Pioneer Dollar Menu

Okay, we are going to post on this topic a lot I think. Tons of Americans use the popular dollar menus. I know I thought they were so cheap! Then I began looking closely. They are so expensive! I love the ease of no mess, no cooking, no work. But none of that is really appealing now. Here is why....

For my family to go to the dollar menu, for each person to get one thing is $6....a good deal one would say for a snack because we are a family of 6...but.....look at what I can have with almost no work for a comparable price (less actually) cukes and beans to munch on $3, rice and cheese $ ~0.40 CENTS!, melon $2. And we feel better after this type snack. The rice really keeps you full, too! It took me maybe 3-5 min to prepare this. We live smack in the city and it would take me longer to go thru the drive thru!

Blown away fast!

So our **official** kick off to our new goals is September 1, but we have chosen to do a lot of stuff already. I have been blown away with changes in our kids in just a few short weeks.

I have seen a dramatic increase in the "thank you's" our kids give us. One interesting example is they were so grateful for.....two tacos each from the drive thru!!!!  In a matter of weeks they have learned more appreciation! It's amazing. (To be fair....my kids have always been well mannered, and thankful. I was starting with a good brood...but this new level is awesome!) I want them to have thankful hearts because life is just much better when we choose thankfulness.

Warm Welcomes!

Hello,
     Fancy meeting you here! This is a place for me to chronicle my 6 month super plunge into a more home steady, pioneer-ey life. I have spent years implementing elements of those wonderful, simple- yet- hard, things in my life. But this new season I hope to give it a huge boost and dive deeper into this wonderful simpler life! Here are my main goals:

~To dramatically cut back shopping (it is how I spend a lot of time!)
~To live off 1/3rd of our current spendable income (note: we are a one income home, with 4 medium aged kids, and we pay for each child's education. They are not currently public schooled. So this will be a challenge)
~To wean from commercial things to homespun things in many areas
~To learn new skills and habits that bring simplicity, joy,  and calmness to our lives
~To teach our children to have an appreciation for a variety of things in our often rushed, toss away society.
~To do something for someone else every single day.
~To get my body more inline with pioneer shape verses couch potato shape!

And in true pioneer form, many ladies had to do it while their husbands were gone for months..whether it be for trapping, hunting, or other things...and so I will follow in that. We are embarking on another military deployment, so I get to hold down the fort for the better portion of this year!

I AM:
 35...I feel like I am still in the place I was when I was 25! Do we ever feel grown up?!?!
 A Wife of 16 years to my best friend!
 A mother to 4 kiddos that helped complete my life and give me purpose!
 A Jesus Follower...I fail so often to be like Him, but He loves me still and for that I am beyond   thankful.