Note: One purpose I have in keeping this blog is to share ideas with others who may be looking to save money. This list is in no way to tell you how I think you should (or shouldn't) spend your money! Just wanted to give some ideas that work for us.
Things we don’t spend money on:
1) Cable/Satellite. We have a regular old antenna/digital converter box combo that works just fine for us--we get the major network stations and we figure it will keep us from watching too much TV. Recently, we also joined Netflix and are able to stream movies and TV shows through our Nintendo Wii. It is every bit as good as having cable with the selection they have, plus it’s available anytime! And for $10 per month (compared to at least $40 or $50 around here for the most basic cable), a great value.
2) Toothpaste/deodorant/shampoo/etc. These are usually free, or just a few cents. I play ‘the drugstore game’ to get these free most of the time. Sometimes it means buying 4 or 5 at a time, but if they’re free, does it matter? It keeps us from paying full price when we actually need them.
3) Coffee and tea. We get these for free because I work at a certain name-brand coffee shop. I get a free pound of coffee or box of tea every week. I know this is something that’s specific to us and won’t help everyone else, but it really has saved us a lot of money! I also have a single cup Keurig brewer, so I do occasionally buy a package of K-Cups. They’re really expensive, though, so I plan on getting a reusable K-Cup filter to put my free coffee in.
4) Credit card interest. This past year, we were able to eliminate all credit cards and all credit card debt between the two of us. It is so liberating, and I highly recommend doing everything you can to maintain a cash-only lifestyle. Student loans and a car payment are enough for us to deal with, and credit cards just open up another can of worms. I don’t like ‘em!
5) Disposable diapers. I know cloth diapers aren’t for everyone, but if you’re a parent of young children and REALLY want to save money, give it a serious thought. More on our cloth diapering experience later, but in short, we spent about $350 on everything we needed to keep Liam in cloth diapers until he potty-trains. If an average disposable diaper is around $0.20 (this is usually on sale and/or with coupons) and he uses an average of 8 diapers a day (that’s being generous), that totals about $1,500 for two and a half years of diapering. For ONE child. We spent $350, and can use them for more than one child! Enough said.
6) Summertime fresh vegetables. We have our own garden, and are able to raise enough veggies to eat, plus enough to can/freeze for later in the year. Nothing like getting organic produce for free!
7) A home phone line. For us, this would be totally and completely useless. We both relied exclusively on our cell phones before we were married, so it only seemed natural to keep it that way. Plus it’s another monthly bill we don’t have to deal with.
8) Takeout pizza. We love pizza around here, enough to have it once a week for dinner. Except, we don’t buy it. I make it at home, using my bread machine to make the dough and making the sauce from scratch (ahead of time, and stored in the freezer). The prep time is a fraction of what we’d wait to have it delivered, and it’s so good, and healthier too. And when it costs around $4 for two 8-cut pizzas (which provide lunch for the next day too, plus usually a snack!), I certainly don’t miss paying 4 or 5 times that much. We also occasionally have a frozen pizza.
9) Newspaper subscriptions. We read the news online, and I usually buy a Sunday paper to get the coupons (which pays for itself, most of the time.)
10) (Most) Prepared/Convenience Foods. Any way you look at it, convenience items cost more and make your grocery bill higher. I make big batches of homemade meatballs and freeze them, then I always have something to pull out for a quick meal and can prepare them in a variety of ways. I store canned salsa from our garden (though this past year, it didn't last very long! we like salsa) and freeze homemade marinara sauce. Lots of times, I use Penzey's French Vinaigrette seasoning mix to make our own salad dressing. Even cutting back on just one or two prepared items each week will save money.
Hopefully this will give one or two of you an idea for saving a little money!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tutorial: Embellished T-Shirt
Yay, my first tutorial! I've been seeing a lot of embellished t-shirts in stores lately, and am aghast at how much they sometimes cost, since they can be made so easily! So, I decided to make one to show you how easy they are. The one I made doesn't require much sewing skill at all, in fact, you could totally make one without even owning a sewing machine. It really is that simple.
I was inspired by the nautical theme that seems to be the trend this spring, plus these embellished shirts from Anthropologie:
And from Target ($15, but still...):
I'm a sucker for seersucker (ha!). It's just so summery and versatile and preppy. I got a couple yards a few weeks ago for around $5 on sale. I plan on using the rest to make a skirt for myself, or an outfit for Liam (or both!).
(I didn't bother ironing the fabric--the end result is supposed to be a little 'raw' and messy. As you can tell, I usually don't iron my tablecloths either.) Next, I cut 4 long strips of the fabric, about 1 1/2 inches wide and running the width of the fabric (44 inches).
There are lots of ways you can make fabric flowers, but for mine I used a similar method to making a flower out of frosting...start in the middle and coil around, twisting the fabric as you go. I made a couple stitches every 1/4 way around or so.
It doesn't have to be perfect--the goal is 'shabby chic.' I tucked the end of the strip behind the flower and stitched it into place. I ended up making 7 flowers, making some much smaller (by coiling around less).
I also cut some leaves (4 fabric thickness) and pinned everything the way I wanted it to look.
Then stitched it all into place! For added texture, I stitched 'veins' on the leaves. Note: you totally don't have to do this on a sewing machine...it just takes longer by hand.
All done!
I really like how it turned out! (Not the greatest picture, it's hard to take a picture while wearing the shirt.) And for just over $4 and about an hour and a half of my time, not too bad of a deal!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Brainless Meals: Chicken Stroganoff (and weight loss update)
So, I have been a little recipe-heavy with my posts lately...I have some crafty things to share soon but I discovered a couple great recipes in the past couple days that have immediately won a spot in our menu rotation. One is this great, EASY (seriously, less than 5 minutes to prepare) dish which is a nice change of pace from your traditional beef stroganoff (and a little healthier too). And scoff if you will about the canned cream soup and onion soup mix--I don't even care. My husband said it was one of the best things I've ever made. (by the way, I used reduced-fat cream of mushroom, and light sour cream.) Serve it with the standard egg noodles, or if you're a fellow dieter you can substitute brown rice or steamed veggies. I LOVED this over steamed broccoli. Enjoy!
Chicken Stroganoff (from Faithful Provisions)
1 pound frozen chicken breasts (I didn't thaw them and it still turned out great)
1 container (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion soup mix
16 oz container of sour cream
Place frozen chicken breasts in bottom of a crock pot (I greased mine). Place mushrooms on top of chicken, mix remaining ingredients and pour over mushrooms and chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, stirring hourly. Shred chicken or cut into chunks right in the pot before serving.
Mmm...I want some right now. So yummy!
In other news, I wrote about Spark People a few days ago, and though I still agree that it is a great program, I have actually gone back to Weight Watchers after realizing that the issue was my computer (rather, Firefox) and not the WW website. I do like Spark People, but for whatever reason I seem to be more motivated with Weight Watchers...I still think it's the $20 per month. Plus, I've found it's a bit easier to use if you cook at home most of the time and need to figure out the nutritional information of a particular recipe. I'm slowly getting back on track after the disastrous spell I had during and around Easter (I gained about 3 pounds in a little over 2 weeks...yikes!) and now I'm more motivated than ever. Plus, there have been some fabulous weather days lately (until last night, at least) so I've been able to get outside more. Yay!
Chicken Stroganoff (from Faithful Provisions)
1 pound frozen chicken breasts (I didn't thaw them and it still turned out great)
1 container (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion soup mix
16 oz container of sour cream
Place frozen chicken breasts in bottom of a crock pot (I greased mine). Place mushrooms on top of chicken, mix remaining ingredients and pour over mushrooms and chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, stirring hourly. Shred chicken or cut into chunks right in the pot before serving.
Mmm...I want some right now. So yummy!
In other news, I wrote about Spark People a few days ago, and though I still agree that it is a great program, I have actually gone back to Weight Watchers after realizing that the issue was my computer (rather, Firefox) and not the WW website. I do like Spark People, but for whatever reason I seem to be more motivated with Weight Watchers...I still think it's the $20 per month. Plus, I've found it's a bit easier to use if you cook at home most of the time and need to figure out the nutritional information of a particular recipe. I'm slowly getting back on track after the disastrous spell I had during and around Easter (I gained about 3 pounds in a little over 2 weeks...yikes!) and now I'm more motivated than ever. Plus, there have been some fabulous weather days lately (until last night, at least) so I've been able to get outside more. Yay!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day! And some recipes.
What a blessing to have my first Mothers' Day (as a mother) today. Liam was such a good boy all day even though he has thrush in his mouth (calling the doc tomorrow) and Mommy put his shoes on too tight for church (poor thing, his feet were so red! oops). He is such a joy and blessing and we are so thankful for him! Rob was so sweet too--after a crazy weekend which started off with taking him to the ER Friday night, he wasn't feeling the best but still got me a sweet card and the new Adele CD, made lunch after church, and offered to grill tonight when we had Rob's family over.
I wanted to keep tonight's grilled menu simple but a little more lady-friendly (read: something other than just brats and burgers) so I made one of my favorite meals: grilled chicken, steak, and veggie kebabs with seasoned rice. We also did make some burgers for non-kebab lovers, had a couple different salads, and angel food cake with strawberries too. Since I worked the closing shift both Friday and Saturday, I also wanted most of the prep work to be done yesterday before work so I could relax this afternoon. The following recipes are standbys for me--the marinade is a recipe my mom got from Bill Knapp's (a restaurant that used to be in my hometown years ago) and can be used on any kind of meat. The seasoned rice recipe is actually a homemade mix--very handy to keep around for a quick side dish, and much better than buying boxes of Rice a Roni. Enjoy!
Honey Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic or garlic powder
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vinegar
2/3 cup oil
Mix well and pour over steak, chicken, pork, kebabs, or fish. Marinade several hours before grilling.
*Note: this time I used 1/2 cup ginger ale instead of apple juice and ginger because of an apple allergy. It was still good! I also use low sodium soy sauce, and not quite as much oil.
Seasoned Rice Mix (from Taste of Home)
3 cups uncooked long grain white rice (I use instant, and sometimes brown rice)
6 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Combine in an airtight container with a lid.
Additional ingredients for each batch:
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil (I use maybe half a tablespoon)
1 cup rice mix (above)
Combine water and butter or oil in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Stir in rice mix. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. (if I use instant or brown rice, I just refer to the instructions on the box).
I wanted to keep tonight's grilled menu simple but a little more lady-friendly (read: something other than just brats and burgers) so I made one of my favorite meals: grilled chicken, steak, and veggie kebabs with seasoned rice. We also did make some burgers for non-kebab lovers, had a couple different salads, and angel food cake with strawberries too. Since I worked the closing shift both Friday and Saturday, I also wanted most of the prep work to be done yesterday before work so I could relax this afternoon. The following recipes are standbys for me--the marinade is a recipe my mom got from Bill Knapp's (a restaurant that used to be in my hometown years ago) and can be used on any kind of meat. The seasoned rice recipe is actually a homemade mix--very handy to keep around for a quick side dish, and much better than buying boxes of Rice a Roni. Enjoy!
Honey Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic or garlic powder
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vinegar
2/3 cup oil
Mix well and pour over steak, chicken, pork, kebabs, or fish. Marinade several hours before grilling.
*Note: this time I used 1/2 cup ginger ale instead of apple juice and ginger because of an apple allergy. It was still good! I also use low sodium soy sauce, and not quite as much oil.
Seasoned Rice Mix (from Taste of Home)
3 cups uncooked long grain white rice (I use instant, and sometimes brown rice)
6 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Combine in an airtight container with a lid.
Additional ingredients for each batch:
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil (I use maybe half a tablespoon)
1 cup rice mix (above)
Combine water and butter or oil in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Stir in rice mix. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. (if I use instant or brown rice, I just refer to the instructions on the box).
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Envelope System, Revised
I'm guessing that most of you out there who actively maintain a tight budget have heard of Dave Ramsey. If you haven't, you should check him out...his money management tips and advice are phenomenal, and he has some strategies that are very easy to follow. One of those is not a new concept--the cash envelope system. It's so simple, and isn't rocket science--lots of people have followed this system for years before Dave was ever around. For a long time, I was not very good at sticking to a budget. I started this system about a year and a half ago (when we got married), and it makes managing money ridiculously simple as long as you are diligent.
We recently sold my car and are now a one-vehicle family, which has given our month-to-month budget a lot of breathing room. We now have a jump-start on building up the savings towards a house, and additionally it frees up my income to save more per month as well. As a result, I have re-worked our envelope system since our monthly needs have changed with the elimination of one car. Here's my envelopes-hopefully I can inspire one or two people to take a critical look at how their money is being spent!
-Groceries. I used to budget $35 per week for groceries, including household items and toiletries. That may seem really low, but I've really gotten the hang of couponing to get things for free, plus I now know all the most reasonable prices for things, and which stores to get them. I'm upping this amount to $40 per week because we'd like to buy more fresh produce (as opposed to frozen). This means the grocery envelope will have $160 at the beginning of the month, and when it's gone, it's gone!
-Eating out/Date night. This is something we'd like to do more of. We usually only eat out 1 or 2 times per month unless we go out with extended family. I'd personally like to make this 1 time per week, because that means less dishes for me :)
-Clothes. Not sure how this will go yet, because I've never had an envelope for this before. Hopefully it will eliminate the blow of buying new clothes only twice or 3 times a year, and also impulse clearance-rack purchases.
-Gifts. Self-explanatory, plus I will be adding more to this starting in July for Christmas purchases.
-Fun! Movies, music, going out for coffee or ice cream, etc. I also tend to make lots of trips to JoAnn fabrics...so I'm putting those expenses in this category too, since it's a hobby.
-Stock-ups/Deals. This is a much-needed envelope for me. So many times I see a great deal or see something we could really use on super-clearance, but I don't have room in the budget for it. This will allow for these purchases...plus garage sale season is coming up!
-Doctor visits/medicine. To cover our co-pay at unexpected visits/checkups plus any needed medicine. Just last week Rob had a nasty sinus infection that wound up costing $60 between the visit and the prescriptions.
-New camera. Eventually, I'd like to buy a snazzy new camera. I'm just starting to get into photography (lots, LOTS to learn!) and am borrowing a camera from my mom to get my feet wet. Any extra money, including rebates and gift money, goes in here (separate from savings).
So that's a lengthy list, but there it is. I'll keep you posted as far as how it's going--wish me luck!
We recently sold my car and are now a one-vehicle family, which has given our month-to-month budget a lot of breathing room. We now have a jump-start on building up the savings towards a house, and additionally it frees up my income to save more per month as well. As a result, I have re-worked our envelope system since our monthly needs have changed with the elimination of one car. Here's my envelopes-hopefully I can inspire one or two people to take a critical look at how their money is being spent!
-Groceries. I used to budget $35 per week for groceries, including household items and toiletries. That may seem really low, but I've really gotten the hang of couponing to get things for free, plus I now know all the most reasonable prices for things, and which stores to get them. I'm upping this amount to $40 per week because we'd like to buy more fresh produce (as opposed to frozen). This means the grocery envelope will have $160 at the beginning of the month, and when it's gone, it's gone!
-Eating out/Date night. This is something we'd like to do more of. We usually only eat out 1 or 2 times per month unless we go out with extended family. I'd personally like to make this 1 time per week, because that means less dishes for me :)
-Clothes. Not sure how this will go yet, because I've never had an envelope for this before. Hopefully it will eliminate the blow of buying new clothes only twice or 3 times a year, and also impulse clearance-rack purchases.
-Gifts. Self-explanatory, plus I will be adding more to this starting in July for Christmas purchases.
-Fun! Movies, music, going out for coffee or ice cream, etc. I also tend to make lots of trips to JoAnn fabrics...so I'm putting those expenses in this category too, since it's a hobby.
-Stock-ups/Deals. This is a much-needed envelope for me. So many times I see a great deal or see something we could really use on super-clearance, but I don't have room in the budget for it. This will allow for these purchases...plus garage sale season is coming up!
-Doctor visits/medicine. To cover our co-pay at unexpected visits/checkups plus any needed medicine. Just last week Rob had a nasty sinus infection that wound up costing $60 between the visit and the prescriptions.
-New camera. Eventually, I'd like to buy a snazzy new camera. I'm just starting to get into photography (lots, LOTS to learn!) and am borrowing a camera from my mom to get my feet wet. Any extra money, including rebates and gift money, goes in here (separate from savings).
So that's a lengthy list, but there it is. I'll keep you posted as far as how it's going--wish me luck!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Weight Loss on a Budget
So, I've been actively trying (with some success) to lose baby weight over the past several weeks. I've lost a little, but still have a long way to go. (By the way, anyone who ever told me I'd lose 20 pounds right away in the hospital, and then the rest would just 'fall off' when breastfeeding...you lied. Just saying :) ) I decided that the best way to motivate myself would be to pay to lose weight...as in, the longer it takes, the longer I keep paying. So I joined Weight Watchers Online. I will say, it is a fabulous program, very easy to follow, and pretty affordable at about $20 per month. Plus I've lost about 10 pounds so far.
HOWEVER. I am very frustrated with the technical side of the website. For some reason, every few days, without reason and without me changing my cookies or whatever, I can't log in. I type in my username and password, and every time it takes me right back to the home page. And I'm paying for this (non-) accessibility. Very frustrating. So I canceled my subscription.
Enter Spark People. A completely FREE way to track calories and weight loss online! I learned about this from one of my best friends a couple of years ago, but was honestly never really diligent enough to enter in every single thing that I ate. Now that I'm used to doing that with Weight Watchers, I think this will be a smooth transition. It really is simple to use, and from what I can tell (it's still day 1) it has similar features.
So if you're looking to lose weight but really don't have it in your budget to pay for a diet plan, check it out! I'm also planning on featuring several weight-loss-on-a-budget ideas and tips. And if you think this topic is about as exciting as staring at a wall, forgive me. Hopefully it helps someone out there! :)
HOWEVER. I am very frustrated with the technical side of the website. For some reason, every few days, without reason and without me changing my cookies or whatever, I can't log in. I type in my username and password, and every time it takes me right back to the home page. And I'm paying for this (non-) accessibility. Very frustrating. So I canceled my subscription.
Enter Spark People. A completely FREE way to track calories and weight loss online! I learned about this from one of my best friends a couple of years ago, but was honestly never really diligent enough to enter in every single thing that I ate. Now that I'm used to doing that with Weight Watchers, I think this will be a smooth transition. It really is simple to use, and from what I can tell (it's still day 1) it has similar features.
So if you're looking to lose weight but really don't have it in your budget to pay for a diet plan, check it out! I'm also planning on featuring several weight-loss-on-a-budget ideas and tips. And if you think this topic is about as exciting as staring at a wall, forgive me. Hopefully it helps someone out there! :)
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