  We thought to ourselves, "we will wait and see what happens next season."  Fall and winter came and went. Spring appeared with hopeful signs of goodness. The new flower plants (called Sweet William) began to grow but with much more greenery.  We waited and watched each day. Suddenly, little delicate flowers began to appear. I was delighted!  The patience and the waiting inspired me to understand that good things take time. It was a lesson that brought beauty to my surroundings. I love to visit this little spot each day on my walks. I am in awe of the miracle of such quiet beauty. 

It is so peaceful to enjoy homelife.  There can be much productive activity both indoors and out. We want to be active and busy with good things. When the grandchildren visit, we like to offer old fashioned lawn games.  We have a variety of toys for the yard.  These are the types of things one can find at end of season clearance sales for $3 or $5 a box.  These include badminton (without the net), beach balls (for throwing and kicking), and little disks one throws to land into a small post.  We have had some of these games for a few years. After each use, we return the supplies back into their original packaging and bring them indoors. They stay nice and orderly in this way. 

Lawn games at our house. 

The other day, we had several children here playing a variety of games out in the fresh mountain air.  Some were on swings, others had rackets and were playing their games as if they were on a tennis court. The disk-toss (into little posts with flags) was very popular. The children would add up their points, based on the number marked on each flag, and enjoy a little math. Then we would all go inside for an afternoon rest!

Today, the birds are chirping sweetly. There is a gentle wind to cool off the day. I am grateful for the beauty of sounds and sights all around me.  These comforting moments help to give me a sense of contentment and strength for the hard days ahead. In this little retreat, called home, I am quieted and happy.  I am grateful.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Beautiful Living - Feminine Grace. 

What it Takes - Old Fashioned Duty of a Homemaker.

Teaching Manners to grandbabies - Tea Time - The Importance of Formal Ceremony at Home. 

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Help For Homeschooling:

Seeking a Thrifty and Simple Life: Encouragement for Christian Homeschooling by Mrs. White

Paperback, 112 pages

As you read this book, I hope you get a sense that, no matter what is going on in the world, every home can be a homeschool. 

Custom Sewing for a Humble Home

Historic Museum Cabin at Cades Cove in TN., LOC.

When choosing a home, years ago, the family often looked at the land and the location rather than the house.  The men would often build the house themselves (using their own trees) or fix up an existing structure. This was done over a period of time. The most important work would have been to plant seeds in the ground to grow food to feed the family, and to have shelter to keep the family safe and warm. It was generally the mother who did the decorating and little touches of beauty to make the place cozy and restful for the family.

Many years ago, in the 1990's, I visited Cades Cove in Tennessee. I saw the rustic cabins on display. The land and the scenery were stunning and restful. It was an old-fashioned way of life.  

In 2015, we stopped at Dollywood in Tennessee. There is a little museum showing a replica of the childhood home of the park's founder. The decor is humble and homemade. Yet it is charming and cozy. It gives one a sense of what daily life was like for a homemaker, long years ago, as she made her home pretty and took care of her family.

Over the years, in different states, I have visited many museums and old homes of the poor, the middle class, and of the rich. It is inspiring to see how each managed to make their homes look pleasant.

Replica of interior of home at Dollywood in TN. (From my 2015 trip.) 

In these modern days we are exposed to a great deal of advertising for paint, upgraded fixtures, and many ways to remodel and fix up our homes.  It can make one feel overwhelmed or even discontent with one's own way of life.  It does not have to be this way.

A clean, organized home should be the goal for every homemaker.  From there, we can use our skills to rearrange furniture and make the rooms look as pleasant as possible.  I have also found that basic sewing can make things look pretty.

The goal here is to make the home look pretty without spending any money. 

Last month I found an old piece of fabric. It was floral and beautiful. I thought it would help make one of the rooms look extra nice.  I decided to make a set of decorative pillowcases and a small curtain.  The curtain would be used to hide what is on a lower shelf of a bulky old computer desk.  I have a printer on that shelf that looks unpleasant. I do not want to see these types of machines or even a computer in a room. I find it stressful. The curtain would bring beauty to the desk while keeping the printer in a practical location.

Here is a photograph of the finished curtain:

Hand-sewn curtain for my old desk.

In order to make things specifically for our own homes, these have to be custom made.  To make a basic curtain, we only need to measure the length and the width of the window or area where the curtain will be placed.  In addition to this, you would want to add about 3 inches to the top, and perhaps another inch to the bottom. Once the fabric is cut, you simply hem it all around, on all four sides. Next, the top is folded over by about 2 and 1/2 inches or so to be sewn in place. This will create an opening at the top for the curtain rod.  Be sure to make the width of the curtain much wider than necessary. This will show a plentiful look to the fabric and a "bunching up" look at the top of the curtain. 

When making pillowcases for decorative "throw pillows," which are commonly placed on chairs and couches, choose pretty fabric that will add beauty to the room.  If you do not have any fabric or are not interested in sewing, you could simply take one of your regular pillowcases for the decorative pillows to add a pretty touch to the couches and chairs. 

It is an honor and a joy to "play house" in real life as we set up our homes, clean, organize, prepare meals, and serve our precious families. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Organizing - A Home Without Clutter.

Practical Help - The Secret to a Clean House.

Peace and Simplicity - An Ordinary Life at Home.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Help For Homeschooling:

Seeking a Thrifty and Simple Life: Encouragement for Christian Homeschooling by Mrs. White

Paperback, 112 pages

As you read this book, I hope you get a sense that, no matter what is going on in the world, every home can be a homeschool. 

A Quiet Morning

This morning's view of the grounds at our home in Vermont.

There is a great deal of fog or haze in the air. It is blocking the view of the sky this morning. I wanted to walk outside to get a better view.  We have had air quality warnings these past few days.  I have not been feeling well lately and wondered if this has contributed to my weariness.  But as I walked out in the beautiful fresh air, I felt such a sense of peace.

Little gardens close to the bench beside our river.

It is such a beautiful day with the birds chirping and the cool mountain air for refreshment.  I am much too tired to attend church today, which is a disappointment. But I am so grateful for the opportunity to take a brief walk on the grounds before going indoors for a long rest.

Even though it seems like we are covered by some strange haze in the sky, I feel safe and protected. The sound of the birds and the gentleness of the wind bring comfort.

Yesterday, I was feeling frightened about my health. But I am no longer worried. At this moment, I can hear the church bells ringing, from down the country road near our house. All is well. The Lord is good.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Encouragement - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.

We Must Always Remember - The House Comes First. 

A Blessing to Be - Just a Housewife. (With a little history)

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

For Encouragement in Christian Homemaking, order Mrs. White's book, "Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home."

In this book, you will find essays, articles, and diary entries about life in a Christian home.

Entries are arranged by season, and include:  "Keeping a Frugal Kitchen;" "Missing the Lilacs;" "An Evening Walk in the Garden;" "At Grandmother's House;" and "Chores for Grandchildren."

You will also find a few photographs showing a little of the local landscape.

Paperback, 307 pages.

Travel Away from the Old Homeplace

A Recent view of the lake, near our home in Vermont. 

It takes a great deal of effort to travel away from home. I want the house in order, the laundry finished, and some baking to be accomplished. We pack many things to take along with us to save money.  Somehow, as I secure a few last things into my suitcase, along with my Bible and hymn book, I think about a way to bring a bit of home with us. 

Just before I leave, I make sure my bed is made, and the dishes are washed. I want to be a good housekeeper even when I am not here. 

Our recent journey to a nearby state was for medical reasons. The drive seemed to take longer than usual. Many of the highways are under construction. There was a detour that took us far out of our way.  The road was being repaired, causing our exit to be closed. We were directed to take the next exit.  I assumed there would be signs to guide us back on track. This was not the case.

It soon became evident I needed to stop at the roadside and get out the map.  I carefully found the correct route to guide us back in the right direction. The trip was tiring and difficult, but we enjoyed the scenery and made light of the situation.  We had to stop for cold drinks and refreshments. This kept up our spirits as we continued to drive longer than we had planned. Eventually we arrived at our hotel and were so grateful for a time of rest!

The next morning, I realized I had been careless with some of my clothing. I needed to iron my sweater. I am so thankful there are housekeeping tools in every hotel room. I knew just where the iron and ironing board would be and quietly set them up for use.

Getting ready to iron at the hotel. 

We headed off to see a medical specialist. Our patient's symptoms had been very unpleasant and painful.  He received excellent care as he continues to recover from this setback.  He is back on track to continue his regular treatments in a few weeks.  I will begin planning and saving up for this next trip to the hospital.  We are getting used to this being a part of our regular lives.

When we arrived home, I had much to do to catch up on housework. I had some gardening and cooking that needed to be done. I made a batch of challah bread and a cake for the weekend.  I looked forward to attending church and tried to rest up for the service. However, I never made it to the end of the sermon. I felt weary and wobbly. I thought I was going to faint. I hated to be rude and leave suddenly, but my health was not well enough to remain in the pew. After this, I had to rest for a couple of days, as I was mostly bedridden. It could have been exhaustion or simply a virus I was dealing with.  I am feeling much better today and happy to be back to keeping house and taking care of the family.

It is restful and peaceful to just stay home. But there are many things that keep calling me away. The basic errands are necessary even though all the driving wears me out.  I have to pace myself and rest and fight off the unpleasant feeling of being "lazy" so I can keep up my strength for these ongoing medical trips.  And while it is always a struggle to come up with enough money for these expenses, these trips are such a blessing. It is wonderful to know our patient is under excellent care at the hospital.  

I will enjoy every moment of being home. When I have to be away, I will take the spirit of homemaking with me. It is in my heart. This is what makes the calling away from the old homeplace a joyful act of service.  The best part of all is knowing that when the work is over, we get to go home. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.  

Overcoming Worries and Troubles - Reviving the Prayer Journal.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 Help for hard times at home - 

House Keeping in Hard Times: Essays and Encouragement from a Christian Housewife

 Paperback, 180 pages

 As you read the entries, you will get a sense of what it is like as a Christian housewife through the ups and downs of life.  Topics include motherhood, marriage, taking care of children, cleaning, living on a low income, saving money, and building up the family with faith as the foundation.