Frugal February; Great Giveaway

Well, I read somewhere in the blogging world about a family that tries for the whole month of February to not spend.  They stock up on food and supplies for a few months before and then make an effort to not spend anything other than bills and gas which they limit as much as possible.  They do this to remind them all about how much we can live without and with how little many people around the world live.

I remember thinking that is a noble act and I was impressed.  I didn't realize that we would be facing a Frugal February ourselves!  You see my husband has not had any work as a carpenter since before Christmas.  He has also been plagued with knee injuries so he really can't do much if he had the work.  This has placed us to be very conscious of our dependence upon God's providence all the time.  You see, we knew things were going to be tight, but we were hoping to have our tax return by mid February.  Didn't happen, and yes it is Uncle Sam's fault that our e-file was rejected and we now have to wait for snail mail and hope things go through.  Again, it is another reminder that we should always remember to trust in God and not chariots and horses!

So anyway, we are saving money this month by using up the food in our pantry and freezer.  Yes, it may mean that I am eating green beans more often than I would like, but it really is a good thing to force us to be thankful for what we have.  Even in this frugal month, we are going to live like kings compared to so many around the world.

We are also continuing to save money as much as possible by keeping the electric bill down.  Though we have been going quickly through that great store of firewood my hunky wood chuck stock piled, we still have enough to get through the winter! 

We are also still using our drying racks for our clothes too, despite the best efforts of our 3 year old to break them!  I love using drying racks for several reasons.  I love not using the dryer because it is so out of sight I forget about it.  The clothes racks are right in the middle of our family room so I won't forget about it.  I also love that it gives the girls a taste of what it was like to do laundry before we had such electric servants. (Not that I am planning on giving up my washing machine at any time!)  Another benefit is they make a great barrier between the children watching TV in the family room near the roaring stove.  There is a lot less whining about how hot the room is when the clothes racks are full!  The cat would add that he loves them because they make great hiding places.  Thankfully, he has not been tempted to climb them!

So I was looking at one of my favorite blogs, http://inashoe.com/ and I saw she was hosting a give away of a really nice clothes drying rack!  This thing is top of the line.  Great height and volume and sturdy enough for her large family so I am sure it would be great for my family of 6.  And talk about frugal - free giveaway is very frugal!  I can afford that this month. LOL  So go on over to her site and check it out and buy one if you are enjoying Fast spending February or enter this giveaway with me!

What are some ways you are saving money right now?  I am open to suggestions! Blessings, Eva