The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Posts Tagged ‘frugal living’

Easy, Healthy, and Homemade Chocolate Sauce

By ERIN TURNER-Yesterday was my son’s birthday and when I asked him what menu he wanted for his birthday dinner, he requested ice cream--and that means chocolate sauce! Here's an easy, healthy and frugal reci... more

Fresh, Frugal, Back to School Lunch Ideas

By ERIN TURNER-Are you ready to dust off the lunch box as your kids head back to school this week? Here are some for packing fresh, healthy and frugal lunches for your kids!... more

Stuffed Zucchini–A Frugal Seasonal Meal

By ERIN TURNER-The season of zucchini jokes has arrived. The gardens are knocking out zucchini like crazy and people are finding them on their doorsteps.... more

Bee Huts

By PAUL WHEATON-I’ve heard that by adding a roof to protect your bee hives, you can increase honey production by as much as four or five fold. The secret: The happiness of the bee matters!... more

Homemade Pie Crust

By ERIN TURNER- It's western Montana Fair Time and with raspberries, huckleberries and strawberries all in season right now, it seems the perfect time for a pie! ... more

Save Money With DIY Haircuts

By ERIN TURNER- With 3 boys, haircuts occur quite frequently around our house. Even if we just went to Cost Cutters we'd spend a fortune every month. Instead, here's a frugal, DIY haircut option. ... more

Flies Really Bite. Are they Bugging the Cows?

By PAUL WHEATON-Biting flies can sure make life miserable for cattle, horses and even people! Big or small, those insects can inflict painful sores. Here are a few solutions for getting rid of biting flies:... more

Budget Friendly Fruit Fly Killer

By ERIN TURNER-Love having the fruit sitting out for a quick walk-by snack for the kids but hate the the fruit flies? Here's a sure-fire and frugal way of killing them:... more

20 Tips for Staying Cool and Saving Money in the Summer

By PAUL WHEATON-It’s hot! So it is perfect timing to talk about how to stay cool on the cheap – both long term and short term. Here are 20 tips on staying cool this summer and saving money too.... more

Healthy, Frugal Spinach Smoothies

By ERIN TURNER-I’ve had lots of people asking me for my recipe for Green Smoothies. Since spinach season is at its peak right now, I thought I'd share my recipe.... more

Staying Motivated And Avoiding Coupon Burnout

By ERIN TURNER- Have you hit burn out in your couponing? Does the thought of clipping another coupon cause you to have a melt down? ... more

Easy Batch Eggs

By ERIN TURNER- Here's my new favorite way to cook a large batch of eggs. It's quick and easy!... more

Quick and Easy Shower Cleaning

By ERIN TURNER- I have a secret weapon that helps me maintain a sparkling clean shower--it involves one small tool and two ingredients you'll find around the house.... more

Inexpensive Heat Mat for Seedlings

By ERIN TURNER- Soil temperature is critical for the sprouting of any seeds. If it is too cold, seeds will sit dormant and eventually rot. Here's a frugal alternative to a seedling heat mats: ... more

Safe, Easy and Inexpensive Toilet Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER- Missoula's hard water has left deposits, lime scale and the occasional mineral/rust stains in my toilets. Here's a safe, easy, and frugal way to clean your toilets:... more

My Deal of the Week: Chick Days

By ERIN TURNER-I always like to look back over my week and determine my best deal. This week, hands down, it had to be Chick Days at the local feed store--60% off ducks and 2-for-1 geese. ... more

Dessert for Breakfast: Dutch Babies

By ERIN TURNER- Tonight I made this recipe for Dutch Babies, nope not as “breakfast for dinner” but I made it for dessert. Yup, it is that good and that versatile. Here's how:... more

My Favorite List of Frugal Spring Cleaning Methods

By ERIN TURNER- It's spring cleaning time. Here is a list of some of my favorite ways to clean and refresh the house without breaking the bank this spring: ... more

How to Remove Pilling and Make Sweaters New Again

By ERIN TURNER- Here's an easy, do-it-yourself way of removing pilling from sweaters and fleece coats. ... more

Budget Friendly Overnight Oatmeal

By ERIN TURNER- I am always searching for fun, healthy and frugal breakfast foods so when a friend mentioned a no-cook oatmeal made with various fruits, nuts and seeds I had to try it!... more

Frugal Living: Using Amazon to Save Money

By ERIN TURNER- Want to save money and living frugally, but not necessarily a fan of coupons? Here are some tips on saving money using Amazon.com... more

40 Days of Decluttering

By ERIN TURNER- This new challenge tackles all the “stuff” that seems to accumulate around the house. Clutter gets in the way emotionally and spiritually and binds us to those "things".... more

4 Ways to Save Big Bucks at Target

By ERIN TURNER- Okay you smart shoppers--today I’m going to share with you why I love Target and four ways how you can save big bucks when you shop there!... more

Frugal Living: The Freezer Challenge Continues

By ERIN TURNER- We're waiting for a major winter snow storm to hit here in Missoula. But you won't see me running out to stock-up...we're in the middle of a Freezer Challenge!... more

The Freezer Challenge

By ERIN TURNER- This year we decided to shake things up a bit from our traditional Pantry Challenge and we're doing a Freezer Challenge instead. Here's what it entails: ... more

A Rice Cooker Makes Healthy, Frugal Meals

By ERIN TURNER-So I didn't own a rice cooker--what's the big deal? Answer: rice cookers are a super time and money saving gadget for your kitchen! So now I own one. You should too.... more

Turn Down The Thermostat And Save

By ERIN TURNER - During a recent cold-snap in Montana, we moved our thermostat down to a “balmy” 64 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night and saved!... more

Seasonal Fruit Plus Juicing Adds Up To Healthy and Frugal Living

By ERIN TURNER - I can, freeze and dry seasonal fresh produce, but lately my family and I are into juicing--it's a frugal, healthy and delicious way to enjoy this season's citrus fruits.... more

Are You Up For the 52-Week Savings Challenge?

By ERIN TURNER - Wanna save $1,378 by this time next year? Why not Join me and my family in the 52-week Challenge? It's easy and fairly painless. Here's how it works: ... more

New Year’s Food Rituals

By ERIN TURNER - Ever wonder why certain foods grace our tables for certain holidays? Here's a rundown of some our New Year's Food Rituals.... more

A Collection of Frugal Christmas Ideas

By ERIN TURNER - Since I've been writing this blog for 3 years now, I thought it would be nice to put together a collection of blogs with ideas for the holidays...so here they are!... more

5 Tools for Saving Money Online This Christmas

By ERIN TURNER - All week I’ve had people asking me for tips on saving money while Christmas shopping online so here are my top 5 tools and tips for saving money online this season.... more

Tips for Cleaning and Staying Organized This Holiday Season

By ERIN TURNER -The holiday season has a huge impact on our houses and schedules. Here are some tips for maintaining our schedules, entertaining and managing the unexpected drop-bys from family and friends.... more

Bountiful Basket Food Co-Op Provides Fresh Produce at a Frugal Cost

By ERIN TURNER - When a student from my couponing class told me about Bountiful Baskets, I had to try them for myself...and I'm glad I did!... more

Healthy, Frugal Homemade Sauerkraut

By ERIN TURNER - Here is the recipe and step-by-step instructions on how to make your own healthy and frugal homemade sauerkraut.... more

Homemade Instant Oatmeal: It’s What’s For Breakfast

By ERIN TURNER - Here's an inexpensive, do-it-yourself method of making your own flavors of instant oatmeal. It's a fraction of the cost of buying the packets, and it's better for you!... more

The Family Food Budget as Compared to the USDA Food Plan

By ERIN TURNER - Many of us who are frugal have budgets for all aspects of our money. So for fun I thought I'd compare our budget to the USDA's recommended "Food Plan". ... more

Winter Squash: A Budget Friendly Delight

By ERIN TURNER - Nothing compares to good winter squash! Where else can you pack loads of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants in it own serving dish for just a couple of bucks? ... more

It’s Time for Garlic

By ERIN TURNER - You can spend a lot of money on garlic in the grocery store--especially compared to organic garlic. So plant now (this fall), and enjoy freshly grown delicious garlic next summer! Here's how.... more

October Savings

By ERIN TURNER -October has a long list of “celebrations”. That means “celebration” items will be on sale and NOW is when you will want to stock up & save! ... more

Homemade Cup of Soup: It’s What’s for Lunch at Hunting Camp

By ERIN TURNER - We are always trying to invent healthy, packable and good-tasting meals to enjoy during a hunting weekend and my son came up with the idea of homemade Cup O' Soup. ... more

Homemade Lunchbox Cookies

By ERIN TURNER - I always like to include a special treat when my kids take their lunch to school. This recipe for homemade Chocolate Cookies is made with a twist...... more

Frugal School Lunches for Kids

By ERIN TURNER - What I have noticed in my research for frugal and healthy kids’ lunches is that parents are going back to what many of us grew up with…homemade! ... more

CHORES – It Doesn’t Have to be a Dirty Word

By ERIN TURNER - Kids doing chores is a win-win for everyone. So as you slide back into your school year routine be sure to include daily chores as part of it. Start slow but be consistent.... more

Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Your Frugal Kitchen

By ERIN TURNER -If you want to save money and eat healthier then homemade is the best option! To that end, here are my list of MUST-HAVE kitchen gadgets for any frugal kitchen.... more

Back to School Savings Tips

By ERIN TURNER - It’s that time of year which we can’t avoid…Back to School. But if you're smart and follow a few of these tips, you won't bust the budget.... more

Homemade Pasta

By ERIN TURNER - Recently while I was treasure-hunting at a thrift store, I came upon a pasta maker just like my mom’s. I knew my next culinary adventure was going to entail homemade pasta!... more

DIY Window Cleaner

By ERIN TURNER - We are mid-summer right now and you know what I can’t avoid at this point? My dirty windows. Here's my simple and frugal DIY recipe for window cleaner:... more

Homemade Strawberry Jam

By ERIN TURNER - Yesterday I created some memories with my kids when we visited a nearby U-Pick strawberry patch and made homemade strawberry jam--pure magic!... more

The Easy and Frugal Way to Clean Your Shower Floor

By ERIN TURNER - With three boys who like to go barefoot in the summer, I struggle keeping the shower floor clean. Here's a little secret that is both easy and frugal.... more