Adding Rabbits to our Homestead

I wrestled with the idea of raising rabbits for several years.  We already have chickens and we are not quite ready to move up to large animals yet. So, rabbits seem to be a perfect fit for us.

We purchased our first trio of rabbits almost 2 years ago.  The trio consisted of 2 New Zealand White does and 1 New Zealand White buck.  A few weeks later, we added 2 additional New Zealand White does.  My husband built a beautiful rabbit hutch to house them in and I had a favorite new hobby.

The tarps are rolled up in nice weather and down to block wind or rain

I fell in love with the rabbits and started learning all I could about them.  I learned about various breeds and which were best for different things.  I learned which ones were rare or almost endangered.  I quickly began making a mental list of the different breeds I would like to have.  I didn't share my list with my husband though! :)

Notice the use of feed bags to help block the wind and cold.  Recycle, Reuse!

The beautiful hutch that my husband built turned into a double hutch!

I decided that I would like to add some Silver Fox rabbits to our growing rabbitry.  They are beautifully colored and multi-purpose rabbits.  They are also considered "threatened" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.  I found a local breeder that had a Silver Fox buck for sale and made arrangements to purchase a couple of Silver Fox does from Ohio and have them transported here. I will make a very long story short and just say that we now have one purebred Silver Fox buck and one purebred Silver Fox doe. I have found that everything I read about them is true.  They are big, beautiful, and have very sweet dispositions.

Cozy Baby Bunnies

In my continuing research I began running across pictures and stories about Rex rabbits.  At first they did not interest me but the more I read and the more pictures I saw, I became intrigued.  I began actively looking locally for a Standard Rex but was having trouble finding one.  I joined Rex Rabbits for Sale on Facebook and found a breeder that it is about 30 minutes from me.  I contacted him and we arranged to meet the very next day and I came home with this beautiful Chocolate Rex doe.

Her fur is thick and feels like velvet.  She is super sweet and doesn't mind being cradled like a big baby.  My next goal is to add a Rex buck so we will have Rex babies.

Coco is my Chocolate Rex

A New Year- A New Blog

     I know that it is already February but it's still a new year, right?  I think about my blog often and wish I had time to sit down and write.  I have a lot that I would like to share with you but I do not have a lot of time.  

     I thought that maybe I should change the name of the blog because my focus is no longer coupons and such but as I pondered it, I realized that almost everything I do is to save money.  Yes, the way I go about it has changed, but the goal has not.  I think now it has become more of a way of life than just a hobby.

    So, the blog will go on as Saving My 2 Cents but the content will change some.  I want to share more about how we live.  Things like.... canning.... our animals... our garden. 

    There will still be some grocery hints and coupons thrown in.  In fact, I have a great product that I am trying now that I will be sharing with you later so keep an eye out.

Grocery Saving Part 2

We are trying to answer the question, "Can you still save money on groceries?".  The answer is YES!

I went to Kroger this week with a very short list of things to get.  I'm usually not  a list maker but I have learned that making a grocery list helps reduce excess spending and when I get home I'm not kicking myself because of what I forgot to buy.  So, make a list of the things you need.

Next, learn which day your local grocer has the most marked down items.  I know that there are two days when my local Kroger has big markdowns.  I have narrowed down the best time to get there so they have had an opportunity to mark the sale items but it's not so late that they have been too picked over.  So, I breeze through the fruits and veggies and quickly pick out what I need.  I then head to where they mark down the cheeses, then the meats, and on to the canned goods.

The picture shows just a few things that I got marked down.  Overall, I saved over 40% off of my grocery bill by buying markdowns.  Be sure to only buy things that you normally eat buy anyway.  Don't buy something just because it's marked down.  Also, be sure to check expiration dates.  If it's coming up soon, is it something you can take home and freeze until you are ready to use it?

Once you are used to looking, you may be surprised at what you can find marked down!

Grocery Savings?

Is there any such thing as grocery savings anymore?  I originally started this blog because so many people asked me to help them save money using coupons.  After all, I was saving anywhere from 50-65% off my grocery bill each month.  I loved the days that I could walk into a store and save 90% off my purchases!  Where have those days gone?  Will they ever come back??  I don't think so.... :(

I believe the glory days of couponing are behind us, thanks to a popular tv show that I will not name, but it has to do with using coupons in an "extreme" way. Once this show gained popularity, the stores quickly began to change their rules regarding coupons and the manufacturers began changing the coupons.  We no longer have stores that double or triple the coupon values and the value of the coupons themselves have come down.  That's not to say that you can't ever find a good deal!  I'm just saying they are fewer are far between now.  So much so, that I do not even get the paper anymore.  The coupons no longer make it worthwhile.

So, can you save money?  Yes! As time permits, I'm going to do a small series blogs on how we save money on groceries and other things.  I know that our way of life is not for everyone but I'm hoping someone can glean a little help from it.

The first thing you need to do is evaluate your time and the foods you, or your family, eat.  Do you have time to cook meals from scratch?  Would you be better served with meals that require just a little effort? Or, do you need meals that you just heat and eat?  If you can carve out a little time to cook, you will save a lot of money.  After all, 1 bag of dry beans and a stack of flour tortillas are going to cost about $3 but if you buy that frozen pack of burritos you are looking at $8+.  That's a savings of $5!  Plus, odds are, you can make more than one meal out of that bag of beans and tortillas (depending on the size and appetite of your family).

Let's stop there for today.  Give yourself a few minutes to sit down and really evaluate your time.  Can you make time for the kitchen?  If so, how much time?  Maybe it's only 1 meal this week from scratch but that's a start.  You will save money and eat healthier food if you make it yourself.  There is also a lot of personal satisfaction in a job well done.

#Cartwheel #Coupons

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So Easy, Even Your Husband Can Do It!

Laundry is one of those chores that fall solely on me.  My husband is a super smart guy but a bewildered look crosses his face when I even mention the idea of him putting on a load of laundry.  But now, I have the solution!  Purex NO SORT!

Now, Purex No Sort is not a miracle worker.  If you have new, brightly colored clothes you do not want to put them in with your whites but once they have been washed a few times separately you should not have the bad color bleeding accidents like before.  Purex No Sort has a dye transfer inhibitor that traps dyes so they will not settle on other fabrics.

Purex brand sent me a free sample to try out so here is the before pics:

I added a little red, blue, green, yellow, light gray, etc to this load.  Normally, I would not wash these together.  And, this is what I got: 

No bleeding stains at all!  I like the idea of no more sorting!  I do believe my husband and kids can do this!!

I have a couple of free coupons to give away if you would like to let your husband try laundry duty!  Email me at kfreekave@aol.com.  3 winners will be drawn.

Mom's Night Out ~ The Movie

I LOVE being a Mom!  I have 2 wonderful boys that are truly the light(s) of my life.  I don't think anyone would ever say that being a Mom is easy though.  The only thing I know that is harder is being a Homeschool Mom!

You see, Homeschool Moms do not get breaks.  We don't have a commute to work where we can choose to listen to the radio or enjoy the peace and quiet for a few minutes.  We don't get a lunch break where someone else cooks the food and places it on the table in front of us and we certainly don't get sick days!!

I know that being a working Mom is not easy either.  I have been there too and I know the difficulties and the sacrifices that must be made so please don't feel like I'm belittling what you do.

                The bottom line is BEING A MOM IS HARD and sometimes we need a break!! 

That's why I am super excited to offer you the chance to win a night out for you and four of your friends to see MOM'S NIGHT OUT. Just click here to register.

I was actually invited to a screening of this movie and I can tell you, It Is GREAT!  I can't wait for it to come out on Mother's Day weekend so I can take my family and friends.  You can see a sneak peak of it here.