Homemade Gift of the Week: Recipe Book

We all have our favorite recipes.  What a better gift to give than to share all your favorite meals in a recipe book for your friends/family?  This one is quite easy.

1. Type it up.
2. Print out.
3. Make copies.
4. Send it to Kinkos or another copy/business store to have it bound into a book. 
5. Give as gift. 

You have plenty of time... now get going!

Gift Idea: Books

Now, I know not everyone loves books.  But, book can be a gift often overlooked.  Especially for kids.  Kids already have so many toys and let's face it.... they'd rather play with the box it came in anyway.

So give a different kind of gift this year and give the gift of books.

Here are some ways to score a great bargain on books:

• Scholastic Book Clubs (Book Orders): If you know a teacher or have a student in a class, ask about book orders.  In almost every book order, there is a $1 special book.  Books in book orders tend to be a little cheaper than your average book store. 
• Amazon: It seems like Amazon.com always has book cheaper that the listed price as well.  Some items even qualify for free shipping if you spend $25.
• Barnes & Noble:  Sign up to receive their email specials and they often have coupon codes for 10-20% off books.
• Dollar Tree: The Dollar Tree often has coloring books and workbooks for $1. They often carry popular characters like Spiderman, Disney, Hello Kitty, Sesame Street and My Little Pony. 

A Meager Grocery Budget

Since my husband and I are on such a tight budget, we have to stick to a strict grocery budget of $280 a month.  When you do the math, it is about $9/day for food.  That is very small but absolutely doable!

We eat the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch.  It is monotonous but we know that we can mix things up and have a great dinner to look forward to.  It keeps us right on track and we can avoid overspending that way.

Here is a sample day for food:

Breakfast (about 50 cents/person)-

Cereal for Jonny

Cereal or Yogurt for me 

Lunch (about $1.25/person)-

Sandwich

String Cheese

A piece of fruit/Fruit Snacks

Snack item (Ritz Crackers/cheese, Austin PB sandwiches crackers, or store-brand Breadsticks/Cheese)

Granola Bar

OR 

Leftovers from dinner 

Snacks:

A piece of fruit

Popcorn

Vegetables and dip

Cheese and Crackers

Quesadilla

Bowl of cereal

Dinner (between $5-7 for meal)

The trick here is to find dinners that can last for more than one meal.  I am not a huge fan of leftovers, but we try to work in at least one "leftover" dinner night a week to cut down on the expenses.  

Examples:

Chili

Lasagna

Breakfast Casserole

Chicken Pot Pie

Swedish Meatballs

Take a look at your monthly grocery budget.  Do you need to trim it down? Try some of these ideas to see if they work for you and your family.

Coming soon: Dinners on a budget-- how to make delicious food that doesn't break the bank. This will be a recurring post topic. 

Mint.com is the bomb.com!!

If you haven't visited mint.com... you need to stop reading this, type it into your address bar and go explore.  Seriously... what are you waiting for?

I used to use a spreadsheet to track all my expenses.  I was really proud of my spreadsheet and proud that I religiously used it to budget.  But, let's face it... I'm kind of lazy sometimes (ok... more than sometimes).  I would dread the last day of the month when I would have to sit down and check over my accounts to make sure everything was set for the next month. 

I had heard of mint.com, but never checked it out.  It is awesome.  You can choose to input all your expenses on your own, or you can give it access to your accounts and it tracks your expenses for you.  It is very similar to Turbo Tax, which I think actually partners with mint.com.  And the best part is... it's FREE! There's no price better than free. 

Anyway, you can learn all about it but just clicking on that link above and going there.  Do it... you won't regret it.

Can you afford taking care of your hair?

Image taken from http://www.bridalpartytees.com/blog/?p=453

I (correction: one of my friends) found my first gray hair when I was 20.  My mom is beautiful and some would never know, but she is completely gray.  She's not even 50 yet! At the sight of that first gray hair, I thought I was doomed with my mother's genes.  Luckily, I'm not completely gray... but now, at 28, I have quite a bit of gray.  I have had to go back to a lighter hair color, which hides the gray much better.  But, I still have to get my hair dyed if I want to hide those pesky grays.

I miss the days when I could take a weekend trip to see my little sister who used to do my hair. It costs so much to get hair done these days.  When I would dye my dark hair myself, I would spend about $8.00 every three weeks for a mediocre color.  And my wallet just doesn't permit an $100 trip to the stylist every few weeks to get highlights.

But, there is an alternative!  Try getting your hair done at a local cosmetology school.  It not only benefits you (and your wallet) but you are also helping the student get the practice they need to graduate.  Although, it might be a little scary trusting your luscious locks to a student, consider this... they have to get each of their steps checked off by an instructor.  You also have the choice between a senior student (more experience) and a junior student (less experience-- but often cheaper).

I first went to a hair school a couple years ago when my old hairdresser moved.  The girl did a FANTASTIC job.  Then when my little sister signed up for hair school, I went to year every couple months at the school.  She also did an awesome job.  And today, I melted down and visited the local hair school.  I was a little hesitant because the school didn't seem as organized or fancy as my sister's school.  But, my student stylist did a fantastic job and her instructor was just as impressive.  And for nearly 3 hours of work (highlighting, deep condition, haircut and style), it was only $31 plus tip.  SCORE! And it looks awesome! Best yet- she is only a junior student.

So, if you aren't INSANELY picky about your hair and are looking to shed a few dollars from the budget, this is a great way to save money.

*Caution: There are students I would never let touch my hair.  Just talk to the front desk and ask for a senior student, experienced student, someone who has done your color before, or someone who competes.  

Wait to buy your airline tickets until...

Tuesday!  According to a Wall Street Journal article, airline ticket sales are often cheapest on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The most pricey ticket sales are on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday).

For more information about this article, visit http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111970/where-not-to-buy-airline-tickets?mod=bb-budgeting.

Recent Money Saving Tips

All over the news and magazines are headlines talking about saving money.  Is it finally "in" to actually live a frugal and thrifty lifestyle? Many people are finding themselves struggling in these tough economic times, forcing new changes.

I have found two great articles with some fantastic ideas about how to save money.

1.   "How We're Spending Less, Saving More"(http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-How-We-Spending-ac-3925268592.html?x=0) 
2. "30 Ways to Save Beaucoup Bucks This Year", The Nest Magazine (Winter 2010/11 Issue)

The important idea here is distinguishing your NEEDS from your WANTS.  Once you look at your budget and determine which things are needs, then you can start picking away at your wants and find ways to cut out wasteful spending.

Here are my hand-picked favorite ideas:

1. Cutting grocery bills: Watch the ads and shop sales.  There are times I go to 3 stores just to find the best price.  I plan my meals around what is in season and what is on sale.  Many don't like to shop at Wal-Mart Supercenters or Super Targets, but most of the time, they are far cheaper than local grocery stores.  Buying a box of cereal from those stores can save you up to $1.50 per box and it is the same cereal that people buy at local grocery stores.  I do try to save fresh produce for an actual grocery store as they often have a better selection (but not always).

2. Cutting travel costs: Try to carpool.  Run all your errands in one trip on one day.  One family is saving up to 20% of travel costs doing just these two things.

3. Cut down entertainment costs (specifically movies): This is one area where my husband and I really have had to cut down.  In the last six months, we have seen one movie at the theater... Harry Potter. Ask yourself this question "Can the movie wait for Redbox?" For most movies, we wait for the Rexbox so we only have to spend $1 for the rental... and we make sure we get it back the next day so we aren't charged another dollar.  Look for discount tickets, matinee showings, or dollar theaters in your area.  The Nest recommended going to Costco or Sam's Club for discount movie tickets.

4. Turn your thermostat down 2 degrees:  You may have to cozy up in a blanket to keep you warm or throw another quilt on the bed, but it can save up to $20 a month on your utilities.

5. Buy generic brands: Kraft Mac 'N' Cheese, in my opinion, is the best when it comes to macaroni.  They know how to do it right.  But, when it comes to ziplock baggies, bleach, shredded cheese and milk, you can go with the local store brand and get a very similar and comparable item, without necessarily risking quality.  I am even going to go as far and say that when it comes to fashion, you can probably go with a cheaper brand too.  It may not last as long, but when you need to cut spending, buying some sweats from Target instead of Abercrombie and Fitch can save you loads of money.

6. Mail in Rx: There are mail-in pharmacies that can fill a 90-day supply on just one copay.  Talk to your insurance company to see if they participate in this.

7.  Ask for the student discount: Many stores offer discounts for students (but they don't advertise it).  See if your favorites offer one too.  I know J. Crew does.  All you have to do is show your student ID.

8.  Find local deals for dining and entertainment: Use www.groupon.com to find out what deals for dining and entertainment are going on in your area.  I have had many friends use this and rave about it!

Try one or two of these ideas and see what you can cut out of your budget!

Coupons.com

Image taken from: http://www.travelvacationvouchers.com/Grocery.html

As many of you know, I am a sucker for finding ways to cut my spending, finding deals, and saving money.  A great resource is www.coupons.com.

You go to the site, virtually clip coupons, and then print them out.  It's as easy as that!  It takes me 5 minutes (at most), and I typically save from around $3 to $5 each grocery trip.

Think about this, if you clip coupons once a week and, on average, you save $5 in coupons, over the course of a year, you will have saved $260.  For someone on a tight budget, that's quite a dent.  Or for those of you who aren't on quite as tight a budget, consider that $260 as another pair of boots and a few shirts.

The key to clipping coupons is to buy something (when possible) when you see a coupon come out (even it that means it sits on the shelf for a little bit).  For example, if you have a Swiffer mop and you see a coupon for savings on Swiffer products, buy the product then (even if you don't need it right away).  Those coupon deals don't stick around all the time... they come and go.  It's best to use them when you see them.

Another idea is to plan meals around coupons.  Go through the coupons and see what you deals are available.  Then plan accordingly.

Be cautious-- if you normally buy off-brand products, be sure that your coupon deal beats the off-brand product.

Glorified "Leftovers"

Do you often find recipes make too much food for you (and your friends/family) to consume in one sitting?

Or do you find that when you buy certain food (like celery, greens, tomatoes, potatoes, buttermilk, cream, etc.) and they go bad before you have time to use them or you simply have too much for your needs?

Leftovers?? If you are like me, you'll probably make a face at the sound of those words.  I am just not a huge fan of leftovers... especially if it is more than one day old. But, leftovers fit really nicely into my budget. 

So, I am learning to be creative with food and create different recipes using similar ingredients or learning how to spice up leftovers to make them more appealing. 

What Do I Do With Leftover Ingredients?

http://www.bigoven.com/recipes/leftovers

This website is great because you can enter up to three ingredients, it searches its database, and returns recipes that match those ingredients.

How Can I Make Leftovers Better?

Here are some ideas to revamping your leftovers:

1. Create a salad- Use taco meat and other fixings to create a taco salad. Or use your left-over BBQ chicken to create a BBQ chicken salad.

2. Spice it up with rice- I will put all kinds of things over rice: BBQ chicken, meatballs, creamy chicken, veggies, sausage, etc.

3. Make a sandwich or a wrap- Leftover meatloaf... no problem.  It makes a really tasty sandwich the next day.  Leftover turkey or chicken... perfect! Throw it into a tortilla... and make a yummy wrap. 

4. Leftover bread/buns- Use bread or buns to make garlic bread for the next meal.  Or if your bread is a little dry, make some delicious french toast (dry bread works great!)

I love these two websites. They show you just what to do with leftovers like chicken, beef, veggies, steak, etc.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/cooking/a/doggiebagdining.htm

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/fresh-ideas/easy-dinner-ideas/10-meals-to-make-from-leftovers

Books, Books, Books!

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved books.  When I was in elementary school, I longed for the days when the teacher would hand out the monthly Book Order packet so I could scan for the latest and greatest.  I still love books.  I walk into book stores and salivate over all the books with their freshly glued bindings and creaseless pages (ok, maybe that is a bit extreme... but you get the point).  

My love for the Harry Potter series has become quite an obsession... especially because the newest movie is coming out in a few weeks. In order to prepare myself for the movie, I have been listening to Harry Potter books on CDs during my 40 minute commute to work each day.  We checked them out from the local library and they keep me quite entertained at NO COST AT ALL! Libraries are absolutely wonderful but don't get enough credit. 

Reading books can even be a fun family event or great date.  Last weekend, my husband and I went to Barnes and Noble to just peruse and do something we don't normally do.  The great thing about these big book stores is that there is SOMETHING for everyone... magazines, kids books, how-to books, history, and the list goes on and on!

I feel like I experience somewhat of a "sticker shock" when I look to see how much some of these books cost.  I found this great book on how to use this computer program I love (Dreamweaver, in case you were wondering) and the book was nearly $50... not quite in my budget... for a BOOK!

But, I found an used older edition online at Amazon.com for $3.99.  Great deal! 

So lessons to be learned... 

1. Going to Barnes and Noble is a fun (and cheap) date or family outing!

2. Don't ever buy books for the full sticker price... check out used books online or shop the clearance aisles in bookstores.  If you shop at Borders or on borders.com, sign up for their weekly email.  They often offer a discount coupon on a weekly basis.  F.Y.I.- When looking at textbooks online, the prices tend to increase at the beginning of each semester... if you can hold off, wait until a couple weeks into the semester. 

3. Use the library! It's even cheaper than Amazon... it's free!

Budgeting 101

Budgeting is a skill that everyone needs to learn... young and old, rich and poor.  It is the key to successfully living within your means.  And in the current financial strain many of us find ourselves, budgeting is more than important; it is essential for survival and keeping oneself out of debt.

Why budget? Budgeting helps people stay on track, spending less than they make.  It can help one spend and save better.  It can be eye-opening to see how much money is being spent at fast food restaurants and how much can be saved from eating left-overs one night.  

Many have systems that work for them and I have a system I have been using for years now and I love it.  I am going to share one of my deepest financial secrets because it might just help someone out there.

This is all you need:

- Budgeting spreadsheet (This is the one I use: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvyVgg-3I2uXdEZSMlY5ZmZGMDF3RURudzd3RmZFaVE&hl=en&authkey=CNKXp6EP)  Fancy software is great but when you are tight for cash, this totally does the trick.

That's it! (That's the easy part)

Here are the steps to filling out a budget planner. Using the sheet from the link provided above, fill in any cell that is yellow or gray.  DO NOT EDIT THE GREEN BOXES (those auto-calculate!). 

1. Start with the estimated income.  How much do you think you will make this month?  Shoot low and if you make more, great! If you estimate low, you know you will be able to cover everything on the budget and you may have some money left over.  Add any other sources of income. 

2. Optional: You can fill out your withholdings.  I like to keep track of them otherwise you would just fill in your net income (the amount you take home on the check) and skip this part.

3. Next, fill out your fixed payments and finance payments (loans, rent, etc.).  You know exactly what to put there because the payment never changes.  Gather up some old utility bills and estimate the cost of utilities per month.  Budget for telephone, gas, electric, water, internet, cable, etc. (I lump most of my utilities together.)

4. Variable expenses: This is where you have some room.  You can adjust these as you look at your income versus expense to see how much money you have available.  On the bottom of the workbook, you will see other tabs "Auto", "Groceries", "Food", "Entertain", and "Gifts".  When I am entering my actual expenses, I use these sheets to keep track of each purchase.  Just remember, do not edit the green cells.  They calculate themselves. 

I set a calendar notification on my computer for the first Saturday of each month to remind me that this is my day to review my previous month's budget and start my new monthly budget. 

The review is essential as it will help inform you on your next month's budget.  As I look at last month's budget, I make sure everything was either "under budget" or "on budget".  If I was "over budget", I make sure I know the reason why (and it better be more than "because I wanted it") and find another category to cut from to ensure I can cover the "over budget" item.  I look for trends from month to month and adjust my budget as I see fit. 

It's always rewarding to come in "under budget".  You can take that extra money and add it to your savings for a rainy day. 

I know this was a VERY brief explanation of how I budget... if you would like more details or help creating a budget, please contact me.  I would love to help... I am a numbers girl.  This stuff is actually fun to me.

Budget Tip #1: Meal Planning

Our grocery budget for the month is $300.  That's it.  It comes out to about $10/day for meals for the both of us.  Not very much but we manage.  We try at least once a week to find a recipe that will last 2 days.

My first (and probably my most important tip) is:

PLAN FOR YOUR MEALS AHEAD OF TIME

Designate one day of the week to do all your shopping and planning for your meals.  I chose Saturday because that's when I know me and my husband will both be home.  We sit down and plan out our dinners for the week.  We start by writing down on paper each day of the upcoming week (see below) and assigning a meal to each day.  From time to time, I change which meal I make for which day, but I this just gives me a rough estimate of the meals I need to make.  

Example: 

Sunday- Pot Roast

Monday- Pot Roast leftovers

Tuesday- Baked Chicken

Wednesday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Thursday- Philly Cheesesteaks

Friday- Eggs Rolls and Fried Rice

Saturday- Philly Cheesesteaks

Once you have your meals mapped out, post your meals on the fridge (or another highly noticeable area) and MAKE A LIST of things you need at the store! Write down all the ingredients that you need, plus everything else you may need for that week for breakfast and lunch.  Go through your house to see if you need milk, eggs, cheese, butter, fruit, etc.  

I write down everything I am buying at the store.  This eliminates those impulse buys or anything you don't really need.  Honestly, this keeps me so close to my budget because I know what I can spend and I don't veer from it.   On occasion, I see something that I forgot to write down that I need for a meal, but if it isn't on my meal list or isn't something I need for breakfast or lunches, I DON'T buy it.  

Any don't plan your meals WHILE shopping. That's when you get "emotional buying"- buying according to what emotion you are feeling at the time.  (If I did this, I would buy the entire store... I love food!) You tend to overbuy... no bueno! 

Well, that's my first tip. It takes some getting used to, but after a few weeks, you will develop a habit of doing this.  (Plus, it eliminates all those last-minute grocery trips--- yuck!) Try it this week and see if it works for you.