1 Piece at A Time

Budget Blown

2007-01-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

Last week we went $136.53 over our budget. Yikes! We had to buy some office supplies ($43.72) and then we splurged on a chicken dinner at Brook's Barbecue ($27.30). Another big expense came when we had to mail our Christmas guests' packages to Florida--they'd bought each other more than they could carry home on the plane, so they boxed everything up and left it for us to ship: $32.92. Also, I spent $25 on a savings bond for my nieces' birthday.

This month, including this week, we've spent $601.97. We've still got the rest of this week and the weekend to go, and we've going to visit my family, which means we'll have to buy gas, etc.

It looks like we'll end up spending the whole $700 we have left after paying all of our bills.

The one bright note, our snow tires came in $125 under what I'd budgeted. We can at least put that toward savings.

We're not beaten! There's always next month. But it is amazing how easy it is to spend so much money every month.

I'd like to know how much my readers spend. Please do share your budgets. You will either feel better about your own budgeting wizardry or we can snivel guiltily together!

Soles4Souls

2007-01-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

My sister put this quotation in a cookbook she made for me one Christmas:

The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the one who is naked; the shoes you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.

--St. Basil the Great

Donate the shoes you do not wear to Soles4Souls

Not Even Close

2007-01-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

Boy, did we blow our budget last week! On Friday, we were already up to $99.59, and I had a menu planned for the weekend that didn't involve having to spend any money on food, but Pancake and I were like sharks Friday night and ate the rest of the home-made Chinese and the chicken for chicken sandwiches. Then, because we were busy doing work on our hall walls all weekend, we broke down and got Chinese take-out on Saturday and pizza on Sunday. So now we have to find a way to cut $52.59 from the next two weeks. Actually, we went over the first week, too, by $13.46. So we really need to try and live on $133.95 for the next two weeks. Yikes! That might be difficult.

Oh! So Close!: $100 A Week Update

2007-01-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's only Friday and we've spent $99.59 this week. We've still got today, Saturday and Sunday to go. Where did we overspend so far? I upgraded our NetFlix account which cost $8.42. Plus I bought yarn for my next afghan project (Joann.com had a huge sale, so I'm not feeling guilty about that) and while I was on the site, I bought my niece's birthday present. Joann's total: $45.09. Our food expenses have been really low this week, but we did go get slices of pizza on Tuesday and then again yesterday. And we've been to the coffee shop every day this week.

Weekend Plan:

We have leftover "Chicken Breasts Supreme" from which we can make sandwiches tonight, with oven-roasted potatoes, and leftover baked beans. Food for tonight: Free.

Saturday I have everything to make Vegetable Barley Soup and Beer Bread.

Sunday can be fend-for-yourself night, which means cleaning out the fridge. (There will be leftover soup and there's leftover homemade Chinese food from Tuesday.)

As for my weekend projects, I'm still working on the hall and have all my supplies.

We might go a few bucks over the budget, but I think we can do it!

Note: Other than joining me at the coffee shop and pizza parlor and eating what I bring home from the grocery store, Pancake has not spent anything this week.

Sweet Tooth + Free Cereal = Delicious

2007-01-11T07:40:00.000-08:00

Before my in-laws left for their winter home, Pancake's mom gave me a box of Kashi GoLean, which neither of us seemed to be interested in eating. I didn't want to throw it out, and I didn't want to eat it, so I kept trying to come up with something to do with it other than use it as packing material. Viola! Yesterday, stricken by my sweet tooth, I decided to grind the cereal in my blender and make a graham cracker-style crust for banana cream pie. I'm happy to report that it was a success. Here's how I made it:

1 1/4 cups Kashi GoLean (ground in blender)
1/3 cup melter butter
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Melt the butter and honey in small saucepan. Add honey butter to cereal crumbs, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg. Press into 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Sore Throat Gargle

2007-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Since it's that time of year, I thought I'd post a sore-throat home remedy:

3 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 cup of water
pinch of cayenne pepper

And while you're down for the count, why not treat yourself to a foot spa:

Heat small amount of petroleum jelly in microwave for a few seconds (you can add a drop of esstetial oil to this if you'd like) and rub into feet. Apply socks. Drape heating pad over feet. Relax.

$100 A Week Challenge: Week 1

2007-01-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday ended the first week of our $100 a week challenge. So how did we do? We overspent by $13.46, but we can always make it up in the next three weeks. How much did the challenge change our lives? Actually, quite a lot and not at all. Remember, I wanted to be able to live well and still do the things we enjoy doing (that cost money), so the real challenge was saving money in places where we wouldn't feel it. We still went to our favorite coffee shop every afternoon to work, we had pizza out one night, and we spent $30 on home repair supplies so we could start working on our hallway.

So how did we do it?

1) We borrowed movies from the library rather than rent from the video store
2) I made many yummy meals using ingredients I had in the pantry and freezer
3) I bought all of the personal and household products that we needed from Family Dollar
4) When we did eat out (pizza), we only spent $5
5) I used a $15 coupon to buy cigarettes
6) I returned our cans and bottles and used the money at the grocery store

Normally, we spend about $700 a month, or an average of $175 a week. We could easily have spent that $61.54 by eating out one more time, renting a video every night, not sticking to the grocery list when I shopped, or going to a theater to see a movie.

4 Free Projects :: Draft Dodger

2007-01-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last but not least, using some fabric from Pancake's mom, I sewed up this attractive draft dodger. (The right fabric makes all the difference. These things can be as ugly as sin when covered with country ducks or playful kittens.) After sewing a tube and turning it right-side out, I filled it with rice and sewed up the end. Yesterday, I received a catalog from Plow and Hearth, and they sell these for $19.95.

4 Free Projects :: Cloth Napkins

2007-01-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

After reading Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, I decided to stop wasting paper and whip up some cloth napkins. Riffing on the pillowcase apron idea, I used a pillowcase from Pancake's college days. (The sheets disintegrated years ago.) I found the instructions on the Instructables web site. Mine aren't nearly as neat as HeresyOfTruth's, but we like the design, and they held up in the wash.

4 Free Projects :: Pillowcase Apron

2007-01-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

This project was from an early issue of ReadyMade magazine. I used a pillowcase from a set of second-hand sheets from Pancakes mom. For some reason, even though they are queen-size sheets, they don't fit our bed.

4 Free Projects :: Coupon Wallet

2007-01-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the first of the four free projects I made on New Year's Eve. I needed a coupon wallet and had this really cute sample of oilcloth that I'd squirreled away years ago. I measured the largest of coupons that I had on hand, cut the oilcloth to fit, zig-zag stitched the sides, and used some Velcro that I had for a closure.

Save A Toothpick, Use A Skewer

2007-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Quick tip: When testing baked goods to see if they're done, use a skewer (which can be washed and reused) rather than wasting a toothpick.

Note to Al Gore: Feel free to use this idea in your next book.

Celestial Seasonings Free Sample

2007-01-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Click on the link for a free sample of Celestial Seasonings tea.

Enjoy!

Dang Fine Use for Leftover Holiday Ham

2007-01-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

This recipe is my own. I made it up and you will like it.

Dang Fine

2 TBSP. peanut oil (or any oil you've got, remember this recipe is about using what you've got)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, diced (pretty sure a sweet red pepper would work well, too)
Cubed leftover ham (dice it up small)
black-eyed peas (ham and peas should be in equal proportions)
1 can of Rotelle
sliced leeks, or shallots, or green onions (if you've got any)
Parsley (fresh or dried) for color
1 cup chicken broth/stock (I'm a fan of Better Than Bullion)
garlic (a couple of cloves, minced)
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (this is an Asian hot red chili sauce sold in Asian food markets & some health food stores and specialty markets. We call it rooster sauce because there's a rooster on the bottle)

In a big pot, saute the onion, pepper, garlic & leeks in oil. Add ham, Rotelle, peas, & parsley, and simmer until it starts to smell good. Add chicken stock and Sriracha to taste and let cook down to a thick stew consistency. The peas will start to breakdown a bit which thickens the whole thing. Serve with corn bread.

December: DIY "Keep The Change" Program

2007-01-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

In December we managed to amass $22.46 in change from cash purchases, which was down from last months whopping $36.74, but still not too shabby. I deposited the coins in our savings account.

Also, we have $72.08 in pending rebates from Mr. Rebates. The bulk of the rebates is from Pancake's his new ThinkPad (a much-needed purchase we've been saving for--without it we can't run our business). By using Mr. Rebates we received a 2% rebate from Lenovo. I was also able to get a rebate on the iPod I bought Pancake for Christmas and the yarn I bought for the afghan I'm going to crochet for our living room sofa after we get it back from the upholsterer.

2007: The Year of Pancake & Mountain Girl

2007-01-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! One of my resolutions for 2007 is to try and blog every day. It's been a while since my last post and since then Pancake and I have resolved to get out of debt this year. We accomplished quite a lot in 2006: we paid off the company's debt to the IRS, bought a home, consistently spent less than we earned, and stopped using credit cards. Now it's time to tackle the business debt and pay down the mortgage while putting money toward savings.

The other day, while going over our 2007 budget, I showed Pancake that after bills (credit card and loan payments, mortgage, telephone, utilities, etc.) and putting $200 in savings, we have $700 a month left for everything else. This includes gas, food, cigarettes (I know I should quit smoking), coffee at the coffee shop, restaurant meals, entertainment (movies, etc.), and any purchases like books, music, and home-improvement supplies.

Pancake's reaction was, "Seven hundred dollars! That's a lot!"

This surprised me because I didn't think it was all that much. We have no problem spending it, for sure. But rather than justify spending that kind of money, I decided to challenge us. Can we reduce our spending to $400 a month and still live as well as we do now?

$400/month=$100/week=$12.90/day.

I made a PocketMod using the financial register component and will keep track of the total that we spend every day for the month. If we can keep our expenses to the allotted $400 then we can put the extra $300 in savings.

Here's the catch: What I don't want to do is put off all purchases until February. We need to live well, continue to work on our house, watch movies (one of our favorite pastimes since we don't subscribe to cable TV), buy books and music that we really, really want, enjoy an occasional meal out, go to the coffee shop, etc. This means that I have to find ways to cut expenses that we don't notice. One of the first things that I've done is make cloth napkins so I don't have to buy paper ones anymore. This is actually a lifestyle improvement because they're more attractive and nicer to use than paper. Also, Al Gore would approve because we're not wasting a valuable natural resource.

I will keep you updated on our progress and share any money-saving/cost-cutting tips that I discover.

Greener :: Christmas Song

2006-11-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Send someone Greener's Christmas Song, an e-card from band Greener, and when you download one of the electric or acoustical versions, a portion of the proceeds will go to LIFEbeat, the music industries HIV/Aids charity. A few years ago a demo of the Christmas Song was downloaded over 1,000,000+ times, and they're trying to beat their record. It's a painless was to contribute to a good cause and you get to listen to a good song (I preferred the acoustic version).

Total :: DIY "Keep The Change"

2006-11-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

I took all of the coins to the bank the other day and will definitely keep up this DIY program I've started. On average, my coin jar total is $10 a month. Since I started breaking bills and pocketing the change, I managed to save $36.74. I know that not a whopping figure, but it's more money towards savings, and it was painless, too.

Cha-Ching :: $90 Saved

2006-11-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

I've been searching for 0% interest rate credit cards so I can transfer the balances of some of our higher interest rate cards and found that the Amazon.com Chase Visa is offering 0% for six months. In addition, when you apply, you get a $30 credit toward Amazon.com purchases. I had my Christmas list next to me, which included three books, and got all three for free, plus I qualified for free shipping with the Super Saver Shipping method.

When I applied for the card, I chose to transfer the balance from one of our smaller balance cards with a high interest rate, so all in all, if I pay off the new card within six months, we'll save approximately $60 in finance charges. Add to that the $30 in free Christmas gifts, and we just saved $90.

EnergyStar Tax Credits

2006-11-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

While I'm sure most of you haven't started thinking about tax season, it's a good idea to think about tax-deductible purchases you can make before the year is over, especially with winter closing in. We're having a new roof put on our addition, and while they've got the roof off, we're going to have insulation put in. I found on the Department of Energy web site that we can get a credit of 10% (up to $500) for this improvement. My sister had new windows put in during the summer, and I'm sure that she is not aware that she can get a credit for that, too.

If you've made any energy-saving home improvements, or have purchased, or plan to purchase before the end of the year, any EnergyStar appliances (fridge, washer & dryer, oven, etc.) check out the site and see if you qualify for a credit.

DIY "Keep The Change" Program

2006-10-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

I kept seeing ads for Bank of America's "Keep the Change" program and thought, "I don't need a $7 a month service-charging bank to save my nickels for me." And so, since I try and use only cash, I have stopped using exact change when I make a purchase and break bills. For the last month, I have taken all the change and put it in a jar, and today I am going to cash it in and see how I fared. I'll post the results tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

New Moby Video—And I Don't Need Cable TV To See It!

2006-10-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight, October 30th, Singing Fool will show the exclusive U.S. premier of the new Moby video for "New York, New York." I do love Moby. I saw him in Kansas City about four years ago and the show was fantastic. "New York, New York," features Debbie Harry on lead vocals, another reason for me to check it out. And I don't need cable! Which I don't have anyway, so there.

See the US premiere of Moby's "New York, New York" feat. Debbie Harry (Blondie).

A Solution for Everything :: The Bag Dryer

2006-10-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

I've been racking my brain to come up with a way to make a ziploc bag dryer for my sister. She and I both wash and reuse and so our kitchen counters are always covered with baggies. I thought about using one of those octopus-style photo holders, and then did a search for "plastic bag dryer" and found this site:

The Agora Concepts Bag Dryer

It's much nicer than anything I could ever make and since it's a Christmas present, it was worth the $16. I know, you're thinking, "What kind of person gives her sister a bag dryer for Christmas?" If you knew my sister, you'd know that she will be doing back flips when she opens this gift.

Discover 0% Balance Transfer

2006-10-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

I received notice that I have been approved for a Discover card with a 0% APR for 1 year, and that includes balance transfers. Good-bye Beneficial; hello Dicover. I'll be wiping out the LOC and paying off the Discover before the introductory rate expires. I calculated that over the course of a year I will save approximately $1200.00 in finance charges. That's no small potatoes.

I have also recently sent every single credit card company that we owe a letter requesting that they lower our interest rate since we have been making timely payments and paying more than the minimum payment. I'll let you know in furture posts how that turns out.