Just as a note to people who knit or crochet and are trying to save money, don't try to save money by getting the very least amount of yarn that you can. Trust me, it isn't a good idea. Even if you're are being frugal and you absolutely hate buying more yarn than you might need, snap out of it. Especially if the yarn is ordered online so that you can't just run to the store to get another skein of yarn.
Why am I saying this? Experience. Good old-fashioned experience. And I'm preaching to myself here...I still make this mistake. Because I don't want to have a useless 5/8 of a skein of yarn sitting around, especially if its expensive yarn because that's just wasting it.
Buy enough yarn. Buy enough yarn. Buy enough yarn!
Okay, so the latest example of this would be the yarn I used for my shrug:
While it certainly looks alright, and it is sewn together, and I did get it done in time to wear last Sunday, I could have used more yarn. Not a lot of yarn, just a little bit more. Because the shrug is sewed together at the seams with three shades of pink embroidery floss. I carefully mixed the three shades so that they looked the same as the yarn, but it took time. And the edging is made from a little ball of pink stretchy yarn I had left over from another project. (So I guess the extra yarn came in handy there, but it wasn't much extra.)
So, I'm just saying... :)
In other news, when I go outside in the sun I get...tanned? No, of course not. That only happens if I'm out for about ten minutes a day, every day, and I don't stay out any longer than that. Because what I get otherwise is more of a, well, red color...not tan.
Anyway, I get freckles. And then they're gone by the next morning...which seems really strange! I guess if I was outside more they would end up staying? Probably, seeing as my little brother has got freckles and good tan line already this year! I just find it funny that my freckles show up and then fade that fast! :p
I figured out what to make for supper tonight. I made Jambalaya with chicken in it. It was pretty good...we usually have it with smoked sausage, but I think I like it better with the chicken.
Oh bother. I'm not figuring this out...I was thinking about opening a savings account and putting the money that I get from baking bread into savings. The problem is that Wachovia, where my checking account is, doesn't have a savings program that I like, so I was looking at BB&T instead. Well, I was trying to figure out how much the interest would be and whether it's worth it to open an account at another bank. So the savings account has an interest rate of 1.73% compounded daily. Argh, this would be the part of Consumer Math that I didn't do very well on!!! I can calculate simple interest fine...that's easy enough, but I have problems with compounded interest. And I can't seem to find a calculator online to figure it. I found a few formulas for figuring interest, but the figures I'm coming up with don't look right! Unless that adds up to a fair amount of interest, it would be easier to just designate a savings category in my budget, and deposit the money in my checking account...maybe I'll just do that.
Oh, I need to have Colin try on some shorts! Mom got him some new shorts, but they're really long. They looked like gauchos or something...so they really need to be hemmed! I need to go catch him before he goes to bed so I can figure out how long they need to be and get started on them tonight.
9 comments:
I completely understand the whole, "Buy enough yarn" thing. In fact, it's more like, "Buy more than enough yarn" because chances are you'll end up needing it sometime or other. Like in edging a shrug you made. ;)
Do you make every evening meal? Or just every now and then? I make the noon meal because Mom is busy teaching younger siblings school. I really enjoy it ... unless I can't think of anything to make.
What, by the way, is Jambalaya? I've never heard of it.
Thanks for the post!
I cook supper every Thursday night...I'm thinking about cooking more often this summer. I like cooking, but have problems with coming up with something to make too! :) If I've got something to make, it will usually turn out good, but the figuring it out is the really hard part! Can you say you're a good cook if you can't come up with things to cook? :)
Jambalaya is a Creole dish I think...I made it from a boxed mix (but it's a really good mix!). It has rice with seasonings (I'm not sure what all, but it's kind of spicy) and then you can put any sort of meat in.
We've made it with sausage, chicken, and shrimp. Mom made it from scratch one time and I think she used all three meats. Well, I guess shrimp isn't a meat...
It also has green or red bell peppers in it. I think they are some little specks of peppers in the mix, but we had some green peppers in the freezer so I added those. It makes it a little more colorful too.
The shrug is so cute!!! I need one of those in brown......Jk :) If I had the time I would sit down and knit one, but I guess the mall will have to suffice :)
Thank you for the explanation about Jambalaya.
Something that might help you with figuring out what to make for meals is a menu. :) I didn't think so at first, but believe me, even if you don't follow the menu day by day at least you have a list of things you know you can make and that taste good. :) I made one that almost filled a whole month, both the noon and evening meal. I don't follow it, as I said, but it sure is nice to have a list of things to make.
Also, I wanted to thank you for the comment you left on Will's most recent post. I completely agree and it's a very big encouragment to know there are others out there that feel the same way. ;) Thanks for taking the time to write that out on his blog!
Just so you know, 1.73 APY is absolute garbage. There are much better rates out there. You might want to check out a thread over at fatwallet that talks about some of the best...
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/437553/
I know my sister uses ING which still is only like 3% but that is almost twice BB&T's. It also depends on what the purpose of the savings is and whether it is long term investment type savings or just a place to store money for a short while.
I completely agree and it's a very big encouragment to know there are others out there that feel the same way. ;)
Likewise, Ana! :) I'm always happy to hear about others who can see that there is something seriously wrong with what's going on now. And it makes me very glad that I'll probably be able to homeschool my kids when I'm married and have kids, because I certainly wouldn't want to put them in the middle of the current school-system! (No offense to teachers, there are exceptions I know.)
I'll have to try the menu idea, too. I've kind of been meaning to do that...just write down a list of all the stuff that I like to make, so I can remember what all there is!
Will, I looked at that thread, and found it rather confusing... on the other hand, ING sounds like it might be a good choice, just in the way it works. And it seemed fairly easy to set up and convenient in that it's all online. I need to research it a little more though, I just looked it over briefly. Has Sarah run into any problems or anything with how it works?
I'm not really wanting a long-term investment type of savings, it's more that I'm getting this money, but I really don't need to spend it right now, so I might as well be saving it and earning interest on it.
I cook our supper almost every night, and deciding what to cook is definately the hardest part! You are not alone ;)
ING is pretty straightforward, I have used them in the past as well and neither of us has had any issues. Oh and I just remembered, if someone who already has an account refers you and you put in a minimum of $250 you get a $25 dollar bonus and they get $10! So if you do decide to go with them and want $25 free bucks let Sarah or I know and we can send you a referral link because hey, everyone likes free money :p
Thanks Will, if I end up opening an account I'll let you or Sarah know!
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