Money Choices
Yesterday, I was looking out the window while Audrey and I were sifting together some flour, salt and baking powder. We were assembling some homemade Bisquick-style mix. Out the window, I could see the team of about 10 guys and their 6 or 7 vehicles laying down our new driveway.
I’m going to be writing a 3741 dollar check for that driveway. I only saved about a buck by making the baking mix myself.
There’s a money cliche that people will drive 20 minutes out of their way to save 5 dollars on a 20 dollar item, but won’t do it to save 5 dollars on a 500 dollar item. And yet five dollars is five dollars. Yesterday felt like it could be the inverse of that cliche. Should I have just gone outside and asked the foreman if he’d take a check for 3740 dollars instead and just pick up some store brand bisquick?
My mom called later and I asked what her thoughts were. She pointed out that one of the reasons that we could write a 3741 dollar check instead of putting it on the credit card is because we make our own Bisquick. Oh, that single dollar doesn’t mean too much in the scheme of things, but the mindset that drives you to do it saves money everywhere and adds up. Additionally, it was kind of fun. I have about 11 hours a day alone with Audrey, and that time has to be filled, preferably with something that’s remotely educational or otherwise beneficial. If I had made the mix myself, it would have taken less than 5 minutes, instead we had about 40 minutes of pouring and sifting and fiddling with flour. And laughing. It’s a mess, but is a lot of fun with a two year old.
Jenn said,
March 23, 2006 @ 9:32 am
I agree with your mom. Those dollars add up-if you have the time and the will to make things yourself then it is really worth it. Now, if you worked outside the home and only had limited time each day to get everything accomplished at home then you’d probably have to reweigh the whole thing in your mind!
Do you just use the bisquick for biscuits? I usually just make them from scratch, wondering if having the mix would save me much in the way of time. . .
Terri W. said,
March 23, 2006 @ 10:55 am
Ironically, I actually have never yet made biscuits out of my biscuit mix.
I started making it because I kept on running into recipes that called for Bisquick — the most recent being the Turkey Bacon, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Pie that we had for dinner a few nights ago. In fact, the entire Hillbilly Housewife site — which I love — has tons of recipes that call for it.
It’s been chilly here in Austin this week, so I’m probably going to use some this weekend to make some pumpkin maple biscuits that I found online. I’d link to the original recipe, but it has exceptionally annoying in-browser floating pop-up ads.
Here it is:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1/3 cup dry Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 tablespoon water
1 recipe pumpkin maple sauce, (recipe follows)
PREHEAT oven to 425° F.
COMBINE baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water just until moistened.
KNEAD dough 10 times on lightly floured surface. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.
FOR PUMPKIN MAPLE SAUCE
HEAT 1 cup maple syrup, 1 cup Pure Pumpkin and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small saucepan until warm.
Terri said,
March 23, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
Oh, and thanks for stopping by! I checked out your blog and really like it. It seems like we’re really on the same page in many ways. Heh.
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March 30, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
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Frugal Homemaker said,
March 31, 2006 @ 7:52 am
So true! We get a lot of flack for doing things that save us a dollar here and a dollar there, but when we need something expensive, we’ll be able to pay for it in cash. I think of each dollar I save doing something like making a mix as a dollar being direct deposited into my freedom fund! As Vicki Robin says, we buy our freedom with our frugality.
Champion Cheapskate said,
April 1, 2006 @ 5:46 pm
A penny here, a penny there. . . suddenly it all makes sense or is that cents. Well anyway, keep saving and cooking up those good ideas too.