African kids love something called “pap.” Pap is cornmeal that is boiled into a paste. It has a slightly sour taste and is not particularly appealing to me, but it is the mainstay of an African’s diet.

In other parts of the world people eat all kinds of things we might find unappealing and love them. Why? Because that’s what their parents fed them, and they have acquired a taste for whatever the food may be.

Now let’s look at the American diet. As a nation, we have become increasingly obese, and the foods we are eating to get that way are expensive. Let’s look at breakfast foods. The mainstay of our breakfast diet is cereal. Turn a $5 box of processed cereal to the side and look at the ingredients label. The second ingredient will most likely be sugar. You can quickly see that you are spending your hard-earned money mostly on sugar.

So what can you do? Feed your family whole grain non-processed cereals.

“But they won’t eat it!”

They will if you retrain your family’s taste buds to like cooked whole grain cereals. They will be getting less sugar ,and they will get a healthy infusion of nutrients and fiber. Cooked cereals don’t have to be sticky and unpalatable. And they are not time consuming to prepare. Ounce for ounce, they are a terrific bargain.

Here’s how to make oatmeal on the quick:

1. Get real oatmeal—not the little packets that also include sugar. I like steel cut oatmeal if I can get it. At least get old-fashioned oats—good old Quaker Oats work.

2. For one serving—probably big enough for two kids, dump 1 cup of water and ½ cup of oatmeal into a large bowl—sometimes the mixture boils up and can spill over the side of a shallow bowl.

3. Add whatever you like for flavoring: cinnamon, raisins, Craisins, sliced almonds, chopped apples, etc. Or if each of your kids like something different, wait until the oatmeal is cooked and add the flavorings for each child.

4. Put the bowl in the microwave and cook it for 4 minutes on high power.

5. Take it out, stir it thoroughly, and serve. Now you can decide if you want to add a little brown sugar. Put a little milk, or just a scant tablespoon of cream on it and give it to the kids. I can’t believe they won’t like it.

Other cereals to cook are Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, and Oat Bran. All of them are good, healthy, and inexpensive. Oh, by the way, kids learn best by modeling. That may mean it’s time for you to change your eating habits as well.

Question:

What healthy and nutritious breakfast cereal is served in your home?

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My son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren went to an event called “Touch a Truck.” The event is held in a park and local agencies park their trucks, police cars, fire trucks, city buses, school buses, the SWAT team control vehicle, and even a police helicopter—you name it, it was there.

My grandson is four years old and loves trucks and anything else with wheels. He loves to sit behind the steering wheel of the biggest rig on the lot.

My granddaughter, who is eight, loves animals and wants to be a vet. In addition to the vehicles, there was a canine rescue unit with live dogs. She could have spent the entire day right there learning all about those dogs.

What an amazing, informative event and it was all free—even the parking. This is only one of many events held by cities and towns around the country that are special and don’t cost a dime.

In our ocean-side town, the tall ships come once a year. It does cost money to go aboard, but it costs nothing to stand on the dock and wait while the ships fire their canons at the mouth of the harbor, and sail up to dock where they tie up. Sometimes at that moment, you can go aboard for free.

There are park performances of everything from juggling to symphonies to plays. When my children were small, we took them to see Shakespeare in the Park. There are free performances from Central Park in New York City to Lovejoy Fountain Park in Portland, Oregon.

To find one near you, just put do a search on “Free Shakespeare in the Park.” The only two cautions I would make are to get your tickets early and to make sure your children are of an appropriate age for the play being presented. I have walked out of park performances because of the way they were being presented.

How about parades? Kids love them, and they are so much fun. Then there are street fairs and art shows and free festivals. Sporting events include free days for major and minor sports teams and local sporting events where you get to see your neighbors and friends play ball.

The Museum of Ventura County, near where I live, schedules the third Sunday of every month as a free day for kids with free art activities for the entire family. Check your museums and art galleries for free days. Many of these institutions have a special room for kids’ activities.

Speaking of art galleries, if you are ever in the Los Angeles area, you must visit the Getty Museum. It’s free except for the parking, which at the moment is $15 for a car.

Above all, remember that the downturn in the economy doesn’t mean your family can’t have marvelous experiences. You just have to search them out and that has never been easier than via the Internet.

Question:

What are some great free activities in your hometown?

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Years ago I had a beautiful oak floor installed in my home. It had a Swedish finish applied to protect it and give it sheen. The installer told me, “Just mop it with white vinegar.” I couldn’t believe it—so easy—so cheap. Thus began my love affair with vinegar as a household cleaner.

The home I live in now has tile floors in the kitchen. I tried washing them with soap and found that dirt stuck to the tile. All someone needed to do was walk across the floor once and there was a trail of footprints. Disgusted with the whole thing, I decided to try white vinegar. It worked. It cleaned the floor squeaky clean, footprints did not stick to it, and it was so cheap. One of the big box stores sells two gallons of vinegar for about $4. You can clean a lot of floors with two gallons of vinegar. Then when my granddaughter was an infant and moved in to live with me, I had one less toxic product she might ingest or decide was a fun toy.

But that’s not the only way I use vinegar. We have a cat and sometimes cats throw up hairballs on the carpet. Sometimes we drop oily foods or products on the carpet. Sometimes it’s just plain dirt that soils the carpet nap. I put vinegar in a spray bottle, spray the spot, scrub it a little with a brush, and press a clean rag on it to soak up the excess vinegar—and dirt. Usually it takes up-every bit of the spots.

Then—have you ever plugged up the garbage disposal. Irritating, isn’t it? Most of the time, if you pour baking soda (I buy it in 15 pound packages at big box stores) into the disposal unit, then pour in vinegar, it will froth and foam. Let it stand as long as you can. Then pour boiling water into the disposal and turn it on. It should clear, but if it doesn’t—repeat the process several times.

Vinegar can be used as a deodorizer for just about anything that smells bad. Pour some in the garbage pail with hot water. Swish it around after a few minutes and rinse it out. The bad smell is gone.

Another favorite use of mine for white vinegar is cleaning windows. It really works. For the outside of really dirty windows, I use a bucket of water with vinegar added and I use the kind of window washer that has a soft scrubbing cloth on the end of it with a squeegee on the other side of the head. I go after the dirty windows with the tool, then turn the hose on the windows to rinse. Next I use vinegar in a spray bottle to go over the windows again and get them super clean. I wipe them dry with soft cloths. Some people use paper towels, but it takes quite a lot to do a whole house. Others use newspaper, saying the ink leaves a shiny, but invisible, coating that keeps dirt from sticking to the cleaned windows.

There are many, many other household uses for vinegar. You can find them on the Internet. I personally think white vinegar is one of God’s gifts to people who have to clean.

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Speaking of money almost growing on trees . . . near the place where my children and grandchildren live, early this spring a rather ordinary tree burst into bright pink blossoms. Since the tree was rooted on the side of a steep hill, we had access to the top of the tree. It was very pretty, and we took pictures in front of it.

Then the flowers faded, and we didn’t think much more about it until the other day when I walked by. I discovered it is literally covered with round fuzzy balls. I suspected what they might be, but to verify I pulled one off, took it into the house, and dissected it.

Inside was an embryonic almond. I don’t know if my kids can beat the squirrels to this tree when the fruit is ripe, but if they could, and if they gathered the almonds, it would be as if an expensive commodity was literally growing like money on a tree.

Not all of our ideas will be about foraging—although I’ve done that too. Many of them will be ideas for finding money by recycling, learning the ropes of Internet savings, and using simple time-tested cheap and safe substances for cleaning. We’re going to tell you about the bargains we find every day. And, if you have any “Money Does Grow on Trees” ideas, you can post them as a response to this blog and share them with everyone else who comes to Heritage Builders.

So with that introduction, let me tell you about my find of the week. I live near a supermarket, and because it is close to my home and also to other businesses I frequent, I go in several times a week. I usually go into the store and make a circle through the aisles where I know there are “Manager Specials.”

First, on my way to the markdown area in the back of the store, I pass the marked-down freezer area. This week I found a half-gallon of ice cream for 80 cents. Also in the case were cartons of Gelato for $1 each.

Wow! Can you believe it? Gelato, that most exquisite Italian delicacy, is usually too expensive for me to buy. Since I have a freezer (almost an essential for saving money) for $10 I bought enough ice cream and Gelato to last all summer. What a treat for my grandchildren!

At the back of the store is a rack where bakery items are marked down and placed. Some of the items are cakes, pastries, donuts, and other stuff I don’t often eat, but among those fattening items are the breads. There are specialty breads like olive loafs, pumpernickel and shepherd loaves.

What I’m searching for and find on a hit-or-miss basis are whole wheat breads, bagels, and English muffins. Bread is very perishable and must be moved quickly—almost daily. My thinking is that even if I bought it fresh, after I have home for a day, I already have day-old bread, so who cares if what I bring home from the grocery store that is day-old anyway.

Next to the bread rack is the regular markdown table. I’ve found everything from my favorite kind of sunscreen to cake mixes, canned food, cereals, and even toothpaste and deodorant. Everything is half price. Did you get that? Half price!

Onward I go to the dairy case where the manager’s specials in bright orange labels are right in with the rest of the dairy products. Again there are markdowns on milk, cottage cheese, and cream at half-price. Then I’m off to the deli section where I rarely find anything I want because most of the time I don’t eat processed meats. I look anyway just so I don’t miss something.

The next stop is at the flower counter, where manager’s specials are set off to one side in a bucket. If I’m feeling really extravagant and if the flower bundles are in pretty good shape, I buy a bouquet for three or four dollars. More about flowers in another blog.

My last stop is at the specialty cheese counter, where I often find my favorite cheese in the whole word—brie, for . . . you guessed it . . . half price. I don’t buy it very often at any price, but when I do, I buy it marked down and relish every bite.

Okay—now it’s your turn to check out your local supermarket and see what you can find. What I’ve told you here is only about one supermarket. There are other markets in our area with other bargains. More on those later.

Happy shopping!

Question:

What was your latest bargain find?

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A man bought a new pickup. He got up one morning to see that someone had spray-painted red all around the sides of his beige truck. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm the truck’s paint job.

WD-40 began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a “water displacement” compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their Atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you . . . when you read the “shower door” part, try it. It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It’s a miracle!

Then try it on your stove top . . . Viola! It’s now shinier than it’s ever been. You’ll be amazed.

WD-40 uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.

2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4. Gives floors that just-waxed sheen without making them slippery . . .

5. Keeps flies off cows.

5. Restores and cleans chalkboards.

6. Removes lipstick stains.

7. Loosens stubborn zippers.

8. Untangles jewelry chains.

9. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

10. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.

11. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.

12. Removes tomato stains from clothing.

13. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.

14. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.

15. Keeps scissors working smoothly.

16. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.

17. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.

18. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!

19. Gives a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.

20. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.

21. Rids kids’ rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.

22. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.

23. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.

24. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.

25. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.

26. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.

27. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.

28. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly

29. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.

30. Removes splattered grease on stove.

31. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.

32. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.

33. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).

34. Removes all traces of duct tape.

35. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain . . .

36. Florida’s favorite use is that it cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.

37. In the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

38. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures, and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it’s a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical-laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.

39. Use it for fire ant bites . . . it takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.

40. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

41. Also, if you’ve discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!

42. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P. S. The basic ingredient of WD-40 is FISH OIL . . . 

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I recently asked a young couple the question and was surprised by the answer. The young woman said, “We make our own home laundry soap.”

I don’t know why that surprised me so much because I remember my grandmother shaving a bar of Ivory soap into the washing machine to wash delicate clothing.

“Tell me more,” I said to her. And this is what she told me. I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to do so soon.

Grate 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap into a saucepan. Add 4 cups of hot water. Simmer it on the stove until all the soap is melted. Then add 1 cup of borax, 2 cups of washing soda, and 1 cup of baking soda. Stir it all together.

Next get a big container—one big enough to hold a little more than three gallons of liquid. Add 3 gallons of hot water to the container and pour in the soap/borax/soda mixture. Mix it up well until everything has dissolved.

Cool the mixture overnight. It will be a thick gel. Use 1 cup of this laundry detergent per load of laundry. You will be able to do 48 loads of wash from one batch. It is fragrance free, which is great for people with allergies, it costs pennies, and this lady said it does a great job of cleaning clothes.

If you try it, let me know how it works.

For tons of other creative ideas for saving money, see Gwen’s book Simply Fun for Families available from Heritage Builders. 

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We didn’t buy them, we don’t really want them, and we don’t use them. What we do it dust them, store them, and wonder how to dispose of them. Well, I heard a plan that works for me ,and I hope it helps you too.

Before I tell you about the plan, though, let me tell you a story I heard. There was a man who seemed stuck in his life. A career coach quizzed him and found out he was having trouble letting go of where he was and what he had in his life.

For example, he had inherited some furniture from his family. Since he had no use for it, he stored it—for 17 years he stored the furniture and paid $170 a month to do so. The career coach told him, “Man, do you realize how much money you have spent storing that furniture? Do you realize you could go on eBay and buy the same things if you ever truly wanted to use them?”

That man is not so different from many of us. It’s time to let go of the past and all the stuff that ties us to it. Sooooo here’s the idea. Take a photo of the treasured item. Print out the photo, if you wish, and put it in a scrapbook. Then sell the stuff, take the money, and do something you want to do with it.

Hey, I’m right there with you. I have some inherited things that are not being used. I’ve decided to take pictures and then sell the items and use the money to support my Type 1 diabetic granddaughter’s efforts to raise money for the annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation walk. Everybody wins!

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If so, how will you relax while staying in your home? How will you avoid the temptation to work? Have you thought about camping? If so, make your campground reservations now for the best spots in the campground. To help you, there is a list of camping equipment, ideas, and needs in Simply Fun for Families available from Heritage Builders. It’s worth the price of the book.

If you are staying home and sleeping in your own beds, then think about some fun things within a 50-mile radius of your home that your family could do together. Is there an observatory where the kids could peer through a telescope? Is there a park or zoo you don’t get to nearly often enough? Is there a sporting event—even a minor league or city league game—your family would enjoy attending? Is there a street fair planned that would provide fun for a day or two? Some towns have outdoor theater or movies during the summer. Just make sure they are age appropriate. Throw out a blanket, spread out snacks, and enjoy.

Fourth of July celebrations are always fun. Plan now to attend and who you will go with. Fireworks are always fun especially if several families with kids get together for the event.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure it breaks the routine of daily living. Make sure you do some things that you “never have the time to do.” Invite family and friends to enjoy your staycation with you. Be creative and have a happy, refreshing time. Right now, just get busy with the planning. Plan together, it’s more fun for everyone when you do.

For that camping list and tons of other creative ideas for fun, see Gwen’s book Simply Fun for Families available from Heritage Builders. 

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Something like 80 percent or what we eat is processed food loaded with sodium, preservatives and food coloring. It is put in our food to make it more appealing, to cause us to be addicted to it (you can’t just eat one), and sometimes for the manufacturers convenience in manufacturing the food.

Think about the recent controversy with “pink slime.” And we have just learned that commercial bread—that staple of all diets—is loaded with sodium.

In addition to being terrible for your health, processed food is expensive. For example,  you can buy a 10-ounce bag of popped, salted puffs (not popcorn) for $6.99. You can buy three microwave bags of popcorn for $2.50. You can buy a bag of kernels to pop yourself for $2.50. That’s enough popcorn to fill a washtub. The raw kernels have no additives, but they do have fiber. The microwave bag has salt and partially hydrogenated palm oil—trans fat.

So use your head. Which one of the three is the best buy for cost and nutrition? It’s that way for most products in the store. Processed food is not best for you. If you want fresh fruits and vegetables in season, shop farmers markets and roadside stands. Those purchases are direct from producer to consumers, and while we might wonder what has been put on the fields to fertilize the plants, at least we know nothing has been added at some packager’s and manufacturer’s site.

Think, think, think about what your family is eating. There is a reason for obesity in this country and it is that most of what is in the grocery store has been enhanced to make you eat more and more and more of it. Yes, processed foods are convenient, but is convenience worth the price of diabetes and other obesity-related diseases?

And if your family learns to eat more raw fruit and vegetables, how much more convenient could the food be. Simply wash it and feed it. Fruits and vegetables should be the main part of our diet. Add a little meat, a little dairy product for calcium—but watch out for cheese as it is loaded with fat and salt—some nuts and whole grains, and you have the nearly perfect diet.

Easy as . . . well, I was going to say pie, but pie is not an essential nutrient in our diets.

For more helpful information about raising kids and family life, read Gwen Ellis’ Simply Fun for Families, published by Heritage Builders. 

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At least it’s alarming to me in light of the obesity epidemic we are facing in this country—obesity that is often accompanied by Type 2 diabetes.

It used to be when I went to the grocery store, the junk food was more or less out of sight down the aisles. Perhaps there would be a display of soft drinks out near the entrance once in a while, but that was about all.

Now when I go into a grocery store, I can hardly get in for displays cramming the entryway. There are seasonal displays—Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, Super Bowl, Halloween, and on and on. And, have you noticed how many of our holidays demand the purchase of candy and other high-calorie sweets? What is going on?

Well, I think it’s all about money. Manufacturers of what I call “non-foods”—because these foods have so little nutrition in them—are going to respond to market demands. They’re in the food production business to make money. So they pump out every imaginable kind of chip, fizzy soft drink, pastry, candy, ice cream and on and on.

And do you know that manufacturers have figured out that we are so dumb as consumers that when they slap a “health food” label on something we will buy it without even investigating what’s in it? Even seemingly harmless “health food” items can be loaded with sugar. Gatorade has enough sugar in one bottle that you would have to exercise at least two hours to use up all that sugar. Some protein bars are little more than candy bars. And we, the gullible consumers, are more than willing to respond and load up our carts with items that are killers of our health. I am appalled when I watch young children chowing down on empty calories. We’re killing ourselves and our kids with this stuff.

Do we have the strength to walk past the bags and packages and bottles of non-foods and push our way to the back of the store where we can find live food? Live food is the kind that will spoil in a couple of days to a couple of weeks in a cooler. Live food has to be updated regularly to provide the best nutrition. Live food is what we need to grow healthy bodies and minds.

I’m deeply concerned about what manufacturers of all this junk are doing to our culture and to our health. Boycott them! Don’t buy their junk food! Demand fresh, living food and be a true consumer of it.

What you will gain is health for yourself and your family. What you will lose are multiple co-pays to doctors and prescriptions. Teach your kids that a ripe peach or an orange not only tastes better, but is better for them.

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