February Goals
1. Decide whether to pay off van or Mastercard and do it. Paid off van 2/13/09
2. Make extra payment to whichever of the above was not paid off. Made large pmt to Mastercard 2/13/09
3. No credit card use. 2 online orders - don't trust debit cards online
4. Have a low/no-cost family fun day somewhere. kinda - had a fun day, but it wasn't low cost
5. Finish one unfinished craft project. Done 2/22/09
6. Begin Revelation Bible study and regularly schedule it in my week. Have started, no set routine yet.
7. Make a cookie recipe out of the book DS gave me for Christmas. Planning this afternoon.
8. Pay off small outstanding medical bills. Done 2/13/09
9. Continue to rely on God's provision. Always

High School - Yikes!

My twins scheduled for their freshman high school classes this week. Noooooo! Didn't they just go to preschool last week? Actually it was pretty interesting to look over their class options with them. Should they take foreign language this year or next? German or Spanish? Advanced algegra or advanced English or both? Apply for the engineering college track or stick with the usual? Art or keyboarding? Oh, decisions, decisions....

I don't recall involving my parents with freshman scheduling, but I'm glad my kids asked me to help look over their selections and give some input. I learned that besides the usual back-to-school items and school fees, I need to be prepared for some additional expenses. Like the $15 lab fee for advanced science and $10 art supply fee. Like the computer insurance should DS get accepted to the engineering track. Like the flash drives they will both need for advanced English. Like the $150 sports fee should DS sign up for swim team or bowling team or tennis or a combination thereof!

And this is only 9th grade. I shudder to think about the cost of driver's education in 10th grade. I took Driver's Ed in school; my kids will have to go to an outside agency, and the last cost I heard was $220 per student! And I don't even want to think about what will happen to my insurance. Let's not forget class rings and Homecoming outfits, fundraisers and Prom, senior pictures and graduation invitations. Applications to colleges and ACT fees.....The next 4 years will go by so quickly. Hopefully by planning now and starting a savings fund for high school expenses, we can enjoy the time and focus on learning, not on worrying about finances.

More Motivation to Pay Off Mastercard

I was actually kind of excited to see the new Mastercard bill when it came today. Last month I had made a payment of over half of the balance and was interested to see what the statement would look like. I was a bit surprised to see that the finance charge was much higher than I figured it would be. My principle balance was $1035.63 with a minimum payment of $32.96, but the finance charge was $21.96! That would leave a whopping $11 towards principle! Oh. my. gosh! Can you imagine just paying the minimum each month? I don't even want to calculate how long it would take to pay the card off at that rate. Now, I'm presuming the finance charge will come down on the March statement since my daily average balance will go down, but still..... I'm also presuming the minimum required payment will go down right along with that, again leaving a piddly amount to be applied towards the principle. Thankfully I have been continuing with the original miminum payment of $64 a month, and starting with this statment, I will be snowballing my former van payment, so hopefully this card will be conquered in 4 months or so.

I've considered cutting the card up even now, but it's a Sears Mastercard, and I anticipate having to start replacing appliances next spring, if not sooner, and Sears tends to have some good sales tied to their credit card. The plan is to pay off both credit cards, boost the emergency fund a bit and then replace the refrigerator and hot water tank after having saved up for those; however, I'm not opposed to using the Sears card to get the extra 10% off or free delivery or the promotion of the month, and then paying the balance off right away. I mean, if I save and plan to purchase a refrigerator for $500 and can get another $50 off, then by all means, I'll take it! lol But this card is definitely going to stay in hiding until then. I just can't get over a measly $11 towards principle. I can't wait to Master this Card! ;-)

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Dinner out with a friend.
2. The above dinner being comped due to a problem with the first meal served.
3. Being able to borrow my former father-in-law's van while my van was being fixed.
4. Being able to pay cash for the van repair.
5. Plenty of work the last week.
6. Brother called back to work after being laid off for 2-1/2 months.
7. DD asking to change one of her chores from watering plants twice a month to washing dishes every day!
8. The opportunity to discuss God and salvation with Papa in a relaxed setting, and him being the one to bring things up.

The Freezer - Enter if You Dare!

Somehow over the last month or so, my freezer had become a very scary place. Who knew what was going to fall out when you opened the door. Hopefully it would be only the loaf of bread from the door and not the 4-pound bag of frozen chicken breasts! I kept putting off organizing it and just kept trying to shove stuff in as best I could; however, when the food started attacking the kids when they opened the door, I knew it was time. So Friday night I took the plunge and started unloading. I had a pen and paper at hand and as I started to put things back in an organized manner, I wrote down what was there. Meat went on the bottom shelf with breakfast items; fruits, vegetables and baked goods went on the top shelf. At the end, this is what I learned:



1. I have the ingredients for at least 8 meals plus 2 complete freezer meals just waiting to pop into the oven. I'll hold onto the freezer meals until mid March because we just had both of them within the last week, but the rest of the meals will last us at least 2 weeks with the main meal and leftovers.

2. I don't need to buy any more hamburger for a long time! There is more than 10 pounds in 1- and 2-pound bags, plus patties, and since we don't care to eat hamburger every night ;-) , that should last a minimum of 2 months.

3. I have partial ingredients for 3 more meals. Now that I know what I need, I just need to watch for sales to complete the recipes.



In total, it took maybe 15 minutes to reorganize the freezer and write down what was there. I spent another 20 minutes or so to cross-reference the freezer items with the pantry items and meal plan. I now can easily access what I need, and in the mornings, I can quickly get out what I need for that evening's dinner without having to search and hunt and give up! It definitely pays to spend 15 minutes to organize the freezer every so often!

Holiday Sales at Salvation Army

Christmas isn't the only holiday around which you can find great buys. After "major" holidays, ie, Valentine's, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving, it is pretty well known that you can get holiday-related items for 50%, 66% and 75% off sometimes even the afternoon of the holiday but certainly in the week following. We've all also seen advertisements for Presidents' Day sales, Labor Day sales, etc., for linens, cars, appliances, etc. These sales all take the same diligence as a regular sale to make sure you are getting the best deal: using coupons, price comparison and, in the case of large purchases, comparing accessories and options.

But did you ever think to shop Salvation Army or Goodwill at the holiday? I know I didn't, but I was in for a very pleasant surprise this past weekend. I have 3 skirts I wear for church and dress-up occasions but had gotten chocolate on one (gee, wonder how that would have ever happened?!) and have not been able to get the stain out, even with bleach, so I really needed another skirt. I have not had much luck finding nice clothes in the plus-size rack at Salvation Army (it has a bigger selection than our Goodwill) but figured it wouldn't hurt to stop in and look. If nothing else, I could see if they had jeans in the next size for DS; I try to keep at least a couple pairs in the next larger size for him since he tends to outgrow things NOW. Anyhoo, DD went with me, and upon walking in the front door, we took notice of the sign - yellow tags 99-cents and green tags 50% off. Not bad. But then 2 steps later, we were greeted by a lady offering coffee and cookies for the holiday, and she says all ladies short-sleeved tops were 99-cents! Oh. My. Goodness. To make a long story short, I have never tried on so many clothes at one time before in my life. I have probably not tried on this many clothes total since my kids were born! But I ended up getting 10 tops, 3 skirts and 1 pair of pants for myself and 3 shirts and 1 shorts for DS, all for the grand total of .......$23.77 including tax! DD pulled out several things I would not have, and I think she had fun playing dress-up with her mom. From what I got, I now have one top-skirt combo, a skirt that went with 2 tops I got and a sweater combo that I already have, nice pants that go with all the shirts, and I can now throw away several well-worn and stained tops at home, knowing I won't have to wear the same 4 shirts over and over this summer or pay retail to restock my wardrobe.

It was a very pleasant surprise, and I won't hesitate to go back to Salvation Army as my first stop when I need more clothing. In fact, I may go back the weekend of Memorial Day; hopefully they will have a sale on long-sleeved apparel then!

Refunding the Emergency Fund

As I wrote about a few days ago, I had to put the emergency fund into action on Monday due to a repair to my van. I am truly grateful that God held this problem off until I had the money to pay for it in cash; a week earlier, and it would have had to go onto a credit card; however.....I kinda wish I would have been able to enjoy an emergency fund for longer than 72 hours! No matter, it was there when I needed it, which is what it is for.

Now I need to get a plan together to refund the emergency fund. The debate I'm having with myself is whether or not to suspend snowball payments to the credit card and focus on the emergency fund (EF) or to contribute to the EF while continuing snowball payments. Right now I'm leaning towards working on both and not suspending the snowball payment. I know Dave Ramsey says to stop the snowball while working on the EF, but I'm feeling a tad discouraged as it is, and I think stopping the snowball would make it worse. Actually with my income, I'm borderline as to where Dave says an EF should be ($500), and I have some additional funds in there for big-ticket items that I know will be due later in the year, so in case of a huge emergency, it is there. If my income were $1500 more a year, Dave would recommend an EF of $1000, and that's what I am aiming for again. After both credit cards are paid off, I will focus on increasing that EF to at least 6 months' worth of income, but right now, I think it will be okay at $1000.

So for today at least :-), I'm going to put $100 each month into savings and snowball $200 to the credit card with the lowest balance. This should restore the EF and pay off the credit card both by June. Then I can start attacking the other card. There just might be a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel after all.

It Figures.....

I knew something would happen. I even called my friend Friday afternoon and told her I was expecting it. *sigh* That morning my tax refund had been direct-deposited. That afternoon, the van was paid off and the emergency fund sat at $1000. Flash-forward to Monday afternoon, 3 days later, and the emergency fund is now at $450 and the van has spent the day in the repair shop. I just knew on Friday, driving back from the bank, that now the van was paid off, that Murphy would visit and something would go wrong. Sunday evening after leaving Grandpa's, the "service engine soon" light came on....and stayed on. I knew the van was overdue for a transmission service, and I was hoping it was just that, but no. It turns out the fuel line was worn and leaking by the fuel filter. They also replaced the blower on the heater as only half the settings worked and I had them do the transmission service. (I've been in a vehicle when the transmission blows, and it's not an experience I'm keen to repeat.) Grand total - $694. I didn't need to take it all out of the emergency fund, and truly, I'm grateful that God held this problem off long enough that I could pay cash and not have to use a credit card, but truthfully, it just feels like 1 step forward, 3 steps back. I know this debt will be paid eventually; it will now just take a little longer as I work to rebuild the EF prior to snowballing the Mastercard. I just need to continue to work at trusting God with my finances, especially since they really aren't mine - they are His.

Tuesday's Blessings

Recent blessings:

1. Running into friends from church in Columbus and having dinner with them.
2. Making Buckeyes with DS.
3. DD reading "Do the Hard Thing" and the book making an impact - she even ASKED for chores and has been doing them without a reminder!
4. A friend at church who is a physician and graciously agreed to take DD on as a patient at 14, even though she normally doesn't take children until 16. While we'll miss our pediatrician, who is moving to Columbus, DD seemed very comfortable and relaxed with her new doctor.
5. An emergency fund, even though it only lasted less than 4 days before the van decided to need repairs. At least it's not going on a credit card!

No Spend Days

I like to read various frugal/personal finance blogs. I can usually find new information or motivation, and it's nice to read about other folks' journeys to financial freedom. One concept that I have wanted to try is a no-spend period. Many bloggers are spending the month of February spending only what is absolutely necessary, food, utilities, mortgage, and gas, but nothing else. I have tried to do this but something always seems to come up, and I get discouraged. The cat has to go to the vet, or the kids need something for science fair at school or suddenly go through a growth spurt overnight and need new jeans, you know how it goes. I have been successful at the occasional no-spend weekend but not on a recurring basis. So I have decided to try something a little different.

I'm declaring no-spend days each week - Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. There's no reason why I can't heat up one of my freezer meals or even leftovers for dinner instead of running through a drive-through or calling for pizza. There's no reason why we can't rent the videos from the library on Tuesday when we are already there (DD stays for the teen coffeehouse each week), and there's no reason not to be more organized in my shopping trips. I've become really lax with this over the past few years. When we lived in the country, 20 minutes from town, I HAD to be organized with my trips; it's a lot easier now to just run to Krogers when it's only 5 minutes away. That needs to change.

Especially with trying to keep my survival mode mentality with my job situation, implementing a regularly scheduled no-spend day seems like a good first step. Hopefully I will be able to add another regularly-scheduled no-spend day over the next few months.

Paying off the Van!

I'm so excited! When I pick up the kids from school here in a little bit, we are heading out to the bank where the van loan is held and will be paying it off! It's only 5 months early, but that's okay. It will free up a nice chuck to snowball into the credit card debt and will give me some breathing room should I need it in the budget. The tax refund showed up in my bank account yesterday, but I didn't check until this morning, so this weekend I will be redoing my budget and an up to date snowball plan. It sure will be a nice feeling to have that '0' under the van loan column when I post my update on Women in Red later tonight.

Tackle A Pile

Cindy at Cindy's Porch (http://www.cindysporch.com/) a couple times a month sponsors "Tackle a Pile Tuesday." You look around your home, find a pile of papers/bills/laundry/clutter and eliminate it. I'm not always able to participate, but the other day I had my own "Tackle a Pile Day" and was quite productive! The pile of laundry - done! The pile of papers/samples/mail on my desk - gone! The pile of more papers/mail/coupons on the dining room table - gone! The pile of coupons - filed! The pile of dirty dishes - washed and put away! I even got chocolate chip muffins and jello made and collaborated with DS to make Buckeyes!! It's amazing how much better I feel about my home when I can look around and see clean and empty surfaces, not piles of "stuff." I like walking into my living room again, and my stress level is immensely decreased when my home has some sort of order. Now if only DD will tackle that pile of recycling she needs to take out..... :-) I think I will pencil in my own "Tackle A Pile Day" each week. Whether it's clutter or files that need cleaned out or that closet that needs purged, I will look forward to the sense of accomplishment and organization that will come when finished. Want to join me?

Top 10 Reasons I Love Our Library

Not in any particular order:

1. Books, books and more books with lots of comfortable reading chairs!
2. If they don't have the books you want, they can arrange an inter-library loan from another library in the state.
3. Library website where you can see if they have an item in their catalog and then put it on hold. They will call you when the item is available. They also email you 2 days before your checked items are due back.
4. Up to date magazines, CDs and DVDs. Children's and nonfiction DVDs are free for 7 nights; all others are $1 for 4 nights.
5. A wide variety of activities for every age group from infants to adult, all free, including computer classes, book discussion clubs, movie nights, craft nights, summer book clubs for all ages, etc.
6. They bring in many interesting programs, from the Columbus Zoo to the author of "Weird Ohio" to musical groups.
7. You can take out artwork to hang on your walls!
8. Free WiFi.
9. Teen Coffeehouse every Tuesday. Teens get homework help, free pop and cookies, play Wii Guitar Hero, use the WiFi or internet, all with supervision.
10. The annual library book sale. The annual fundraiser for our local library spans 4 days every June. They gather donated books starting in the spring, and it's a great way to see books you no longer love go to someone who does, all the while raising money for the library. Friday is for "Friends of the Library" (those who donate throughout the year). Saturday is the public sale with lines out the door of the local school where it is held. Sunday is bargain day. Everything you can fit in a box for $5. We once came home with a box that was taller than my daughter! Monday morning, everything left is free. There is usually not much to choose from, but the library doesn't have permanent storage, so they would prefer the books go to good homes! This is a cause near and dear to me. My grandfather sold rare history books, and when he passed, my grandma gave his books to the library sale. I'm told dealers came from around the state for a chance to buy his collection.

These are just a few of the reasons I love our library, and I'm thrilled that my kids love our library too. Invariably if I go out to run errands, one or both kids will ask, "are you going by the library?" In fact, if I need them to go somewhere they really don't want to go, all I have to say is, "I'm going to Place X AND the library," and there is little, if any, resistance. What makes you love your library? And if you haven't been to one recently, why not go today?

Reducing Temptation

When you're actively watching your budget, it seems like there are more temptations than ever to buy, buy, buy. At least for me, it seems as though when you can't or shouldn't spend, you see lots of things you want to have, but when you have the cash available, the temptations are lessened considerably. How to help keep those temptation demons at bay? Here are several suggestions:

1. Cancel the mail order catalogs. I have written before that sometimes catalogs can save you money, but for some folks, even if they don't order, just looking through a catalog, seeing things you would like to have but can't/shouldn't spend the money on can be extremely depressing. It makes you focus on what you can't have instead of being grateful for what you do have. If you have this problem, go to www.catalogchoice.org to opt out of those that you receive. Until then, toss the catalog straight from the mailbox to the trash.
2. Don't look through the ads that come in the newspaper. This can be just as just as depressing as the mail order catalogs. When I get the Sunday paper, I go through the ad stack, pulling out the coupons, grocery ads and Walgreens and CVS ads; the rest go directly into the recycling bin. If I start looking at the ad from Penneys, I will not only get depressed about not being able to afford a new outfit but also about my weight! That's a bad combination.
3. Avoid the aisles in the store that call your name loudest. For me, this is the candle/magazine aisle at Krogers, so I avoid going down this aisle whenever possible. It not only tempts me to spend money, it tempts me to waste time by looking at the different magazines and smell the candle scents and talk myself out of buying some that I have no business contemplating in the first place!
4. Avoid certain stores/malls altogether. Yankee Candle. Barnes and Noble. I get in trouble just passing these stores.
5. Limit contact with certain people. If you're friends with someone who always has the newest and best, and it affects your wants and contentment, it may be best to limit how often you are with that friend. Perhaps instead of going to their house and seeing everything you don't have, you could meet for lunch at the park or keep in contact via email for a while until you work through the jealousy and feelings of deprivement your exposure to those things cause. A true friend will understand. And remember, just because someone has all those things doesn't mean that they aren't neck-deep in debt trying to pay for them!
6. Be an adult. You are responsible for making decisions that benefit your family and your financial present and future. Being impulsive is not being an adult. Remind yourself that you don't "deserve" everything you want and remember that you are setting an example for your children. Even a single person has responsibilities to other people. My aunt couldn't resist temptation when it came to books or toys for her cat. When she passed away, she was close to bankruptcy, and her estate did not cover all her debts. While my mother was not responsible for those debts, that whole situation was extra stressful because of creditors calling and threatening my mom and Mom having to be careful what she allowed family members to take from the home prior to the estate auction. Don't think that your actions today won't affect those you love even after you're gone because they will.

How else do you avoid temptation? Short of living in a cocoon, it's something we face every day. Every suggestion will help!

Aldi's Comparisons

This past year, I have been doing more and more shopping at Aldi's. I started going first because of the prices, but as I start buying more and more there, I find I'm buying also for the quality. We've found many things that we like better at Aldi's than we do at Kroger's or Meijer's. In fact, lately on each trip to Aldi's, I've started to buy 1 or 2 new items that I would normally grab out of habit at Kroger's to see how it measures up, and there haven't been too many flops. Here's a list of things that we now only buy exclusively at Aldi's:



1. Taco mix

2. Flour tortillas

3. Baking staples (unless there is a better price elsewhere)

4. Canned fruits and vegetables

5. Minute rice

6. Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts

7. Cake/muffin mixes



Right now we're trying their kitchen-size garbage bags and cat litter, although I don't always see litter in stock. So far the bags are good. The litter seems quite a bit more dusty than the Wal-Mart brand we usually use, and with finicky cats, I may go back to Wal-Mart for this. We're also trying the Aldi brand of butter and margarine, and so far so good with that. I can't tell a difference, so unless there is an outstanding sale, we'll add this to our standard Aldi list. I wonder what we'll try next?

Inexpensive Outings for Families with Teens

When the kids and I moved back to town after the divorce 7+ years ago, one of my priorities was to get out with them several times a month and do fun things that we hadn't been able to previously. I wanted to expose them to different museums, living history places, festivals and other things that I had enjoyed and also some activities that I had never done but always wanted to. Being on a very limited budget, I actively looked for activities and day trips that we could do, the three of us, for under $10, not including gas, and with the kids being under 12, we did a lot for only the price of 1 adult admission. We also had memberships to the zoo and COSI (Center of Science and Industry in Columbus and Toledo) off and on over the years and took advantage of those along with their reciprocal agreements, visiting zoos and science centers in Cleveland and Cincinnati and Dayton. Many months there were so many things we wanted to do that were affordable (ie, free or really, really cheap!), that we were "on the road" more weekends than not.

This past year our day trips were limited mainly due to the cost of gas. When it costs $40 in gas for a day trip, it doesn't happen very often. But now that gas is much more inexpensive, I really want to get back in the habit of taking a day trip once a month. We seem to be a much happier family when we get out once in a while and do something new together. The challenge: Still trying to stick to a $10 activity budget....WITH TEENS! Once kids hit 13, more often than not, they are charged adult admission to facilities and activities. For example, we like going to the Home and Garden Show in Columbus every February, and the last time we went, a $6 admission would cover me with the kids 12 and under getting in free. Now if we go, it's $30, so we either have to find discount tickets, make it a Mom-and-1-child day or not go at all. I am certain, however, that I can find other activities that will be inexpensive and enjoyable.

Where can I find information on these activities? There are lots of sources!
1. Your local newspapers. Our hometown paper has a weekly calendar of upcoming activities for all interests that it runs every day. The closest big-town paper (The Columbus Dispatch) has a travel section on Sundays and every 3-4 months will run an article on day trips in the state of Ohio. I've cut out many of these articles and filed them away, only to be pulled out later when I am looking for new ideas.
2. The library. If you live in a large city, chances are there is a travel guide for your area that you can check out. Our library also carries regional magazines like Columbus Monthly and the Ohio Magazine that have calendars of activities in them. I have found many ideas for memorable day trips from these calendars, and we've done things we never would have known about if it weren't for the magazines. Your library may also have a board where flyers are posted for various activities. Actually, the library itself is a good idea for an outing. My son loves to spend a couple hours there taking advantage of the WiFi with his Nintendo DS.
3. Your local travel bureau. Pick up brochures about locations you think you'd like to visit. The staff is also very knowledgable about inexpensive day trips in your own city/county. How often have you heard someone say there is a big tourist attraction in their hometown but they have never visited it until they went with someone visiting from out of town?
4. On-line websites and newsletters. Just as you would if you were visiting a new location, sign up for emails from destinations in your home state. I receive a newsletter from http://www.ohiotraveler.com/, and they specialize in promoting free and low-cost activities. Your state Department of Natural Resources can point you in many directions for state parks and activities you might never have thought about. Want to go to a museum or zoo but leary at the price? Sign up for newsletters, and you will get advanced notice of free or discounted days. Some museums also have 1 day a week or a month where there is free admission. For example, Columbus Art Museum offers free admission every Sunday, and the Toledo Museum of Art has free admission every day!

So here is a list of what we will be doing in the coming months for $10 or less: Dude-A-Palooza, a free men's expo at our local fairgrounds - $2 parking; Mohican Wildlife Weekend in May - free with activities at several different wildlife locations approximately 30 minutes from our home (http://www.mohicanwildlifeweekend.com/); hiking down in Hocking Hills - a 2-hour drive but well worth it!; Maple syrup festival at Malabar Farm in March - free - 45 minutes away (http://www.malabarfarm.org/). I am sure we will find other things to do as well, such as spending a Saturday afternoon at the library, activities at our church, attending craft shows and spring festivals. We might even go to a gun show. We may have to pay for my son (usually $5-7), but women and children are usually free, and DS will get to do to a "manly" activity rather than being dragged to "girl things." ;-) (And for the record, no, we don't have guns in the house, but his father did when we were married, and DS has always wanted to go shooting. I am hoping to find a shooting range where you can rent equipment for an hour so I can take him. I like to target shoot myself.) So, there we go. Activities for families with teens that are inexpensive and fun!

Shopping Rewards in February

I'm so excited for this month! I have $35 worth of rewards at CVS and Borders this month. Woo hooo! I did the Pepsi/Lay's buy $20, get $10 ECBs and $15 coupons transaction a few weeks ago, and have those $10 ECBs to spend this month. I also did a CVS survey and received $10 in ECBs from that, for a total of $20! With Borders, I earned $15 Border Rewards doing surveys, and those are credited for this month. Combine that with one of the weekly coupons, and I should be able to get a very good deal on a book (the hard part will be picking one!). I also have over 3000 Mypoints and enough for $10 in Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks, but I think I will let those continue to accumulate. It's so much fun to get these rewards, especially when I only spend a few minutes each day or two clicking through emails or answering surveys. Every little bit helps these days!

February Goals

Let's hope February is more encouraging than January was!

1. Decide whether to pay off van or Mastercard and do it.
2. Make extra payment to whichever of the above was not paid off.
3. No credit card use.
4. Have a low/no-cost family fun day somewhere.
5. Finish one unfinished craft project.
6. Begin Revelation Bible study and regularly schedule it in my week.
7. Make a cookie recipe out of the book DS gave me for Christmas.
8. Pay off small outstanding medical bills.
9. Continue to rely on God's provision.

Tuesday's Blessings

1. The ability to work at home so I don't have to worry about going out in bad weather.
2. Three cats who like to snuggle and keep me warm at night!
3. My children's health.
4. The neighbor who used to his snowblower to clean my driveway AND helped get me unstuck from the driveway!
5. My son winning the spelling bee for his 8th grade section in the school and advancing to the school championship. (The winner goes to the state spelling bee in Columbus, completing for college scholarships!)
6. Playing Sequence with friends at church during the Super Bowl party and getting to know people better.
7. My friend's son's safe arrival in Iraq for his tour of duty.

One Solution to Reduce Takeout and Fast Food Trips

Everyone has one of "those" nights when you are pressed for time or just don't feel like cooking. Maybe you don't have anything in the freezer to pop in the oven or forgot to stick the meat in the refrigerator to thaw in time. It's easy to pick up the phone and order pizza or run through the drive through in between activities, and really, once in a while, it's okay. Sometimes spending money to reduce your stress level is a good thing, as long as it's not a frequent occasion. But when you are watching your pennies, a little preparation even a week or two ahead of time can save you a bundle. That's why I always have the ingredients for several of our favorite, fast and easy meals on hand. Flavorful Chicken has saved me a number of times. It takes just a few ingredients, takes maybe 5 minutes prep time, and, being one of DS's favorite dishes, I can't serve it often enough for him! Add corn and a salad, and you're ready to go. Tacos are another easy dish. Every time I go to Aldi's, I make sure to pick up a packet of taco mix for 59-cents. Even if I haven't thawed the ground beef, I just put the frozen hunk in a skillet to cook through, and it doesn't make a difference in the end result. Plus, if you top the taco with lots of lettuce and tomatoes, you've got your veggies without having to add an additional side dish.

Look through your favorite recipes and see which ones you always have the ingredients for. Then stow away that bit of information and use it the next time you're tempted to pick up the phone for delivery pizza.

Flavorful Chicken

This is a simple recipe and easy to keep all the ingredients on hand for one of "those" nights when you're tempted to call for carry out. It's my son's favorite chicken dish, and if it were up to him, we'd have it at least twice a week! It's also easy to adapt the serving sizes. This is written for 3 servings.

Flavorful Chicken

Thaw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, one per person. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce; mix together. Spray bottom of rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Dip each chicken breast in the butter/soy sauce mixture, coating both sides, and place in baking dish. Sprinkle over the chicken Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and paprika. (I don't measure, just shake gently from the bottles, tweaking to your family's taste.) Place in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

As stated above, this is for 3 servings, but is easily adaptable for more or less. Even a single person might want to make 2-3 servings and freeze with a side of corn on the plate for a quick, homemake microwave meal.

Enjoy!

January Goals Update

1. Stick to budget posted on January Goals/Challenges. so not done
2. Extra on van payment. no
3. No credit card use. no
4. Finish small cross-stitch unfinished object (UFO). nope
5. Finish one craft UFO. yes! I finished the drapes for the living room door side lights 1/24/09.
6. Make homemade bread. (This activity has been requested by DS for months.) yes
7. Have tax returns finished and sent by 1/31/09. yes
8. Continue to rely on God's provision.