buying organic (and local!) produce is extremely important to me. sometimes though, my wallet just won’t allow for it. knowing which items are most and least important to purchase organic has been a tremendous help to me (and our bank account!), so i thought you might be able to use the info as well. here’s a simple guide to what you should always buy organic, and what other items are naturally low in pesticides (usually due to their thick skins).

THE WORST for pesticides (buy these organic):

spinach, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, kale/collard greens, potatoes, bell peppers, celery and grapes.

always try to buy these organic, as their thinner skins allow for the most amount of pesticides to reside within.

THE BEST (lowest in pesticides):

onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, pineapple, sweet potato, melons and avocado.

when you’re in a money pinch, you can always rest assure that these veggies and fruits have the lowest amount of pesticides.

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hello, friends! i’ve been enjoying some really great reads lately and thought you might like to know the latest additions to my bookshelf!

 
1. creative, inc.- the ultimate guide to running a successful freelance business by meg mateo ilasco & joy deangdeelert cho. this crafster book teaches you everything you need to know about starting your own freelance biz. from setting up shop to working with clients and agents- the advice in this book is priceless.

2. the total money makeover by dave ramsey. finally! a book that spells out exactly what you should do with your finances in an easy to understand way. the sure-fire way to get out of debt, stay out of it, and start managing your finances responsibly. i’m telling you, this is the best book i’ve read in a very long time.

3. the conscious cook by tal ronnen. i just got this fantastic cook book in the mail this week! it’s 100% vegan, and you’d never know it. with creamy, ‘meaty’, and easy-to-fix-unusual meals throughout, i’m going to be cooking my way through this one start to finish.

4. the history of redemption edited by ronnie smith and illustrated by christopher koelle. i’ve talked about this book before and was so excited to finally get it. the illustrations are absolutely stunning and the story (of course) is timelessly beautiful.

do you have a favorite latest additions to your bookshelf? please share!

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i’ve been thinking a lot lately about where the bulk of our money goes, and it’s caused me to think about priorities.  the things that aren’t so important, and the things that we’ve deemed most important, or ‘worthy’ of spending money on, without looking for the cheapest way out.  here’s what i came up with!

1. due to some injuries, not only do i need good, supportive running shoes, but i have to remind myself to replace them when i they’re worn out.  generally, you’re supposed to replace your shoes after about 400 miles, so for me that’s about every 6 months. don’t let me forget!

2. if i’m going to attempt to do the things ‘the right way’ by starting my own seedlings, i don’t want to skimp out at the gardening store (even though those cheapo seeds are tempting!).

3. i don’t want to spend 1/3 of my life on scratchy sheets, so i’ll buy the softest ones i can find.  not very expensive, my favorites are 100% bamboo and about $30.

4. i became a vegetarian largely to avoid the antibiotics and hormones found in meat, so i constantly remind myself that they’re present in non-organic dairy as well.  at all costs, i skip out on hormones and pesticides by buying organic dairy and veggies.

5. all those ingredients on generic makeup that i can’t pronounce just scare me! so i pay the price for ingredients that i can read and feel good about putting on my face.  i’ll often buy origins makeup or head to the health food store.

6. organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee- yum.

7. i’m not exactly sure why, but i just can’t skimp out on food for little toastie.  he’s like my son, so we feed him california naturals.

8. ok, i admit it. i’ve fallen for the ‘expensive’ jeans.  sure, it means that i can only buy 1 pair a year, but boy is it worth it!

9. i ain’t rasin’ my own chickens to eat the same nasties found in the non-organics at the grocery store.  i pay a pretty penny for organic chicken feed ($25/bag rather than $7), but i’ve never had a more delicious egg in my life!

10. a good camera can turn a bad photographer (like me!) into a somewhat decent one.  i have a nikon d40 and a canon s90 and they are so very dear to me.

so that’s it! what about you? what do you deem most worthy of your paycheck?

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let’s talk finances! tax season is just around the corner, so i thought it time to start easing into to the money mindset.  we’ll start simple though, don’t worry!

singing in the rain umbrella

this article about business growth by amandadailyworth outlines the reasons why you should carefully separate you personal finances from you business finances.  as i did, i’m sure many of you started your etsy shop as a hobby, as a way to ‘get your toes’ wet and see how things went.  however, soon the sales start rolling in and you are now in need of a website, business cards, more supplies, and maybe you’re even some advertising around the web.

doll parts print

a simple, free and very important step to take is to open your own business bank account.  this way, you won’t be dealing with a tangled account of not really knowing what money is going where, let alone where it came from.  when it comes to tax season, it can take days to filter through one account, trying to separate it into your personal and business expenses.

happy bunny

sharing one account for your personal and business expenses will not only make taxes difficult, but will also make proving your income difficult.  when you’re revenue goes into the family account and your using a personal credit card for your business expenses, you can see how quickly confusing it can get.  and, if you’re planning on buying a new home or getting a loan from your bank- it is essential to be able to prove your income.

kitchen aid mixer felt coasters

you should know that it’s time to open a separate account when you start to loose track of how much money is going in or out.  when your budgeting gets overwhelming and you start to loose track of your receivables.  you need to run reports to see your expenses vs. your income but you can’t because the data is all mixed together.  before you get to this very frustrating and time consuming point- consider opening your own account.

two hundred two – hand sewn silk mobile

ready to get started? first visit your bank and open a free business checking account.  get a separate credit or debit card to use for only business-related expenses.  and, i think it’s a good idea to keep your paypal account separate as well.  if you don’t know how to do the bookkeeping yourself, consider hiring an accountant to manage it.  having monthly profit-&-loss statements at your fingertips is invaluable.  the first step in having a successful shop is understanding your finances and which areas are performing well.

1950 barra randonneur bike print

speaking of finances, daily worth is a free daily personal finance email for women.  they deliver practical tips, empowering ideas  and the occasional kick in the pants!  you can sign up here, and also peruse their website for a number of great articles regarding finance.

have you ever noticed that you can download your sales data, right from etsy?  go to ‘your etsy’ then ‘sold (orders)’ then scroll down to the bottom to find where you can easily download all of your sales data to help ease the task of managing your finances.

lambswool elephant – eco friendly

finally, have you heard of mint.com? it’s a free website to help you manage your money.  you can divide all of your expenses into categories, budget your money, find savings, and start to understand your finances better.

what is your advice? do you have any tricks or suggestions on how to better manage your finances? please share with us in the comment section!

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