How do you afford life?

chocolate moose

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 6:57 am

I don't think tuna or cheese is cheap, but at least you can spread out the cheese in a dish.

Mitzvahmom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 7:13 am

[quote="chen"]
Of course you don't throw out the old school supplies: you use them yourself, or give them back to the kids to fill in midway through the year, when their notebooks are anyway wrinkled and their crayons broken[quote]

Fun thing to do with broken crayons is melt them down into a big crayon Smile

My kids always bring back the broken ones and that is alot of fun to have a rainbow crayon!

chen

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:09 am

GR wrote:

a segulah for Parnassah is giving Tzedaka without boundaries

The halochoh is one is not permitted to give away more than 1/5 of one's possessions, davko so that one should not become poor and have to receive tzedokoh. That's not exactly "tzedokoh without boundaries".

chen

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:13 am

[quote="Mitzvahmom
Fun thing to do with broken crayons is melt them down into a big crayon Smile

My kids always bring back the broken ones and that is alot of fun to have a rainbow crayon![/quote]

we are still trying to use up the giant havdoloh candles we made from old crayons and the stubs of shabbos candles that I collected for over a year. LOL

gryp

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:28 am

I'm the only one I know who still hasnt bought a cellphone!
( shock

)

Mitzvahmom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:28 am

neat!! how did you make a havdalah candle???

happy2beme

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:45 am

how do u make the crayon, mitzvahmom?

chocolate moose

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:45 am

We also don't carry cellphones.

MovinMom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:48 am

Supermom- you can actually buy chicken thats only bottoms for cheaper. we get it for 1.99 a lb.

gryp

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 8:53 am

I dont think saving in small things will help at all when you have to send your daughter to seminary for $13000 or your son to Yeshiva for (how much is it nowadays?).

for people in this situation, see if you can get grants from certain federations or the government. they help pay a few hundred dollars towards education, or if youre going to Israel.

chocolate moose

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 9:52 am

Saving on small things is a mindset. Of course it doesn't compare to having two gezunter incomes!

MommyLuv

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 10:13 am

how do we afford life?
two words: student loans...

(which I am not happy about, but thats how it is...)
Confused

mimsy7420

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 10:16 am

Saving on the small things DOES save money. No question about it.

Mitzvahmom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 10:23 am

happy2beme wrote:

how do u make the crayon, mitzvahmom?

use an old pot and put old crayons in it and warm it up....and use a mold type thing... or an old toilet paper roll

mom3boys

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 11:26 am

Here are the tuition costs for my boys for the year 2006/2007

Cheder/playgroup(basement) - $2500
SK - $8000
Grade 1 - $9,500

Sure, saving here and there is great, but it won't help much with the tuition cost. By the way, these are the official prices, before we start our negotiations with the school. But to be honest, we can't afford 50% either

Mitzvahmom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 11:28 am

yeah it's about the same cost here... I cry when I get the bills and cannot send anything. But they say, "do not worry."

chocolate moose

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 11:30 am

I paid off student loans for years. I wouldn't wish them on my kids or anyone for that matter. Unless maybhe you're going to be a professional...

chen

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 11:34 am

GR wrote:

I'm the only one I know who still hasnt bought a cellphone!
( shock

)

make that a double.

Mitzvahmom

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 11:45 am

I really tried the first year as a single parent to be without a cell phone. But that's the problem, as a single parent with no family around your the sole care giver of the children. I was constantly yelled at for not having a cell phone, so I had to find budget for it... Believe me when I get the bill I cringe, because that is money I could use for other things.

But the day that my son got "droped" by my ex husband and had to be rushed to the ER. I thanked Hashem for having it!

chen

Tue, Jun 27 2006, 12:02 pm

Mitzvahmom wrote:

neat!! how did you make a havdalah candle???

warning: to be done only under adult supervision. You will need: a clean metal cans; sturdy paper hot cups--NOT styrofoam; assorted broken caryons and wax saved from melted shabbos and chanuka candles (preferably sorted by color family), some thick cotton twine; a pencil or small stick long enough to fit across the top of the paper cup; a small wooden skewer or stick for stirring; a small saucepan; tongs; plenty of newspaper or an old plastic sheet to cover your work surface; a small fire extinguisher or baking soda in case of emergency; source of cold water, both for the water bath and for first aid in case of burns.

decide whether you want the candle to be one color or variegated. if variegated, you will have to melt each color separately and pour into the mold in layers, or drop chunks of solid wax into the liquid for a different look. If solid, you will have to melt all the wax at one time.

Prepare your mold: cut three pieces of twine several inches longer than the height of the paper cup. tie one end to a small weight like a paper clip. tie the other end to the pencil and lay it across the top of the cup so the wicks hang straight down into the center.

put your wax and crayons into the can. place the can into the saucepan and pour water into the saucepan around the can until the can just starts to float. heat the saucepan on the lowest possible setting, and use a FlameTamer if you have one. Keep your eye on it and add more hot water as it evaporates. the can must always be surrounded by the water bath. DO NOT LET THE PAN BOIL DRY! serious fire hazard if paraffin heats hotter than the boiling point of water.

stir the contents of the can as it melts. unless you want a chunky variegated look, stir till all the wax is melted. using tongs, carefully lift out the can and pour the melted wax into the prepared cup. try to keep the wicks centered but don't obsess about it. If you want a chunky look, drop in some broken pieces of wax in different colors, large enough to remain visible after the outside melts (not teeny flakes that will melt on contact).

Leave the whole thing to solidify several hours.

For a sharply defined layered look, melt each of several different colors and add each color after the previous one has solidified. for a softer layered look, add the colors in sequence while the previous layer is still somewhat liquid.

Usually the center will sink in. If you like, after the whole thing is solid, melt a little more wax and pur it into the center. you may have to do this twice if the sinkhole really bothers you.

For best results, you should coat the twine with paraffin first. Melt candle wax as instructed above. tie the wicks to a stick and dip quickly into the melted wax, in and out and let harden. repeat a few times till the wicks are stiff, then place in the cup. in that way you will not need to weight them down with a paper clip.

After it solidifies, peel away the paper cup and there is your new havdalah candle.