Showcase: Laura Williams’ Musings
Laura is a Christian Homeschooling Mom of Seven. She enjoys reading, scrapbooking, cooking, garden, as well as many other avenues of interest. She also enjoys keeping her readers updated on contests, drawings and other ways to get more for less. Laura blogs at Laura Williams' Musings.
Tell me a little about yourself: who are you?
I am a 39 year old Mother of seven. Eight if you want to count dh in there. lol
When did you start blogging?
I started my blog in April 2007, but really didn't do much with it. Then I discovered the Bloggy Giveaways that were going on and being hosted by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer and I was hooked from then on about blogging (as well as entering contests)
Why do you blog?
For the fun of it plus I enjoy sharing things I find on the internet as well as personal recipes, tidbits, etc. And to be honest, I do paid posts occasionally and it helps hubby with the bill for the dsl.
How did you come up with your username?
My username is who I am and I the "musings" part just sums me up because I'm a whole lot of stuff rolled into one.
What does "frugal" mean to you? What do you think it means to other people?
Frugal to me means being smart with what you have and using it wisely as well as not paying full price for something just because it's name brand or it's the "in thing" to do. To many that don't understand the frugal lifestyle or frugal mentality, I think they see the word "frugal" as meaning "cheap". Frugal isn't cheap, it's learning to get the most for your money.
Why be frugal?
Why not? I mean why should I have to pay full price for an item that I can find at yard sales or thrift stores for way less than the original price tag. Often times those items are still is in working order or are in great shape. The original owner may have just grown tired of it. We are too much of a "throw away society." Just because I need something or want something does not mean I have to run out to the nearest Walmart and buy it. I try to think ahead on clothing items, shoes, etc. for the children and buy at yard sales or thrift stores accordingly. Being good stewards of your money is not only Biblical but wise. What I save by shopping wisely can not only be put into an emergency saving account but it can be donated to a missionary fund (or both).
Do you think there is a downside to being frugal?
Yes and no. Yes because you can get trapped in the "if only I had the money for this" and no because, you learn that the things that you want aren't always the things you really need.
Do you feel your blog has a special niche of its own? Did it happen by design or by accident?
I think it does. I do a daily contest roundup that just sort of happened. I started doing the daily contest roundups after the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaways and it just took off. I also include posts on recipes, daily life snippets, homeschooling, as well as book and product reviews with a little bit of other stuff thrown in. My blog is a hodge podge but many know it for the daily contest roundups.
Did it take you a while to "find your voice," or do you feel you've always been the same as a blogger?
I think I've always been the same. Some days I blog more than others but I try to keep it fun.
What do you think was your best frugal post ever? What was your most controversial?
Best frugal post would be the recent one on menu planning that a reader asked for more help on. I don't think I've really had a controversial post unless you want to count the recent one of where I got locked out of my blog and it upset some of my readers as well as myself. (click here if you want to read about that)
What do you know about your readers? What do you think draws them to your blog?
I know many of my readers love contests and I think that is what draws many of them to my blog. Some come for the recipes. Some may come for the reviews or homeschooling post or even daily life snippets. For the most part, I think it's the contests... both the daily contest roundups as well as the giveaways I host from time to time.
How important is frugality to you? Casual interest, hobby, lifelong habit, or insane fanatical obsessive compulsion?
Great question! For me, it's a lifelong habit. I grew up in a household with parents who grew up in the depression era. Their parents lifestyles passed down to them and thus passed down to me. I hope one day that it will pass to my children. I know my 19 year old daughter has shown signs of a "frugal" side. Can frugality be hereditary? I hope so!
Do you have a favorite frugal site?
Yes, Frugal Families.
Does frugal living come easily for you or is it a struggle?
Depends on what it is. Seriously, some things are like second hand like cutting dryer sheets in fourths and using one strip per load (from the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn). On a few things, it's a struggle. Eating out is a struggle for us. It's too convenient, too easy to say "let's eat out", but in the end we come to our senses most of the time... we still have our weakness now and then but thankfully not often.
Do you have any frugal heroes or role models?
Amy Dacyzyn. I have been a fan of hers since she appeared in Family Circle in 1994 (yes I still have the article) and on the Phil Donahue show.
Do you believe the saying, "you get what you pay for"? Yes on some things and no on others. Some things are made better than others and then there are some things that are just lemons outright.
Is it ever possible to be too frugal? How about frugal enough?
I think there is a very fine line between frugal and just being plain cheap. You can be frugal but when it comes to some things, I think you need to assess what your goal is. A story about a woman going into a restaurant and taking condiments because she didn't want to buy them comes to mind. That's not being frugal in the sense of frugality. That is just being plain cheap. If she didn't buy anything and just went in for those things, I would even go as far as to construe it as stealing.
How does the rest of your family feel about your frugal ideas?
Thankfully they are onboard. Hubby is my greatest cheerleader as well as partner. Are we perfect in our frugal lifestyle? Nope, we still slip up from time to time, then want to kick ourselves afterward.
We all have moments of glory and brilliance that we want to relive for the rest of our lives, right? What was your best ever frugal idea?
Buying marked down meats and freezing them as well as marked down produce. Bananas freeze well and make great muffins, bread, and pancakes when thawed. Shopping sales and using coupons, but just because I have a coupon for something that I don't normally use doesn't mean I "have to" use it. I still compare prices ... name brand vs. generic. I also keep a price book (another of the Tightwad Gazette's tips).
What was your worst or craziest frugal idea?
Now do I have to tell this on myself? Come on now y'all. Oh geez, for lack of better judgment, I bought boxes upon boxes of seconds on peaches and nectarines one time for $5 a box (banana size boxes). I think I was pregnant at the time as well and was trying to get all those gone through, throw out the old ones, peel and make peach pie filling to freeze as well as to can peaches and nectarines. Gnats were aggrivating me. Bees were buzzing. I was crying. Hubby came to my rescue and helped me to go through them and process them all the way to the freezing and canning stage. I shouldn't have bit off so much at one time. You see I had bought about 9 boxes. We are still eating on those peaches! lol So I guess it came out ok in the end but never again will I go buy that many again at one time.
The one thing that urges me on in our frugal ways is the motto from the depression era...
"Use it up, wear it out, or do without." There have been times in my life that I literally had to live those words. Now, I live them because I want too, not because I have too.
Laura Williams
Laura Williams' Musings
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4 Responses to “Showcase: Laura Williams’ Musings”
February 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Thanks so much Kim for featuring me!
Laura
February 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I still haven’t gotten passed the fact that you have seven kids! That’s a lot of PB&J. Great that you have figured out ways to keep your grocery bill reasonable. I also have found some excellent recycled clothing stores in my area. There is an affluent community nearby. Many of the folks there bring their old clothing to these stores. The rest of us make out like bandits! Most of the stuff looks brand new-
Lisa
February 28th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I just wanted to say hi Laura, I enjoy visiting your site
February 28th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
LOL Lisa!!
Hi Kim!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who dropped by my blog! Wonderful “meeting” new people!
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