My Birds

My first purchase besides food and gas since the beginning of the no spend month. My new lavender parakeets name is Violet. I bought a friend for my yellow parakeet Buttercup today. My blue parakeet Bluebell died 2 weeks ago. I got buttercup a year ago when my other blue parakeet Blueberry died.

No Spend July Day 26: Quite Time

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

There are many ways to spend your quite time each morning. You can meditate stretch/deep breathing, sit in nature, listen to relaxing or motivating music with a cup of tea/coffee, read the bible, do a devotional, and pray. Create a peaceful quite place for yourself to spend your quite time and move to a study area if needed for your bible and devotional time. Use what you have to create a quite time without worry of making it perfect or spending money.  

You can listen to your own collection of music, listen online for free, or borrow from the library. There are many different bible reading plans to follow or make up your own plan. There are great devotional book you can read or do an on-line program. Pray for healing strength and grace for all aspects of your life - financial, physical, spiritual and emotional. Be thankful and count your blessings.

How do you spend your quite time? Do you need to create a quite time routine?


I like having my time in the morning but I do it at other times in the day too. I like to spend a couple minutes as soon as I get up in the morning in mediation and prayer. I do a 10 minute stretching routine. In the afternoon I sit down in one of my quite spaces to do my Prayer, Praise, and Devotion time. In the evening I repeat the same routine as my morning. My morning and evening are done in my bedroom with no supplies needed. My afternoon time is when I use my supplies in my quite spaces.

I've made it easy on myself by creating a couple quite areas in my home for my Prayer, Praise, and Devotion time. I use each space depending on the time of day, how much traffic the area has, or whatever space I feel like using. I’m currently not using the quite space in my guest room because my daughter and her husband are living with us. I have a couch in my guest room and a flower pot where I store my supplies in my china cabinet. I have a quite spot on my living room couch with my supplies in my end table. I have a couch and supplies in my master bedroom. I have supplies in my little office and use them there or the kitchen table. It makes it so much easier

I didn’t buy any supplies to create my quite spaces I used what I had. I have a bible, devotional, prayer book, notebook, pen, and a token item in each quite space. My token items are things like a rock with scripture and a cross from my walk to Emmaus.

No Spend July Day 25: Slow the Holidays!

It time to think about how your family celebrates the Holidays. Think about the traditions, the decorations, the food, the gifts, the travel, and whatever else you DO for the holidays. Also think about what you BUY for the holidays.

The holiday clutter is already starting to appear in stores and the pressure will start soon to buy the holidays. Take an inventory of what you have so you know what you may need or can do without. Let’s be honest most of us don’t need to purchase any holiday decorations. It would be a good time to go through your decorations and decide if there is any that you can pass on. Fill a box to pass on at the beginning of November to a young family just starting out. Start setting aside some money each payday in an envelope to pay for your holiday festivities. Can you put together a few craft kits with supplies you already own to enjoy during the season instead of buying?

What can you do to slow down the Christmas train? Can you bake less, can you make a smaller meal or have other contribute. Entertainment your family on the cheap by baking cookies, make graham cracker gingerbread houses, go sledding, take a hike and look at animal tracks, or do a Christmas movie marathon. Is it possible to trim down how many people you give to? Can you draw names? If you want to draw names now is a good time to talk to the family and get them on board. Drawing names on Thanksgiving for who will gift to who on Christmas is a good idea. Token gifts are great to give to most people on your list that you want to give a little something but don’t want to spend a lot. I love Christmas. And I love it because of all the things we DO. Not the things we BUY.

Don’t let celebrating become a burden to you. A simple holiday will still bless your family. You will be more able to head into a New Year with peace and goodwill. Our savoir come into the world in a humble way, remember his birth with a simpler celebration.

What plans do you have to slow the Holidays? What frugal gifts do you make? What can you do now to prepare for the busy holiday season?

No Spend July Day 24: Organize Recipes

There are many ways to organize recipes. Use what you have to store them in a way that works best for you. Toss any recipes that you know you will never make. If you have too many recipes pare down to a manageable amount. Spend an hour or two a couple days a week organizing or paring down until you feel they are under control. Consider donating cookbooks that are never used. If you have 1 or 2 recipes in them you like you can look them up online and print. Pick a recipe that you haven’t made and add it to your menu plan for the week.

Are your recipes organizing? What system do you use to store your recipes?

No Spend July Day 23: Family Night

 Have a family night at home. You can entertain your family with the stuff you own that never gets used. You can play board games, watch movies, do crafts, or ride bikes. If you have things to entertain your family that doesn’t get used or they don’t want to play with anymore now is the time to get a little help sorting though them to head out the door. Get out that kitchen appliance that lingers in the cabinet and have some fun. Do you have a fondue pot, a donut maker, a sandwich maker, a waffle maker, or a s’more warmer? Drag them out of hiding and have a fun night with the family. If it feels overwhelming and you don’t want to use them it may be time to let them go. Pack up any that didn’t work out or you don’t want to use and donate them.

Family night is a good way to strengthen family relationships. It’s a nice time to talk and learn about what they like and don’t like. Sometimes having a family night can give you clues as to the things you own that are time to pass on to another family.

What can you do on family night?