Food Storage Recipe - Ravioli Lasagna

Things get tight sometimes - a lot here lately- BUT, we still want to eat different things. I pick these frozen ravioli up at the Dollar Store and we love them. This easy recipe is also frugal.

2 jars of marinara sauce

2-3 packages of frozen ravioli , thawed

1 jar of roasted red peppers , drained and chopped

1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan  cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 13X9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about half of one of the jars of marinara sauce in the pan.

Arrange a layer of about half of the raviolis onto the sauce and top with about half of the peppers.  Then spread the rest of the sauce over that.

Sprinkle with about half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Repeat the layer.

Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

Serve with garlic bread.

A Preppers Best Friend - THRIFT STORES!!

 I love thrift stores so much. I have found so many prepping supplies, camping supplies, homeschool items, and more at them.
I don't get to go very much lately, but this past Wednesday I actually got to go by myself and found a lot of stuff. The best thing I got was this Metaltex USA Inc. Vulcano Drying Rack! This is going to be such a help while it is cold. I can't get out to hang my clothes up when it is too cold , so with this I can set it up in my kitchen and hang stuff up.

I also got a Stansport Folding Camp Stove Toaster! They are not a lot new, but I had a discount code for the thrift store so got this for 50 cents!!

You can find tons of items at thrift stores. I have gotten oil lamps, and so much more. 

Cut The Cable Cord

Back in 2009 my husband was laid-off for about 6 months and the first thing that we did was cut our cable off. It was just not a needed thing and the bill was too much to have to worry about when his pay was a LOT less then it had been. We would rather have food to eat than be able to watch cable. The first thing we did was get the ole VCR and DVD player out and then we found a cheap antenna for our TV so that we could watch local channels. It wasn't too long after that that they switched everything to digital so I got one of those certificates that the government was sending out to be able to get a converter box. We ended up finding a much better Ultra Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna, 50 Mile Range that made us go from having about 5 local channels to now having 12. Better than nothing.

The following year I started investigating ways to be able to watch movies and such at home through the internet and found out about a Roku Streaming Media Player so that we could use Netflix. In that May of 2010 they had a Mother's day special going on and I got one for maybe 70.00 dollars and had free shipping . Plus it timed to be a birthday gift for me also. We loved it right away. Could watch Netflix with it and it was only $7.99 a month bill. Plus Roku Streaming Media Player had a lot of other free channels on it to be able to watch other things. I have since upgraded my "ancient" 1st gen ROKU to a Roku 2 Streaming Media Player . To make it better for our older TV that I had gotten at a thrift store, I bought a Mini Composite RCA CVBS AV To HDMI Converter which made some of the channels work better and be able to play on our old TV. I love my ROKU. It was the best purchase we ever made. Has saved us so much money. I would never go back to cable.



Still, we have no bills each month for cable. NETFLIX and our internet is the only bill. But we would have the internet anyway because of work and schooling.

Now it is 2015 and we have really gotten good at being able to watch anything we want to watch online and thru the ROKU, but I wanted something different and something that would take what I do on our tablets and computer to our TV. So I did some more research and found out about an Android TV media streaming box. I found this one, MXQ Android 4.4 Quad-Core WiFi Kodi 1080P Smart set TV Box 8GB XBMC Fully Loaded on ebay for low price , It was on sale on Black Friday. It is basically like an android tablet, but you have it on your TV!  I have had it for a week and other than the cost of the box, I have not had to spend any other money. We love it.

On Christmas eve we received a free 2 months of Slingtv. So, until February we have those channels. But, we will cancel it. We still just have Netflix. Have had it so long that they grandfathered us in on the old price of $7.99, but , I think it will go up sometime this year. But, even 8.99 a month is a lot less then a huge cable bill. When our cable was cut off we had basic and in 2 rooms. It was 89.00 a month!!! Can't even imagine what it would be now. They say at our house now we can';t even get cable hooked up tho, too far from the new lines that TWC put in. Just easier to keep the cable cord cut!!!

There are so many ways to be able to cut the cord and save a ton of money. Frees up a lot of money for you to then be able to prep more.

Now , you can even get a Rabbit TV that is full of ways to watch TV and movies. Pretty easy to use. I used to use it on my laptop until my laptop quit. But this is low-cost and a very frugal way to help you cut the cord




Having to update this post - I completely forgot about my son's AppleTV that he LOVES! He is 22 and has never complained about not having cable. The AppleTV works with his phone and all of his other Apple products and has Netflix etc on it. We got that for free when we signed up for faster internet and they gave us a $100.00 Apple gift certificate. Pretty cool. 








.

Take Advantage Of The Sun & Nature

It isn't difficult to utilize the sun to help with easing the cost of your power usage. It will help by using the natural heat and light. You will use less power and be more sufficient. This will save your family money in the long run.

• Orient you buildings to take advantage of the sun and to protect your home from the cold winter winds. You can plant a living "fence" to help with this if you have to. Plant a row of evergreen trees to keep the cold wind away.
• Be sure to have as much insulation in your home as possible. This will also help in the summer by keeping the heat out and in the winter will hold the heat in.
• Think about adding a sunroom to your home. You can vent the heat into the home during the winter and in the summer vent the heat outside.
• Use the natural light during the day. In the winter open the curtains and let that natural light and heat into the house.
• Think about adding brick to the outside of your home. This really helps with controlling the temperature. 
• Use hanging plants and overhangs to cool the home in the summer. 
• Plant your own food garden in your yard to save money on food costs. 

• Have a rain barrel to catch water to use to water your garden and yard. My son also used our rain barrel to wash the cars. Great way to save money on water.

There are many ways to use nature to help you keep your utility bills low.

Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: Your Complete Guide to Living beyond the Grid with Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living

COMMENT BELOW WAYS THAT YOU HAVE USED NATURE TO REDUCE ENERGY COST........

Water Dowsing

My grandfather was a huge believer in dowsing. We lived out in the boondocks and he used it to find water for their well.

He always told me that he only dowsed for need. If he felt like he was tired or not relaxed enough to dowse then he would stop. Either let someone else do it or wait until he felt that the answers were coming naturally. I can still see him walking slowly around the 3 acres they had looking for water. He went over it a few times to make sure and each time he got the same answer and they had water the whole time they were out there! 

You can get a ton of information online about dowsing for water and go from there. 

Sewing to Save While Times Are Tough

No matter which country, state, or city you live in, many may be experiencing hard economic times. Experts report that things are expected to get worse before they get better. With many struggling to put food on the family tables or clothes on their backs, they are putting more thought into how they can still enjoy their hobbies without spending their life savings. If sewing or crafting is your hobby and you find that fabric and notions are quite expensive, here are a few tips and pointers that will ease the burden on the pocketbook.

1. Recycle. Before throwing out clothes that are too small, showing signs of wear, or aren't the latest style, think about how you can repurpose the item. Zippers, buttons, and elastic can all be used again and may be just the perfect match for future endeavors.

2. Use up what you have. Most people who sew have accumulated fabrics over time through bargains, coupons, or the fabric that you just couldn't live without. Dig through your stash and revive those fabrics, patterns, and pattern books that have been accumulating dust and use this opportunity to be creative.

3. Take advantage of bargains and coupons from sewing centers and websites to purchase patterns and designs that you have been eyeing for months. Check the clearance corners for phenomenal deals on fabrics and other items. Thrift stores, garage sales and exchanging with friends can turn up fabulous sewing finds. However, thread is something that you will want to pass on at garage sales or thrift stores, as thread weakens over time and will not produce quality stitches.

4. Freebies. Free items are always the best! The internet is a treasure trove of free patterns and tutorials. You just need to be willing to hunt and search for them. Pinterest is the latest and greatest site to find ideas, patterns, tutorials and numerous other visions.

5. Used sewing machines are a great way to get started. You don't need a machine that costs more than your car until you see if you enjoy the hobby and are creative and capable to follow-through and finish projects. You may lose interest which also means your investment is lost. The more simple the machine, the less to break or go wrong. And simple machines can last for many years.

6. Do your own alterations. Simple alterations can make ready-to-wear clothing fit much better by adding simple darts and seams to blouses, dresses, and pants. Hemming pants or making simple dresses can be very beneficial to a budget. Introducing the craft of sewing at a young age can also be advantageous because there is less intimidation of a sewing machine and a sense of accomplishment when your project is complete boosts self-esteem.

7. Be resourceful. Thrift stores are phenomenal sources for fabric. For instance, menswear has become a huge trend in home décor items. Items such as a plain or pinstripe men's shirts can be made into a cute throw pillow or a white canvas crafted into a couch slipcover. Buttons and zippers can be removed from old clothing to save on the cost of sewing notions. Bed sheets can be used for pattern making, and oftentimes garage sales have bags of fabric and other items for a few dollars.

8. Enroll in sewing classes, tutorials, or teach yourself. Many sewing centers offer classes for all levels and often give discounted rates with the purchase of a sewing machine. It is important, however, to remember that there are many free online sewing tutorials to view. Once you learn the basics, you may be able to teach yourself.

9. Buy basic and embellish. Buy a simple shirt at your discount store and embellish to fit with the times. Beads, buttons, and ribbons can do wonders in making something look flashy, classy and up-to-date.

10. Sew your basic needs. We all need a few basic accessories such as scarves, hats, towels, blankets, and mittens. If you find discounted fabric, you can make a blanket in 15 minutes or less and, if the fabric is durable and of good quality, it will last for many years. Make up some items to give as gifts or re-engineer some older stained shirts or jeans into a t-shirt or blue jean quilt and gift it as something they will treasure and use for many years to come.

So, instead of always stepping out for retail therapy, try a creative, crafty therapy instead. Create your own clothes or household items. Buy from thrift stores and make an old drab shirt come to life again, or snip and stitch for an afternoon and make up some Christmas gifts for your sister-in-law, mother, husband, or kids.
It's a tough world out there and a penny saved is a penny earned. As an alternative to spending your afternoon shopping at the Gap for the perfect color of a t-shirt, reclaim your fabrics, fashion-forward and embellish your garments for the latest retro fit and design. You'll be glad you did and you'll save money while you energize yourself with some creative juices. Who can argue with that?

FabricFast.com is an online fabric store featuring collections of quilting fabric, flannel fabric, specialty fabric, notions and batting.