Frugal Mama — How to save money and make life better.

Things I Want to Nail in 2012–and Tools I Need to Sharpen. Goal #3: Creating an Edible Front Yard

January 26, 2012

Thank you again for sharing your goals with me. A lot of you identified with the trade-offs of delegating: it’s definitely a meaty topic, since we all want to save money, but we also want to enjoy life. Deciding to spend money and hire someone can be tough, and that’s where the “embracing” part comes in. Once we make a decision to delegate, we should relax and enjoy the good part of the trade-off.

Here is more about what you all are up to.

Vanessa of Mama Scribble is de-cluttering and re-arranging her house, including her garage. To keep herself from being overwhelmed, her mantra is to tackle one project at a time.
Nichole from the Frugal Mama Makeover Series is committed to decorating her new baby’s nursery on a budget, and rebuilding her emergency savings fund, which they (rightly) used when her husband lost his job.
Cara’s goal is to convince her husband, who is a DIY master, to consider hiring out some home repairs, especially when it comes to stubborn problems that stress the family.
Daisy wants to make life easier by streamlining, simplifying, and organizing and is tackling every room in her house. To ease the hype of the holidays next year, she plans to reduce the number of gifts to prepare by agreeing not to exchange with friends.

I’d love to hear from more of you in the comments of this post. I will continue to respond to everyone!

As for me, I am feeling good about beefing up our retirement account by deducting the maximum 15% of my husband’s now full-time salary, and diverting $10,000 of savings into Roth IRAs. That money would have come in very handy for the home renovations, but I vowed not to spend our future nest egg on Moroccan tiles. And I must stick with that — as much as I would love to go nuts with our kitchen update! (You can see picture ideas for my dream kitchen at Pinterest, a new social media site where you can pin images to a virtual board.)

Last night my husband and I talked about the various renovation ideas, and we tried to figure out priorities. This morning I was touched when he offered to take extra weekend calls to make more money for the house projects. My job — coming up in my last goals post — will be to help him out as much as possible by beefing up my own income-earning potential.

Goal #3: Re-Landscaping our Outdoor Space to be Kid- and Food-Friendly

My kids and I have longed to grow food in all the various places we have lived and rented. (Well, maybe not in Milan where the food from the bi-weekly fresh market was so fresh it was still dewey.)

In Arlington, Virginia, we were thrilled when a pumpkin seed planted on a whim sprouted and we ate fried pumpkin flowers all summer. In New York City, I wanted to tend an herb garden or a tomato plant, but the closest we could get to fresh air was three inches of breeze from our top-tilt windows. In Syracuse, we rented a house with a yard, but we since there was a chance we’d be moving again before the growing season began, we didn’t take the plunge.

Our Problem

Everyone likes to eat, but not everyone likes to be outside. My kids often don’t want to go out unless I’m out there, but I get bored of frisbee after approximately three minutes. In 10 Ways to Get Something Done While Outside in Nature with Your Kids, I confessed that I’m a workaholic but I want my kids to play. That’s why I think growing food would make it more fun — for everyone — to be outdoors.

Part of the reason I fell in love with this house was its romantic landscaping in front: willowy pompous grasses, a French garden circle fashioned from salvaged bricks, a giant pink azalea, and whimsical touches like a weeping Japanese maple and a periwinkle-blue snowball bush.

Alas, pretty as it may be, there is no place for the kids to play. The billowing grasses are razor-edged (in fact, they’re often used to deter dogs), and there is no open space. The fact that there is no access to the back yard from our raised deck is not such a big loss considering the unattractiveness of our gravel lawn.

We feel lucky to have this graceful pebble driveway, since most people on our street (and in D.C. in general) don’t have one at all. But it needs to be widened so we don’t keep twisting our ankles on the narrow stone border when we’re getting kids in and out of the car.

What We’ve Done So Far

I’m a big fan of free play, so it’s important to me that my kids have an outdoor space that beckons them. I want them to explore and learn, love and be curious about nature, and get some fresh air and exercise. In the city, we’ll never have the huge backyard we had in Syracuse (which you see in its glory below), so we’ll need to be more creative about maximizing our limited space.

Got Help: Signed on with a Landscape Designer

As I talked about in Making Our House into a Home, I am not talented in design, and I certainly don’t know a thing about plants, gardening, and landscaping. My mom is an enthusiastic gardener, and being an artist, she is a natural designer — but she lives a day’s drive away in Ohio. So to help me create a plan, I asked around and found an affordable landscape designer.

Asking for help from a professional has taken a huge load off. I have so many other projects in my life right now, that the idea of orchestrating an entire redo of our outdoor space was throwing me over the edge. Being new here and never having owned a house, I found even small issues — like finding a good person to help us trim the trees and clean the gutters — was making me want to crawl back in bed. So hiring a local person with lots of contacts and experience is going to be worth every dime.

Tip: If you don’t need a designer but you’d like some help with gardening, a less-expensive option would be to go with a gardening coach. This new kind of service, which I learned about in The Edible Front Yard, is about advising, encouraging, enabling, and collaborating with people on all sorts of situations, like caring for a newly created garden, updating a house’s curb appeal for resale, and brainstorming on planting ideas. To find one in your area, do a web search for “garden coaches.”

Faced Unfun Expenses: Scheduled a Tree Removal

I know, it’s almost sacrilegious to cut down a tree. But we have a craggy old mulberry at the side of our front yard (you can see it here behind the car) that is both a hazard (due to its heavy dead branches) and a nuisance (it drips sap on our cars). Plus, it blocks light to our front yard which we will need if we want to grow edible plants.

The landscape designer recommended an arborist who I finally called and he made me feel even better about chopping it down when he said that mulberries are considered nuisance trees by the city and, therefore, a permit to remove ours would be granted right away.

Given the cost of cutting down the tree and grinding out the stump will be $1,700, it will be a while until we reap the economic benefits of growing our own food. But sometimes saving money is not always the primary motivation. It’s more of a nice side benefit. But that’s OK. If the overall effect is going to improve the quality of our lives, I think it’s worth the investment.

Started the Ball Rolling: Obtained an Estimate for Building Stairs into the Deck

If we are to maximize our outdoor space, our kids need to be able to run in and out from the back door to the back yard (which, due the sloping on our land, is way below our deck). Thankfully putting a set of stairs in the deck is not going to be an expensive job.

What We Will Do This Year

Start Slowly Toward an Edible Front Yard

Most of our sun falls on our front yard, as it does for many people, making the front the best place to grow food. But how do we plant a garden while maintaining style and beauty — and keeping the neighbors happy? The answer is a new trend in American gardening called the Edible Front Yard. Even though I’m still figuring it out myself, I was recently interviewed by All You Magazine about this movement. Started by pioneers like Ivette Soler, the movement wants to see America’s obsession with grass replaced by a love for plants that are both beautiful and edible.

Did you know that turfgrass is the biggest irrigated crop in America? Soler points out that the time, energy, and resources put into our inert lawns could be redirected towards plants that give us much more in return.

My job this winter is to re-read The Edible Front Yard and choose delicious plants that will also be beautiful throughout the growing season. The next step will be to map out a realistic plan with the landscape designer. I don’t want to admit that gardening with kids is tough (as my colleague at Parentables, Sami Grover, points out), but I really need to start slow in case I can’t keep up with the work. Maybe just plant some herbs, a few tomatoes, some beans, and pumpkins among some pretty bushes and annual flowers to start out? I’ll keep you posted as to what we decide.

Create a Simple but Inviting Back Yard for Free Play

Our back yard is quite shady, but I think the kids would most prefer grass back there. So my job is to research low-light grass that could do well, and create a soft and inviting place for the kids to play. Maybe install a tree swing, a bird feeder, or climbing tree to draw them out.

Budget for Unexciting Projects like Grading Soil and Driveway Work

Oh yeah, and because sometime our basement leaks, we need to prioritize utilitarian projects like grading the soil away from the house. We also need to make our driveway a more comfortable width (plus probably add more pebbles). Finally we need to build a gate across the front, since Luke will run down the sidewalk with a devilish chuckle anytime he gets the chance. If I’m to get any gardening done, I’ll need to corral my kids.

Do any of you have experience with gardening? Do you think I’m crazy to take this on? And please tell me more about your goals for this year.

{ 13 Intelligent Opinions }

How I Simplify Cleaning Products

January 22, 2012

This post is part of a new series called How I Simplify.

I only buy two and one is free. Baking soda, vinegar, and water.

I first tried baking soda and vinegar when I read about earth-friendly cleaning methods for the 98th time and how Martha Stewart does everything with lemon juice and salt, and I knew I could do better. Plus, I had splattered bleach on more pairs of pants than a frugal mama wants to remember.

For a while I would still use some traditional products, because I am kind-of a clean freak. Then I realized that baking soda and vinegar worked just as well. The turning point was when I asked my daughters, who were then five and seven, to help me clean the house. Gentle cleaning products made more sense than ever, and we’ve never turned back.

(Cleaning the house with my kids is a whole other story, but I will say that it is a perfect example of how I think saving money has made our lives better. Working together as a family has brought us closer and seems to center my children.)

Why I Like Cleaning with the Natural Trio

No mental clutter.

I never have to worry about which product is best for which room. Which brand is on sale, which one is offering a coupon. Whether this soap is eco-friendlier than that. I just buy the largest container of generic baking soda and white vinegar, and done.

All-natural.

It’s good for us and all the plants and animals and the water and the air.

Kid-friendly.

My children learn life skills, responsibility, and good habits by helping us keep the house neat and clean.

Saves money.

Baking soda and vinegar are less-expensive than factory-made cleaning products. For example, my vinegar/water solution costs $0.03 per ounce, whereas Windex is four times more expensive at $0.14 per ounce.

You can use a shaker to sprinkle on the baking soda

How We Clean with Baking Soda, Vinegar & Water

1. Surfaces that need a little scrubbing — such as sinks, toilet bowls, countertops, or tubs — get a sprinkle of baking soda. (We used to use a shaker like the one pictured above to sprinkle the powder, but then the top got jammed shut, so now we just pour it from the cardboard box.)

2. With a spray bottle filled with a one-to-one solution of vinegar and water, we spritz surfaces that need to be wiped down.

Cleaning your house with vinegar and water, use a one to one solution

We fill a spray bottle with 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water

3. Dusting is done with a damp rag (either water or the vinegar solution).

4. We clean our floors with this steam mop, which cleans with hot water only, and throw the fabric pad in the wash afterwards.

And that’s it. Occasionally I will use a Magic Eraser sponge on walls, and of course, clothes and dishes have their own detergents, but most household jobs can be done with these simple solutions.

I’m curious to hear: how do you simplify cleaning? Let us know in the comments.

{ 17 Intelligent Opinions }

3 Simple Steps to Rid Yourself of Kitchen Office Clutter

January 18, 2012

Have you ever noticed that more space attracts more stuff? Parkinson’s law says that work expands to fill the time you give it. And I think it tends to be true with physical space and material things.

More space? More things.

When we lived in Milan and we were just starting our family, we had what was called a two-butt kitchen — it was so narrow that if one person was cooking, there was only space for one other person to pass by.

Enrico in our super-small Milan kitchen

It probably had about 12 inches of counter space and included a fascinating little appliance that was half-oven and half-dishwasher. (Brings back memories of our first Thanksgiving and how we had to go around to butcher shops with a measuring stick to make sure the turkey would fit!)

Sofia and I in our first kitchen in Milan

Our kitchens in Arlington and Manhattan were barely more spacious. However, I still managed to carve out a corner for my Mom Command Central — a kind of kitchen office that is like the gateway to the outside world. Phone numbers and rechargers, receipts and calendars, rosters and party invitations. This is the stuff that churns everyday life, so it lives in the center of the house: the kitchen.

Cut to today: we can’t believe the size of the kitchen we now own in Washington, D.C. Although it is no Tyler Florence design beauty, the galley kitchen’s white formica countertop extends all the way along the wall into the dining room area for a ridiculous 11 feet. Our family has grown to include four children and a couple of budding businesses, and I think our kitchen paper clutter finally breathed a sigh of relief and spilled itself all over the counter.

BEFORE

My mom, who I consult regularly on design questions, didn’t think the clutter was a big deal. But the open messiness bothered me, and it looked especially bad when we had people over for dinner since it was there as a backdrop. So one morning — I always have a burst of energy on the weekends after my cup of espresso coffee — I attacked.

AFTER

Now I am the one breathing a sigh of relief. Here is how I did it.

Step 1: Purge and Rearrange

As you may remember, a few months ago I read the Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year, which I recommend whether you’re having a baby or not (and I’m definitely not). I got all energized about getting rid of clutter and extra stuff that was just bouncing around my house and not getting used much. So I got out one bag for giveaway and one bag for trash and started ruthlessly tossing stuff like leaky sippy cups, empty wipes containers, plastic water pitchers, mini coolers, dish racks, random pots and pans, and broken appliances.

(If regret is holding you back, you might like 5 Reasons to Skip the Yard Sale and Give Away Your Extra Stuff.)

Step 2: Get the Rest Out of Sight into Drawers and Cabinets

I freed up even more space by moving less-frequently used things, like tablecloths and silver serving dishes, out of the kitchen or to high-up cabinets. A few weeks later, I realized that if I rearranged things a little more, I could end up with a few empty drawers. Shocking! And why not move all my yucky paper and unsightly clutter into those drawers?

When anyone talks about whisking important papers out of sight, the fear is: but what if I forget about it? And that brings us to Step 3.

Step 3: Instead of Physical Reminders, Use To-Do Lists

I have to fight the temptation all the time to use the object in question as a reminder to deal with it. Whether it’s a package that needs to be mailed or a form that needs to be filled out, I think that by leaving it out, I will be forced to deal with it.

But the problem with this system is that it creates a constant layer of low-level anxiety. Now that I have changed my system — clutter inside, lists outside — I feel infinitely better.

And the thing I love about lists? Stuff actually gets done. Sometimes I’m amazed at how many things I can cross off when I go back to my lists. It’s like the act of writing down cements the information in my subconscious mind, and when I have a minute, I just do it.

I fully recognize that this counter is crazy-long and, I’m lucky to have so much space in the kitchen. Before we bought this house, I thought I would use an idea I loved from Better Homes and Gardens. In Hidden HQ, they show how people can use a piece of furniture like a buffet or a hutch to contain the messiness of a family’s nerve center.

A solution to the kitchen office mess from Better Homes and Gardens

But my point about all the tiny kitchens we’ve had in the past is this: no matter how much space we have, we all have things we can get rid of or put away, and spaces we can use more efficiently. Decluttering means less stress and more peace. And I wish that for all of you.

Has your January been about streamlining and clearing out too? Please tell me what you’ve been doing in the comments at the end of this post!

{ 17 Intelligent Opinions }

Question for Readers: How Do I Find a Good but Reasonable Accountant?

January 12, 2012

My uncle Phil and my friend Ashley, both savvy in business and money, have been telling me I need to get an accountant now that Frugal Mama is turning into a small business.

Signs that I needed to get my finances organized? I started making money from writing for other sites, I trademarked Frugal Mama, I was hired to host TLC’s Frugal Mama Makeover series, and I signed on with a lawyer to help me figure out my TLC contract.

My lawyer gave me one contact, but I’d like a few more to compare services and rates. My uncle tells me I also need a CPA, who specializes in taxes. Frugal me is, of course, wondering if I should just buy a book on accounting and do it myself.

One free program I have been using is Outright.com, an accounting website which I also recommended to Kara, who is starting her own dance studio, in Free Tools to Help Small Businesses (video). However, I still feel a little in the dark as to the record-keeping and tax part.

Since a lot of you probably have more experience with self-employment income than I do, can you offer any advice?

In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in these other articles I’ve been writing at Parentables:

Take These 5 Baby Steps to Get Your Finances Organized

5 Reasons to Skip the Yard Sale and Give Away Your Extra Stuff

16 Savvy Ways to Grow Your Small Business without Spending a Fortune

And please do share your thoughts on the accounting thing in the comments. Thank you!

Photo credit

{ 10 Intelligent Opinions }

Things I Want to Nail in 2012–and Tools I Need to Sharpen. Goal #2: Making our House into a Home

January 10, 2012

I loved hearing about your goals in the comments of the first post in this Goals series.

Jen wants to pay off her car and get into routines to make home life run more smoothly
Josie wants to deal with writing up a will
Nichole (the first participant in the Frugal Mama Makeover series) wants to pay off her credit card before her new baby arrives
Noelle and her husband are going to take Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University
Rebeccarama is going to use prepaid credit cards to stay out of debt and rack up rewards points while saving up now for Christmas next year
Jenny wants to transform her small business into something more flexible so she can create time for art projects and starting a family

I love how all of these goals are specific and unique to each person. Once we write goals down, they instantly become more doable. I hope you’ll continue to share your hopes and dreams with me. I will support you!

So now for another one of my goals for this year.

Goal #2 | Making a House Into a Home without Going into Debt

It’s been six months since we moved into our new house and, while some parts of it look good, other rooms make me feel like we’re still living like college students.

The house belonged to an older couple with grown children, and it’s not totally right for our family. For example, our back yard is covered with gravel and there is no way for the kids to get there from the second-floor deck on the back of our house. And the only access to one of the three bedrooms is through our master bathroom. There is no coat closet, no guest room, no office, and the kitchen is dominated by a huge black restaurant range from 1973 that only works half the time.