Frugal Friday: Making a Profit

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Proverbs 31:10-31.  The description of an industrious woman is my plumb-line for life.  I do not think that our homes need to follow this model word for word, but it certainly is a guideline for our lives.  Every now and then I'll take a look at it to see how I'm doing in the areas of making my husband's life a good one, being an industrious worker, caring for my home, making sure my children are well taken care of and managing my life and home.

This morning I took another look at it and these verses jumped out at me.

Proverbs 31:16-18

She evaluates a field and buys it;
she plants a vineyard with her earnings.
   She draws on her strength
and reveals that her arms are strong.
    She sees that her profits are good,
and her lamp never goes out at night.

Notice that it says she produces something of value out of her earnings and that her profits are good.  She is multiplying her income; not losing it.

That is a lesson for us as we talk about living a simple and frugal life.  Are you making money or stretching your money or are you losing it?  Do you find yourself going into debt because you cannot control your spending? 

I'm not talking about unforeseen things such as vehicle repairs though planning ahead would qualify here.  I'm talking about impulse buying, or purchasing unnecessary items.  I knew someone that hardly stepped inside a retail store, but made it a hobby to hit garage sales all the time, picking up items they didn't need.  They were sinking deeper into debt with these "great deals."

Perhaps your vice is clothing or going out to eat or books or having the latest gadgets.  Those things are not bad in and of themselves, but if we are going into debt in order to have them it is time to reevaluate our spending habits.

Let's work at making a profit.  That may be by making your dollar stretch the very furthest it can go by finding the lowest price.  It may mean that we have a job that doesn't end up costing us because we spend more in childcare, clothing or going out to eat.  It may mean that we do something on the side to bring in some money while we stay home. 

However that looks for your life make sure that whatever you set your hand to do is indeed profitable!

Ways I've made a profit this week:

$  I worked hard the other day to increase the amount of space I have in my house by reorganizing cupboards, pantry and craft items.  I'm still working on it but I feel so much better about my space.

$  Rather than grocery shop this week, I made do and stretched a couple of meals to cover two days.

$  I stayed out of those craft stores again!  Yay!!!!  lol

$  I am closing the shop this Saturday to participate in a local craft fair.  I will be advertising where I'm at so those who want to shop still can, but I'll be doubling the amount of people.

$  I always post on my facebook business page all the things I make.  I've gotten many orders that way and often before I can even put them out in the shop.  I try not to limit myself to one venue of making income.

$ I decided that I will be closing the shop for the winter season and relocating to my home.  The amount of money that it will cost to deal with snow removal will far outweigh any profits I make during the winter.  I will still be available for online orders of gifts, crafts, soaps, and bread (for local) and can ship things as well as deliver locally.  But that will save us a ton of money on both rent and snow removal.

$ I'm scheduling a trip to visit my mother and stepfather and grandmother.  However, I'm waiting until the end of January and also picking weekdays to fly because the airfare is much cheaper that way.

$ Boiled a chicken and saved the broth in quart size containers for the freezer.

$ Made my own sauerkraut which is easy and healthier then the shriveled gross stuff you get in the store.

$ I make my own seasoning mixes instead of buying packaged mix that is full of chemicals.

$ And I never limit myself to the things I create.  If someone asks me if I can make something, I always attempt it with pleasant results.  I am honest if it really is beyond my capacities but will give it a shot.

There you have it!  How have you done this week?