When I got my gas bill for December I was shocked. I couldn't imagine having used $160 in natural gas when my bill for November was only $49. I chocked it up to having a water heater that was on the fritz and running the furnace too much. So I turned the heat down to a point where it was chilly in the house and just wrapped up.
Then I got my bill for January. $190! What is going on here? We got the water heater replaced, have turned the furnace down, even had a few days that we turned the furnace completely off and the bill was even higher than the previous month. Needless to say, I am not happy. So I took a closer look at the bill. Hidden in the fine print is a happy little policy. They charge as many different fees as possible.
There is a customer charge of $9.75. The is the joy I have for the privilege of being their customer. They say it covers the cost of reading the meter, issuing bills, maintaining the gas lines, postage, blah, blah, blah. AND that even if I don't use any gas for the month, I still get the joy of that charge. Whatever.
Then there is the distribution rate charge. The first 50 CCF(hundred cubic feet) is charged at $0.34655 and any over that first 50 is charged at $0.16664 for a total on this bill of $31.33. That charge is described as..." Recovers any of our costs of doing business not recovered thru the customer charge or base amount. These costs include taxes, salaries, depreciation, interest, etc." Now correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't that all be covered in the customer charge? or in the rate charge for the product itself?
Now we move on down the bill. Gas Supply Rate. This is the only thing on the bill that I can see being an actual charge. This is the gas that I actually used. Danged expensive if you ask me, but there you have it. $127.46. OK. I will owe that I guess. But reading the fine print on that particular item just pisses me off too. "Gas Supply Rate is comprised of three disticnt types of gas supply related charges. These three charges are commodity, gas demand/inventory and LUFG. These charges are subject to change occasionally - up or down- depending on the supply of gas and current market rates, The GSR amount represents your share of (gas company) actual costs for the gas." So if I am reading this right, I am being charged the going rate of the fuel (commodity), a charge for storage by the gas company(demand/inventory) , and the LUFG whatever that is. That particular cost is $o.95119/CCF.
Now, in a nutshell, I am paying to be their customer, I pay a fee for being billed, and I pay a fee for the storage of the fuel until I actually use it. Hmmmmm, something isn't right here.
But let's continue.
Weather Normalization rate $0.55. I can deal with that amount. At least until I read the fine print. Arkansas customers are just lucky I guess. "The weather normalization adjustment lowers a portion of of your bill when the weather is colder than normal or up slightly when the weather is warmer than normal. Weather normalization adjustments apply only to bills issued November thru April." Now according to my bill, the average temperature for the billing period was 2 degrees colder this year than last year. That should mean my bill should have been credited instead of billed. Hmmm, am I getting screwed again?
But wait, do I see a credit here? A base rate adjustment of $0.17? Oh goodie! Hold on right below that is something called an EE cost rate and it is $0.50. No explanation for what that is either. And below that is a municipal franchise adjustment of $7.20. So there is a charge because I live in town, too? This is getting to be way too much.
Then there are the sales taxes broken down by state, county and city. Death and taxes are the only things you can count on. $14 and some change for that. Total bill is $191.19.
Now here is the real kicker. They have recently(within the last 10 years or so) found huge amounts of natural gas in our state. The regional gas company is pumping this gas out of the ground as fast as humanly possible and distributing it into a 3 state region. But being here in
Arkansas, you would think our rates would be lower since they don't have to pipe it so far. Wrong again. The gas company is trying to get legislation passed that can charge us the same rates as Louisiana and Mississippi by saying it isn't fair if our rates are lower. But! they are not paying the state any extraction taxes for the privilege of raping our resources. So the gas company is getting our resources for dirt cheap then turning around and charging us everything they can get away with, without the state getting anything but sales tax out of it. And people wonder why Arkansas is 49th in everything.
This is just another example of how big business is going out of it's way to pillage and destroy in the chase for the almighty dollar. The people who can least afford it are the ones who have to pay the most. It just makes me sick.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Garden vs. Grocery store
I was browsing thru a seed catalog the other day and was really struck by how cheap it really is to grow your own food. Granted, there are other expenses besides just the seed. The most obvious being the cost of your time to do it. But even if you don't invest a lot of time into growing your own food, it is still an amazingly simple way to save a lot of money on food.
If you live in an apartment, you can still grow some of your own food. Place a potted tomato plant in a sunny window and when it blooms, set it outside for a few days to be pollinated. Or you can pollinate it yourself with a cotton swab. If your apartment building has a flat roof, ask your landlord if you can grow a container garden on the roof. You might even be able to convince a few of your neighbors to join you.
Lettuces, spinach, onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, even potatoes can all be grown in containers inside without the need of a pollinator. Things like beans, peas, squashes, melons, and cucumbers can be grown pots but because they are vines, will have to have some heavy duty support so that they grow up instead of out. I have heard of people growing watermelon on an apartment balcony by tying the vine to a cast iron trellis and supporting each melon by tying it up with a piece of pantyhose. I guess it would work but I have never tried it.
Right now, I have carrots growing in a window box in my kitchen window. Granted, they are the short, finger length variety, But I will still have fresh carrots for a fraction of the cost to buy them.
Lets take a peek at the seed catalog. Bell Peppers. If you decide to buy a bell pepper at the grocery store, it will cost you anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 each, depending on the size and variety. This particular seed catalog has packets of bell pepper seeds for $1.95 - $2.95 for 25 seeds. Over the course of the growing season, each pepper plant could produce anywhere from 1 pepper to 25 or 30 peppers. That would be just 1 of those 25 seeds. And they can be grown in pots very easily. Like red peppers better than green? Let them fully ripen before you pick them. Green peppers are just the unripened version of red or orange or yellow peppers. And if you become overrun with peppers and cannot find any one else to take some? Chop them up and spread them on a flat pan in the freezer. After they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag to use in recipes. Really good in meat loaf that way.
While all of this is well and good, but unless you are going to go for a full blown garden, you cannot expect to completely stop buying vegetables. But you can grow a few items that are really expensive in the store like the peppers or tomatoes. They are very high yield for the amount of space they need, fairly easy to grow and really expensive to buy. Garden centers will even have them as plants in the spring if you don't think you can manage to get the seeds to sprout. Just make sure the pots you put them in will be big enough for a mature plant. It will look weird having a little plant in a big pot but they will grow fast and having to transplant them again could shock the plant and you may not get any fruit from them. Better to plan big.
If you want to get adventurous, there are even fruit trees available these days that can be gown indoors. I have seen a tree that will bear lemons, limes and oranges all from one tree. It gets about 6 feet tall and can be grown in a container. Before you dive into that, keep in mind that fruit trees can take several years to mature and you will not get so much as a bloom until then. And they will need some outdoors time for the pollination.
Blue berries are a good choice for containers as well. The biggest plants only get between 5-6 feet tall ( but there are smaller ones available for porch pots) and will produce berries in the second or third year and continue to produce for the next 20 or so years. Not a bad investment for a hedge in the front yard.
I realize that not every one will want to grow their own food. But there really is nothing quite like the feeling you get by picking and preparing something that you make yourself. And the taste difference is staggering. Really fresh produce just can't be beat. And just how much fresher can you get than 5 minutes from plant to table. And the cost savings on those expensive tomatoes and peppers (or peas or lettuce, or whatever) really adds up. Especially if you buy organic.
If you live in an apartment, you can still grow some of your own food. Place a potted tomato plant in a sunny window and when it blooms, set it outside for a few days to be pollinated. Or you can pollinate it yourself with a cotton swab. If your apartment building has a flat roof, ask your landlord if you can grow a container garden on the roof. You might even be able to convince a few of your neighbors to join you.
Lettuces, spinach, onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, even potatoes can all be grown in containers inside without the need of a pollinator. Things like beans, peas, squashes, melons, and cucumbers can be grown pots but because they are vines, will have to have some heavy duty support so that they grow up instead of out. I have heard of people growing watermelon on an apartment balcony by tying the vine to a cast iron trellis and supporting each melon by tying it up with a piece of pantyhose. I guess it would work but I have never tried it.
Right now, I have carrots growing in a window box in my kitchen window. Granted, they are the short, finger length variety, But I will still have fresh carrots for a fraction of the cost to buy them.
Lets take a peek at the seed catalog. Bell Peppers. If you decide to buy a bell pepper at the grocery store, it will cost you anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50 each, depending on the size and variety. This particular seed catalog has packets of bell pepper seeds for $1.95 - $2.95 for 25 seeds. Over the course of the growing season, each pepper plant could produce anywhere from 1 pepper to 25 or 30 peppers. That would be just 1 of those 25 seeds. And they can be grown in pots very easily. Like red peppers better than green? Let them fully ripen before you pick them. Green peppers are just the unripened version of red or orange or yellow peppers. And if you become overrun with peppers and cannot find any one else to take some? Chop them up and spread them on a flat pan in the freezer. After they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag to use in recipes. Really good in meat loaf that way.
While all of this is well and good, but unless you are going to go for a full blown garden, you cannot expect to completely stop buying vegetables. But you can grow a few items that are really expensive in the store like the peppers or tomatoes. They are very high yield for the amount of space they need, fairly easy to grow and really expensive to buy. Garden centers will even have them as plants in the spring if you don't think you can manage to get the seeds to sprout. Just make sure the pots you put them in will be big enough for a mature plant. It will look weird having a little plant in a big pot but they will grow fast and having to transplant them again could shock the plant and you may not get any fruit from them. Better to plan big.
If you want to get adventurous, there are even fruit trees available these days that can be gown indoors. I have seen a tree that will bear lemons, limes and oranges all from one tree. It gets about 6 feet tall and can be grown in a container. Before you dive into that, keep in mind that fruit trees can take several years to mature and you will not get so much as a bloom until then. And they will need some outdoors time for the pollination.
Blue berries are a good choice for containers as well. The biggest plants only get between 5-6 feet tall ( but there are smaller ones available for porch pots) and will produce berries in the second or third year and continue to produce for the next 20 or so years. Not a bad investment for a hedge in the front yard.
I realize that not every one will want to grow their own food. But there really is nothing quite like the feeling you get by picking and preparing something that you make yourself. And the taste difference is staggering. Really fresh produce just can't be beat. And just how much fresher can you get than 5 minutes from plant to table. And the cost savings on those expensive tomatoes and peppers (or peas or lettuce, or whatever) really adds up. Especially if you buy organic.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Debt, Debt, and more Debt
For the last several months I have been scouring the web for tips on how to live well on less money. I have found a lot of good ideas. And some that are a little bit out there. But they all say about the same thing. Get rid of your debt.
I know that for some people that sounds nearly impossible. As a society, we have all gotten used to the instant gratification that comes with being able to buy whatever you want on credit. You find that great pair of shoes that are on sale for only $75 and you whip out the Visa or "Store" card and buy them on the spot. But if you don't pay off the balance every month, and how many of us can actually do that, you wind up with interest that will make those $75 pair of shoes cost well over $100 in the long run. And did you really need another pair of strappy black heels anyway?
With the way the economy is headed (and the credit crisis, housing crisis, and unemployment going up) a lot of people are beginning to realize just how over-extended they really are. If your house payment, car payments, utilities, and credit card bills are more than your income for the month, you are in big trouble.
Credit card companies are the world's biggest scam. They offer credit to just about anyone on the hope that people will buy more than they can afford to pay off every month. They make billions of dollars a year off of the interest. And the real kicker is that if you are ever late getting your paying in, they can legally double, or in some cases, triple your interest rate, making it even harder to get it paid off. Trust me, I have been there. And it really sucks.
I have found a couple of ways to get out of debt that don't involve bankruptcy. I will use our situation as an example of what not to do, or how to fix it if you already have.
When my husband and I first got married, we each had a credit card(visa) and I had a department store card. We didn't use them much, only for necessities like getting the cars worked on or replacing worn out clothes. Then I got pregnant with my daughter and my husband got a new job in a new town. So we had to move. No one would hire a pregnant girl so I couldn't work and we had the expenses of moving and setting up a new household. Visa time. Well, since I was pregnant before he got hired, the new insurance considered it a pre-existing condition and wouldn't pay the doctor visits. So that was $200 a month out of our already slim budget. Utility deposits, rent deposits, moving expenses, gas back and forth to get everything moved, all of that left us eating mac and cheese and ham sandwiches. And it also raised our credit card bills. By the time my daughter was born, we had bought the house we were renting, so we also had closing costs and insurance to pay. We were almost $2000 in debt in a matter of a couple of months. Now we had diapers, formula, baby clothes, doctor visits for the baby in addition to my hospital bills for the delivery on top of the student loan payments that were coming due, house payment, car payment, utilities, and the credit cards. So more credit card debt was building up.
By the time we finally decided that it just had to stop, we had 5 credit card with high interest rates (almost $22,000 in debt), 2 gas cards, 2 department store cards, a car payment, a house payment, and 2 kids in daycare. Even with minimum payments on the cards, the total everything combined was more than our monthly income. Then we discovered the Debit Card.
That was actually a wonderful day for us. It allowed us to completely stop using the credit cards. If we didn't have the money to cover it in the bank, we simply couldn't buy it. We were 13 years into a 30 year mortgage so we refinanced the house for a lower interest rate, cashed out enough equity to pay off 4 of the 5 credit cards(boy was it fun to cut up those cards) and continued to pay on the last one until we got the truck paid off. Then we began to apply the amount of the truck payment to the payment we were making to the credit card ( an extra $334 a month) and finally started getting that one paid off. A large cash gift from the Mother-In-Law took care of the rest of it.
Wow! No more credit card debt.
I know that most people cannot expect a large cash gift, but there are ways to get out of debt without going crazy.
1) STOP USING CREDIT CARDS! If you cannot afford to pay cash for it, do not buy it.
2) Actually sit down with all of your bills, bank statements, loan payment books, and a calculator. Make 3 columns, one with income amounts with every dime that comes in from every source for the month, one with the payment amounts due for the month not counting groceries, and the last column is for the amount of outstanding debt left on that bill. Add up each column and see if your bills are more than your income. Also compare your income to the balances due on all of that credit. You may be shocked to realize that you have $15,000 in credit card debt and that if you only make minimum payments every month, it will take you 12 years and $50,000 in interest to pay it off, if you don't add any more to the balance. That is an eye opener. And a real motivator for getting out of debt.
3) When you pay off a debt, you do NOT have extra money each month. Use that payment on another debt. If you paid off a debt that you were paying $250 a month on, like a car payment, you now add $250 to the highest interest payment that you have. Keep doing that until that debt is paid off. Then you take the combined payment amount (say...$550) a month, and add that amount to the next highest interest bill. And you keep doing that until everything is paid off. This is actually a fast and rather painless way to pay off your bills. You are not used to having the extra money anyway, so why not use it to get rid of debt.
Now, this is not a step by step guide for getting out of debt. There are a thousand different ways to do that, and just as many opinions on which way is the best. But you cannot get out of debt by using credit to make all of your day to day purchases. You have to make the decision to get out of debt all by yourself. No one can do it for you. If you are not willing to give up those shopping sprees or eating out every night, then no one can help you.
I know that for some people that sounds nearly impossible. As a society, we have all gotten used to the instant gratification that comes with being able to buy whatever you want on credit. You find that great pair of shoes that are on sale for only $75 and you whip out the Visa or "Store" card and buy them on the spot. But if you don't pay off the balance every month, and how many of us can actually do that, you wind up with interest that will make those $75 pair of shoes cost well over $100 in the long run. And did you really need another pair of strappy black heels anyway?
With the way the economy is headed (and the credit crisis, housing crisis, and unemployment going up) a lot of people are beginning to realize just how over-extended they really are. If your house payment, car payments, utilities, and credit card bills are more than your income for the month, you are in big trouble.
Credit card companies are the world's biggest scam. They offer credit to just about anyone on the hope that people will buy more than they can afford to pay off every month. They make billions of dollars a year off of the interest. And the real kicker is that if you are ever late getting your paying in, they can legally double, or in some cases, triple your interest rate, making it even harder to get it paid off. Trust me, I have been there. And it really sucks.
I have found a couple of ways to get out of debt that don't involve bankruptcy. I will use our situation as an example of what not to do, or how to fix it if you already have.
When my husband and I first got married, we each had a credit card(visa) and I had a department store card. We didn't use them much, only for necessities like getting the cars worked on or replacing worn out clothes. Then I got pregnant with my daughter and my husband got a new job in a new town. So we had to move. No one would hire a pregnant girl so I couldn't work and we had the expenses of moving and setting up a new household. Visa time. Well, since I was pregnant before he got hired, the new insurance considered it a pre-existing condition and wouldn't pay the doctor visits. So that was $200 a month out of our already slim budget. Utility deposits, rent deposits, moving expenses, gas back and forth to get everything moved, all of that left us eating mac and cheese and ham sandwiches. And it also raised our credit card bills. By the time my daughter was born, we had bought the house we were renting, so we also had closing costs and insurance to pay. We were almost $2000 in debt in a matter of a couple of months. Now we had diapers, formula, baby clothes, doctor visits for the baby in addition to my hospital bills for the delivery on top of the student loan payments that were coming due, house payment, car payment, utilities, and the credit cards. So more credit card debt was building up.
By the time we finally decided that it just had to stop, we had 5 credit card with high interest rates (almost $22,000 in debt), 2 gas cards, 2 department store cards, a car payment, a house payment, and 2 kids in daycare. Even with minimum payments on the cards, the total everything combined was more than our monthly income. Then we discovered the Debit Card.
That was actually a wonderful day for us. It allowed us to completely stop using the credit cards. If we didn't have the money to cover it in the bank, we simply couldn't buy it. We were 13 years into a 30 year mortgage so we refinanced the house for a lower interest rate, cashed out enough equity to pay off 4 of the 5 credit cards(boy was it fun to cut up those cards) and continued to pay on the last one until we got the truck paid off. Then we began to apply the amount of the truck payment to the payment we were making to the credit card ( an extra $334 a month) and finally started getting that one paid off. A large cash gift from the Mother-In-Law took care of the rest of it.
Wow! No more credit card debt.
I know that most people cannot expect a large cash gift, but there are ways to get out of debt without going crazy.
1) STOP USING CREDIT CARDS! If you cannot afford to pay cash for it, do not buy it.
2) Actually sit down with all of your bills, bank statements, loan payment books, and a calculator. Make 3 columns, one with income amounts with every dime that comes in from every source for the month, one with the payment amounts due for the month not counting groceries, and the last column is for the amount of outstanding debt left on that bill. Add up each column and see if your bills are more than your income. Also compare your income to the balances due on all of that credit. You may be shocked to realize that you have $15,000 in credit card debt and that if you only make minimum payments every month, it will take you 12 years and $50,000 in interest to pay it off, if you don't add any more to the balance. That is an eye opener. And a real motivator for getting out of debt.
3) When you pay off a debt, you do NOT have extra money each month. Use that payment on another debt. If you paid off a debt that you were paying $250 a month on, like a car payment, you now add $250 to the highest interest payment that you have. Keep doing that until that debt is paid off. Then you take the combined payment amount (say...$550) a month, and add that amount to the next highest interest bill. And you keep doing that until everything is paid off. This is actually a fast and rather painless way to pay off your bills. You are not used to having the extra money anyway, so why not use it to get rid of debt.
Now, this is not a step by step guide for getting out of debt. There are a thousand different ways to do that, and just as many opinions on which way is the best. But you cannot get out of debt by using credit to make all of your day to day purchases. You have to make the decision to get out of debt all by yourself. No one can do it for you. If you are not willing to give up those shopping sprees or eating out every night, then no one can help you.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Frugal cooking
One of the best ways I have found to save money is on the cooking vs eating out mind set. Cooking doesn't have to be the chore that everyone thinks it is. Even if you have never cooked before, you can start making your own meals and save hundreds every month.
One of the very first things you should do if you have never seriously cooked before is invest in a good cookbook. I would suggest one of the big Betty Crocker ones with the red and white checked covers. It will cover every type of basic cooking from appetizers all the way thru snacks and desserts and it is also very easy to read and understand. Some of the more complicated dishes even have step by step pictures. Granted, these are generally just basic recipes, but for someone who hasn't cooked before, it is a great asset.
Another thing to do is always keep a supply of staples on hand. I always have a cabinet full of seasonings and spices, dried beans, different pastas, and grains (barley, rice, oatmeal, corn meal, plain and self rising flours, and grits). It is also a good idea to keep sugar or sweeteners on hand, including brown sugar and powdered sugar, and cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and baking powder. These are just a few of my pantry staples to get a general idea. Most of these things can be easily purchased in bulk since they all store well as long as they are kept dry and cool. Add vegetables and meats to these basic things and you can make just about any type of meal you want.
One of the things you really want to stay away from buying is mixes. Do you really need to spend $2.00 on a box of brownie mix when you have everything to make brownies at home already? Lets say you buy the mix on sale for $1.75. You still have to add eggs and oil or butter to the mix. So you buy a dozen eggs on sale for $1.19. You have butter or margarine at home already. So now these brownies are costing you $2.94. At home you already have the cocoa, sugar, self rising flour, and butter. So you spend $1.19 for the eggs instead. Now your decision to make brownies is only costing you a little over a buck. But since you will only be using 2 or 3 of the eggs, it is actually only costing about 20 to 30 cents. See the point?
In the last month, I have managed to cut our food spending by half, just by not eating out. I took a day to cook and freeze several different meats for those days when I just don't feel like cooking or when we would need a quick dinner because of the kid's schedules. Those would be the days that we would normally eat out. I have even made up some hamburger patties and froze them so that hamburgers would be quick and painless.(secret--put small squares of waxed paper between them so they don't stick together.)
Learning to cook is well worth the time and effort if you are serious about saving money and eating healthier. You will be able to control the amount of fat and sodium in your foods, you can make sure that the freshest possible ingredient are being used, and you will not have some minimum wage person that you don't know handling your food. It is also very satisfying to be able to make it yourself. Your friends and family will be in awe of your new skills in the kitchen and will want your recipes.
And the best part is that you will be saving a ton of cash in the process.
One of the very first things you should do if you have never seriously cooked before is invest in a good cookbook. I would suggest one of the big Betty Crocker ones with the red and white checked covers. It will cover every type of basic cooking from appetizers all the way thru snacks and desserts and it is also very easy to read and understand. Some of the more complicated dishes even have step by step pictures. Granted, these are generally just basic recipes, but for someone who hasn't cooked before, it is a great asset.
Another thing to do is always keep a supply of staples on hand. I always have a cabinet full of seasonings and spices, dried beans, different pastas, and grains (barley, rice, oatmeal, corn meal, plain and self rising flours, and grits). It is also a good idea to keep sugar or sweeteners on hand, including brown sugar and powdered sugar, and cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and baking powder. These are just a few of my pantry staples to get a general idea. Most of these things can be easily purchased in bulk since they all store well as long as they are kept dry and cool. Add vegetables and meats to these basic things and you can make just about any type of meal you want.
One of the things you really want to stay away from buying is mixes. Do you really need to spend $2.00 on a box of brownie mix when you have everything to make brownies at home already? Lets say you buy the mix on sale for $1.75. You still have to add eggs and oil or butter to the mix. So you buy a dozen eggs on sale for $1.19. You have butter or margarine at home already. So now these brownies are costing you $2.94. At home you already have the cocoa, sugar, self rising flour, and butter. So you spend $1.19 for the eggs instead. Now your decision to make brownies is only costing you a little over a buck. But since you will only be using 2 or 3 of the eggs, it is actually only costing about 20 to 30 cents. See the point?
In the last month, I have managed to cut our food spending by half, just by not eating out. I took a day to cook and freeze several different meats for those days when I just don't feel like cooking or when we would need a quick dinner because of the kid's schedules. Those would be the days that we would normally eat out. I have even made up some hamburger patties and froze them so that hamburgers would be quick and painless.(secret--put small squares of waxed paper between them so they don't stick together.)
Learning to cook is well worth the time and effort if you are serious about saving money and eating healthier. You will be able to control the amount of fat and sodium in your foods, you can make sure that the freshest possible ingredient are being used, and you will not have some minimum wage person that you don't know handling your food. It is also very satisfying to be able to make it yourself. Your friends and family will be in awe of your new skills in the kitchen and will want your recipes.
And the best part is that you will be saving a ton of cash in the process.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Frugal is as Frugal Does
The word frugal means different things to different people. To some it could mean clipping coupons and to others it can mean turning off lights, turning down the heat, carpooling to work, only shopping when it is absolutely necessary, etc. To me, it falls somewhere in between the two extremes.
To me, living frugally means that if we don't need it, we don't buy it. Sounds really simple doesn't it? But it does take some work and planning. Lets take school clothes for instance. At the end of July and the first part of August every year, the retailers release a massive campaign of ads telling us that our children will be ridiculed if they do not have a new wardrobe to start the new school year. I don't buy into that. I go through the kids closets at the end of the previous school year, take out anything that is too small or no longer wearable, and replace only the items that have been removed. I also do this after Christmas. You can get end of season sales for spring and fall clothing for next to nothing. If the weather isn't right to wear it yet, put it back until it is. I am fortunate that my kids are not clothes hounds or fashion slaves. For the school supplies, I stock up big time when the sales hit. This usually happens right after Labor Day in our area. School has been back in session for a couple of weeks and the stores have a ton of stuff to get rid of to make room for the Holiday season. And my kids usually wind up needing more paper or pencils or whatever again by Christmas anyway so I have it on hand for when they do.
Another "...don't buy it" at my house is soda. Just the cost of soda probably saves us $50 a month. We drink tea. Or Kool-Aid. Or water. And of course, coffee. Even when sodas are on sale, they cost way too much. If you look at the cost per ounce of that stuff, and the amount of sugar, you will just cringe. Tea will give you antioxidants, you control the amount of sugar, and it doesn't leave a sticky feeling in your mouth after you drink it. It costs me about 80 cents to make 2.5 gallons. The same amount of soda will cost you about 5 bucks and that is if you buy 2 liter bottles. If you buy it in cans, it will cost about $7. Not worth it. And we won't even talk about 20 ounce bottles from the corner store. Geesh!
The thing to keep in mind is that Frugal is a lifestyle, not a once in a while thing. And you don't have to think of yourself as a tightwad to do it. If you visit thrift stores, discount markets, flea markets and garage sales, that is being frugal. If you clip coupons and only buy the things you need and not everything you have a coupon for, that is frugal. If you don't fall for the marketing that tells us we have to have the newest, biggest, best of everything, new item on the market, that is being frugal. If you carpool to work instead of driving that massive SUV you got conned into buying, that is being frugal, ...sort of.
If you do all of those things and then some, Great! The thing to keep in mind is that you have to figure out a system that works for you and your family and live by it. Some people just don't have access to flea markets. That is what Ebay is for. Some people, myself included, are shaped funny and have a hard time finding clothes that fit off of the clearance racks. So learn to sew. Some people have such a hectic lifestyle they do not have time to shop for bargains. Hogwash I say! Can everyone say "clearance rack?"
You have to make the decision to save money. It won't just happen. And it has to be a family thing. It won't do you any good if you save $200 a month in groceries then turn around a buy a new TV when the old one still works. Everyone in the family has to be on board. If even one family member doesn't want to do it, it can sabotage the whole thing. Make a plan. Even have a jar that you put your saved money in and take a nice vacation or something to reward all of your hard work. Just don't get into it every time you need a couple of dollars for the drive thru. You will be amazed at how quickly that jar will fill up. And as you get more used to frugal living, you can shave off spending in more places. You might even wind up with enough money in that jar for a down payment on something really big.
You just have to keep in mind the big picture. Why do you want to be frugal? Do you have a goal in mind or do you just want fewer bills? What would you do if you got laid off? Would you have enough savings to get you thru until you could find another job?
Make a plan. Live it. Make it your own. And if the Joneses look at you funny, laugh back because you do not have to worry about paying for all the useless stuff they have bought.
To me, living frugally means that if we don't need it, we don't buy it. Sounds really simple doesn't it? But it does take some work and planning. Lets take school clothes for instance. At the end of July and the first part of August every year, the retailers release a massive campaign of ads telling us that our children will be ridiculed if they do not have a new wardrobe to start the new school year. I don't buy into that. I go through the kids closets at the end of the previous school year, take out anything that is too small or no longer wearable, and replace only the items that have been removed. I also do this after Christmas. You can get end of season sales for spring and fall clothing for next to nothing. If the weather isn't right to wear it yet, put it back until it is. I am fortunate that my kids are not clothes hounds or fashion slaves. For the school supplies, I stock up big time when the sales hit. This usually happens right after Labor Day in our area. School has been back in session for a couple of weeks and the stores have a ton of stuff to get rid of to make room for the Holiday season. And my kids usually wind up needing more paper or pencils or whatever again by Christmas anyway so I have it on hand for when they do.
Another "...don't buy it" at my house is soda. Just the cost of soda probably saves us $50 a month. We drink tea. Or Kool-Aid. Or water. And of course, coffee. Even when sodas are on sale, they cost way too much. If you look at the cost per ounce of that stuff, and the amount of sugar, you will just cringe. Tea will give you antioxidants, you control the amount of sugar, and it doesn't leave a sticky feeling in your mouth after you drink it. It costs me about 80 cents to make 2.5 gallons. The same amount of soda will cost you about 5 bucks and that is if you buy 2 liter bottles. If you buy it in cans, it will cost about $7. Not worth it. And we won't even talk about 20 ounce bottles from the corner store. Geesh!
The thing to keep in mind is that Frugal is a lifestyle, not a once in a while thing. And you don't have to think of yourself as a tightwad to do it. If you visit thrift stores, discount markets, flea markets and garage sales, that is being frugal. If you clip coupons and only buy the things you need and not everything you have a coupon for, that is frugal. If you don't fall for the marketing that tells us we have to have the newest, biggest, best of everything, new item on the market, that is being frugal. If you carpool to work instead of driving that massive SUV you got conned into buying, that is being frugal, ...sort of.
If you do all of those things and then some, Great! The thing to keep in mind is that you have to figure out a system that works for you and your family and live by it. Some people just don't have access to flea markets. That is what Ebay is for. Some people, myself included, are shaped funny and have a hard time finding clothes that fit off of the clearance racks. So learn to sew. Some people have such a hectic lifestyle they do not have time to shop for bargains. Hogwash I say! Can everyone say "clearance rack?"
You have to make the decision to save money. It won't just happen. And it has to be a family thing. It won't do you any good if you save $200 a month in groceries then turn around a buy a new TV when the old one still works. Everyone in the family has to be on board. If even one family member doesn't want to do it, it can sabotage the whole thing. Make a plan. Even have a jar that you put your saved money in and take a nice vacation or something to reward all of your hard work. Just don't get into it every time you need a couple of dollars for the drive thru. You will be amazed at how quickly that jar will fill up. And as you get more used to frugal living, you can shave off spending in more places. You might even wind up with enough money in that jar for a down payment on something really big.
You just have to keep in mind the big picture. Why do you want to be frugal? Do you have a goal in mind or do you just want fewer bills? What would you do if you got laid off? Would you have enough savings to get you thru until you could find another job?
Make a plan. Live it. Make it your own. And if the Joneses look at you funny, laugh back because you do not have to worry about paying for all the useless stuff they have bought.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Healthy meals on a budget
Low fat doesn't have to mean low taste. I have taken the extra fats out of lots of common everyday meals without any noticeable loss of taste. When you saute meats or vegetables, use broths instead of fats. You are actually adding flavor without adding any fat. I have done this with meats, stir fry, and even vegetables. That is where the ice cube tray comes in handy for freezing broth. Any time you cook meat and there is juice in the pan when you are finished, save it. It is amazing the amount of beef flavor you can get from a pot roast to add later to your soups or rice.
A few tips to follow when you are getting ready to start cooking frugally is to keep in mind the things you have on your shelf. What are you most likely to eat first? Can you make it yourself? Even if you can make it yourself, is it cheaper to make it or buy it? Will everyone in your household like it or just you or your spouse? Is your favorite recipe going to make enough of that meal to feed an army or just the two of you? Can you freeze it?
These are some of the things that ask myself every time I have to go shopping. The things we are most likely to eat first are snack foods. I have two teens in the house and my son will eat the pantry bare if I let him. My husband is also a big snacker. I try to keep things for everyone to nibble on between meals that doesn't involve chips and candy. Brownies seem to work out fairly well as does popcorn.
Since I cook a lot, there aren't really many things that I can't cook myself that aren't as good or better than purchased. This is a major plus on the frugal side. I have learned how to adapt a recipe to use less expensive ingredients and to make it healthier than most of the frozen convenience foods available. Recipes are available all over the internet or just flip thru a cook book to get some basic ideas. Soup is by far the healthiest choice. And soup can be just about anything you want to make it. Have left over mashed potatoes? Make potato soup for lunch the next day. Just add milk, black pepper, and a little shredded cheese. Add a piece of unbuttered toast and a salad and you are good to go. Have some bacon left from breakfast? Make a bacon and cheese sandwich for lunch. Left over breakfast sausage is perfect for adding to fried potatoes or use it to make cream gravy with biscuits the next day( I am Southern, can you tell?) Never let anything go to waste. Have a spoonful of corn and half a spoon of beans or peas left from dinner? Put them together in a freezer bag. Keep adding to it until the bag is full then thaw it all out together and make soup.
I have discovered that while I can make my own bread, it is actually cheaper for me to go to the thrift store to buy it. I can get a big loaf of brand name whole wheat sandwich bread for 69 cents. If I figure the cost of the yeast and flour, plus the energy used in baking it, it cost me way over that. I can still cost effectively make dinner rolls and specialty breads like cinnamon swirl, but for sandwich bread, it just doesn't justify.
Will everyone eat it is a tough one at our house. My husband isn't fond of pork, my son doesn't like sauces or eggs, my daughter will eat just about anything except corn ("corn is evil" she says) and I am not likely to cook something that I won't eat. It makes for some interesting meal times, but we have found ways around it.
Making a pan of lasagna is expensive, but by splitting it into two pans, bake one and freeze one, makes it almost cost effective. Soup can be done the same way. Soup is a very inexpensive way to serve up left overs and you can split it up and freeze part of it for a meal another day. If your family just can't give up an expensive meal, save it for a special time like for a birthday or anniversary. Or if you only make it once every couple of months, cut costs on other meals that month to make up for it. The secret here is to don't stop making it altogether, just cut back on when you make it. You don't want to feel deprived of your favorites, just make them more special.
Another thing we do at our house is freezer night. Evey couple of weeks, we go through the freezer and find the 10 chicken nuggets, 3 fish sticks, a hand full of frozen peas, the few french fries left in the bag, leftovers in the fridge, anything that isn't enough to make a meal by itself and cook it all for one meal. Everyone can take a little of everything or if they don't like it they can skip that food completely. This has a dual purpose. You can clean out the fridge of anything that might get overlooked or buried on grocery day and it will help insure that no food will get wasted. I usually do this the night before a planned shopping trip. The kids like it because it gives them another shot at leftovers they had forgotten about and it is kinda fun to just go digging thru the freezer. It also helps you get creative with ways to recycle veggies into a meal.
With a little planning, the weekly grocery trip will stretch a lot farther.
A few tips to follow when you are getting ready to start cooking frugally is to keep in mind the things you have on your shelf. What are you most likely to eat first? Can you make it yourself? Even if you can make it yourself, is it cheaper to make it or buy it? Will everyone in your household like it or just you or your spouse? Is your favorite recipe going to make enough of that meal to feed an army or just the two of you? Can you freeze it?
These are some of the things that ask myself every time I have to go shopping. The things we are most likely to eat first are snack foods. I have two teens in the house and my son will eat the pantry bare if I let him. My husband is also a big snacker. I try to keep things for everyone to nibble on between meals that doesn't involve chips and candy. Brownies seem to work out fairly well as does popcorn.
Since I cook a lot, there aren't really many things that I can't cook myself that aren't as good or better than purchased. This is a major plus on the frugal side. I have learned how to adapt a recipe to use less expensive ingredients and to make it healthier than most of the frozen convenience foods available. Recipes are available all over the internet or just flip thru a cook book to get some basic ideas. Soup is by far the healthiest choice. And soup can be just about anything you want to make it. Have left over mashed potatoes? Make potato soup for lunch the next day. Just add milk, black pepper, and a little shredded cheese. Add a piece of unbuttered toast and a salad and you are good to go. Have some bacon left from breakfast? Make a bacon and cheese sandwich for lunch. Left over breakfast sausage is perfect for adding to fried potatoes or use it to make cream gravy with biscuits the next day( I am Southern, can you tell?) Never let anything go to waste. Have a spoonful of corn and half a spoon of beans or peas left from dinner? Put them together in a freezer bag. Keep adding to it until the bag is full then thaw it all out together and make soup.
I have discovered that while I can make my own bread, it is actually cheaper for me to go to the thrift store to buy it. I can get a big loaf of brand name whole wheat sandwich bread for 69 cents. If I figure the cost of the yeast and flour, plus the energy used in baking it, it cost me way over that. I can still cost effectively make dinner rolls and specialty breads like cinnamon swirl, but for sandwich bread, it just doesn't justify.
Will everyone eat it is a tough one at our house. My husband isn't fond of pork, my son doesn't like sauces or eggs, my daughter will eat just about anything except corn ("corn is evil" she says) and I am not likely to cook something that I won't eat. It makes for some interesting meal times, but we have found ways around it.
Making a pan of lasagna is expensive, but by splitting it into two pans, bake one and freeze one, makes it almost cost effective. Soup can be done the same way. Soup is a very inexpensive way to serve up left overs and you can split it up and freeze part of it for a meal another day. If your family just can't give up an expensive meal, save it for a special time like for a birthday or anniversary. Or if you only make it once every couple of months, cut costs on other meals that month to make up for it. The secret here is to don't stop making it altogether, just cut back on when you make it. You don't want to feel deprived of your favorites, just make them more special.
Another thing we do at our house is freezer night. Evey couple of weeks, we go through the freezer and find the 10 chicken nuggets, 3 fish sticks, a hand full of frozen peas, the few french fries left in the bag, leftovers in the fridge, anything that isn't enough to make a meal by itself and cook it all for one meal. Everyone can take a little of everything or if they don't like it they can skip that food completely. This has a dual purpose. You can clean out the fridge of anything that might get overlooked or buried on grocery day and it will help insure that no food will get wasted. I usually do this the night before a planned shopping trip. The kids like it because it gives them another shot at leftovers they had forgotten about and it is kinda fun to just go digging thru the freezer. It also helps you get creative with ways to recycle veggies into a meal.
With a little planning, the weekly grocery trip will stretch a lot farther.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Cooking on the Cheap
There are a lot of ways to save money on meals. One of the easiest ways is to buy meat in bulk. It is always more expensive to buy individual sized servings than to buy enough for several meals. I never buy less than 3 pound packages of hamburger meat. I also buy family packs of other cuts and break them down into meal sized freezer bags.
For chicken, the most economical way to buy it is whole. They are not hard to cut up and I can use 1 chicken for about 3 meals for my family of four. I will explain the process.
First things first. Wash the bird. You want to make sure that all of the bone meal and any possible contaminates from processing are washed off. Always use a sharp knife. You will be much more likely to cut yourself with dull knife than a sharp one. Cut off the wings at the shoulder joints. Pop the thighs out of socket at the backbone and cut it at the joint. Then bend the leg and the thigh. It will make a really thin spot at the "knee". Cut it straight through at that spot. You might get a little bit of the bone, but if your knife is sharp enough it should cut on through.
Cutting the breast at this point is very easy. the area between the ribs and the back is very easy to see. I generally use knives, but if you are less than confident with a knife, you can use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs to separate the breasts from the back.
Now that you have both halves of the breasts removed, turn them over, skin side down. You will be able to see the keel, or breastbone. Place your knife firmly in the center of the bone. Put your other hand flat on the back of the knife and push firmly down. It will be a little hard to break the bone but it will cut.
Now you have 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts and a backbone. Depending on what meals you have planned, and how many people you are feeding, you should be able to make at least 2 meals, maybe 3 if you are careful. I will give examples for a family of four.
Meal #1. Cheesy chicken pasta. Take the chicken breasts and cut(or tear) them from the bone. Take the bones and skin and place them into a stock pot. More on this later. Cut the breast meat into 1/2 inch cubes. Saute the chicken in about a tablespoon of oil with 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning until it is no longer pink. Add 1 can(2 cups) of chicken broth and 1 can(2 cups) of water. Add a pound of egg noodles and salt and pepper to taste. When the noodles are done and most of the water is gone, remove from heat and add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese or if you prefer, you can use Velveeta. Bacon bits are a good addition to this. (This is actually better than Chicken Helper and it doesn't have all of the preservatives added.)
Meal #2. Chicken stock. This is the way to really make a chicken go farther. The skin, bones, and wings, legs and thighs can all go into a stock pot. Add 6 to 8 cups of water, a couple of carrots cut into big chunks, celery cut the same way, half an onion, really anything you have hanging around in the crisper. Here is where you can salt or not, depending on your personal preference. As you boil the chicken, you will notice a brownish foam rising to the top. Skim this off, you won't need it. When your chicken is done remove it from the pot and let it cool off. Continue to boil the stock until it is reduced by about 1/4. Strain the broth and remove the veggies. Throw them away or compost them. Put the broth into the refrigerator over night. The next day, all of the fat will have solidified on the top. Simply scoop it off. You can use this to make soup or it can be reduced even further to make a richer stock for gravies and sauces. It freezes well in either a freezer bag or in ice cube trays for portion control.
Meal #3. The cooked meat needs to be removed from the bone, skinned and chopped. There is even a small amount of meat on the back so be sure to look for it. The chopped meat can be used to make soup, barbecue chicken sandwiches, used in stir fry or lo mein, or to make chicken salad.
Now that you have a general idea on how to portion up a chicken to make it go farther, keep in mind that you can do this with many different foods.
For chicken, the most economical way to buy it is whole. They are not hard to cut up and I can use 1 chicken for about 3 meals for my family of four. I will explain the process.
First things first. Wash the bird. You want to make sure that all of the bone meal and any possible contaminates from processing are washed off. Always use a sharp knife. You will be much more likely to cut yourself with dull knife than a sharp one. Cut off the wings at the shoulder joints. Pop the thighs out of socket at the backbone and cut it at the joint. Then bend the leg and the thigh. It will make a really thin spot at the "knee". Cut it straight through at that spot. You might get a little bit of the bone, but if your knife is sharp enough it should cut on through.
Cutting the breast at this point is very easy. the area between the ribs and the back is very easy to see. I generally use knives, but if you are less than confident with a knife, you can use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs to separate the breasts from the back.
Now that you have both halves of the breasts removed, turn them over, skin side down. You will be able to see the keel, or breastbone. Place your knife firmly in the center of the bone. Put your other hand flat on the back of the knife and push firmly down. It will be a little hard to break the bone but it will cut.
Now you have 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts and a backbone. Depending on what meals you have planned, and how many people you are feeding, you should be able to make at least 2 meals, maybe 3 if you are careful. I will give examples for a family of four.
Meal #1. Cheesy chicken pasta. Take the chicken breasts and cut(or tear) them from the bone. Take the bones and skin and place them into a stock pot. More on this later. Cut the breast meat into 1/2 inch cubes. Saute the chicken in about a tablespoon of oil with 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning until it is no longer pink. Add 1 can(2 cups) of chicken broth and 1 can(2 cups) of water. Add a pound of egg noodles and salt and pepper to taste. When the noodles are done and most of the water is gone, remove from heat and add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese or if you prefer, you can use Velveeta. Bacon bits are a good addition to this. (This is actually better than Chicken Helper and it doesn't have all of the preservatives added.)
Meal #2. Chicken stock. This is the way to really make a chicken go farther. The skin, bones, and wings, legs and thighs can all go into a stock pot. Add 6 to 8 cups of water, a couple of carrots cut into big chunks, celery cut the same way, half an onion, really anything you have hanging around in the crisper. Here is where you can salt or not, depending on your personal preference. As you boil the chicken, you will notice a brownish foam rising to the top. Skim this off, you won't need it. When your chicken is done remove it from the pot and let it cool off. Continue to boil the stock until it is reduced by about 1/4. Strain the broth and remove the veggies. Throw them away or compost them. Put the broth into the refrigerator over night. The next day, all of the fat will have solidified on the top. Simply scoop it off. You can use this to make soup or it can be reduced even further to make a richer stock for gravies and sauces. It freezes well in either a freezer bag or in ice cube trays for portion control.
Meal #3. The cooked meat needs to be removed from the bone, skinned and chopped. There is even a small amount of meat on the back so be sure to look for it. The chopped meat can be used to make soup, barbecue chicken sandwiches, used in stir fry or lo mein, or to make chicken salad.
Now that you have a general idea on how to portion up a chicken to make it go farther, keep in mind that you can do this with many different foods.
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