My First Step

This past weekend went by quickly, but I accomplished a lot. Because of the events that are transpiring in my life, I have started an attempt to become uber-organized. Not only is spring (aaaaaaaaalmost) upon us, I am at a huge turning point in my life. It has become necessary for me to go through all my “things” and purge those items that just hinder my life and do not enhance it. What do I need a closet full of clothes 3-4 sizes too big for me anyway? I had/have a severe emotional attachment to a lot of “things.” It has become on of the largest hurdles that I need(ed) to overcome. I am proud of myself and have purged a very good portion of belongings that have just been collecting dust in closets/drawers/etc.

Everything started out overwhelming. Just the thought of having to go through all that stuff and knowing that there was a good chance that I would be unable to just “get rid” of it all made it extremely difficult to even start. I have to admit my first reaction was to head to the self-help articles online. I searched everything I could think of that would help me get out of this mess, literally. I was spent. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but it had to be done. I figured I’d just wing it and it’d happen on it's own. Not a very smart move. That never worked in the past. 

Sometimes inspiration hits at the most bizzare moments. I was walking through OfficeMax while my boyfriend and his mother talked to a sales associate about a laptop that was on sale. (Which, BTW, was an amazing deal for a laptop!) I enjoy paper and organization and color coding- okay, you get the idea. I thought that I’d just walk around and mingle with the office supplies. Then I saw a huge display for really nice looking organizational tools. I was impressed. Yet, the one thing that caught my eye was a lone paperback. It sat on the shelf, all by itself. It wasn’t displayed nicely or anything. It was a book called “It’s All Too Much.”

Okay, book, you got me. I want to know what you’re all about. The price was too much and my time was up at the store. I quickly wrote down the title and checked the library catalog when I got home. There it was! Right there at the library near the house! How lucky! My boyfriend did me a solid and snatched that baby up.

I can’t tell you how much more sense this book makes than others. I don’t know if it is just my way of thinking or because of my attachment to the items. I need only read the first few pages. An example of a small family, who was successful and young, yet had real issues with letting go of “things.” This hit home for me. I have yet to finish the rest of the book, but with the small amount that I have been able to get through I have cleaned out a large portion of my life. If you’re looking to clean out your life and make your stuff work for you instead of against- I highly recommend this book.

My Mission- Organize, Simplify, Enhance My Life.

Appreciation

I have been thinking about something I heard come out of my very own mouth that made way too much sense. I said it without really thinking, but heck, that’s probably when the brightest ideas happen. The exact phrase was, “We don’t have that money, so if we don’t get it, we aren’t any worse off than we are right now and we’re doing pretty well.” Wow, that is profound. I never realized that I would be the one to step out of the mind set that it is possible to “lose” something that you never had. I am astonished at how this simple thought has changed my outlook in such a small amount of time. It’s not quite “life-changing,” but let’s call it “life-altering.”

There is a difference from living life in a frugal manner to living with a poverty mentality. To me, thinking that you never have anything to spare and that every little loss sets you back to the stone ages is never going to get you anywhere but depressed and unhappy. It’s very important to realize the ways to enhance your life naturally, without placing too much pressure on finances. That said, however, finances are still a major concern for society and each of us individually- as it rightfully should be. The way things are set up in our society today, money is mandatory to live. I am a testament to that. I have been in places financially that someone with no assets to show for it should never have been. Okay, I admit that it wasn’t me that created that mess- but I was an equal partner on finding a way out.

Some days I find it hard to appreciate what I have and feel foolish and selfish because my life is so rich with people who care about me and my boyfriend. We have close family and friends, even neighbors that we are just so lucky to have. Our duplex, the steal we get on rent, the sheer convenience of our location- there is just so much to be happy about. In fact we are 100% debt free and able to save plenty more than we spend. It’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish together.

So here is my post today, about finding ways to appreciate the amazing things that make such a tremendous impact in our lives that we tend to overlook. I’d like to hear the ways you have found to “count your blessings” or just appreciate living life. Maybe we can all learn a little form each other today and find new ways to let go of guilt, jealousy and other feelings that hold us back from our full potential.

Delta Skymiles: Gimme s'more!

My boyfriend and I have been talking about traveling and the cost associated with it a LOT lately. Mostly because I want to take a vacation, but the cost just seems too out of our budget to make one happen. I have been trying everything imaginable to come up with a solution to the cost of travel, including going someplace where we can stay with friends and/or family. My most immediate is to try to tally up another 9000 frequent flier miles in any way I can.

The easiest way would be to sign up for the Delta Skymiles card, which I am reluctant to do. It would be the easiest 20,000 miles I could get, but I am wary about opening another credit card at all. I just don’t like them very much. The card that I am using currently is not a rewards card of any sort. I am losing out on a lot of free miles with even the small amounts that I put on my credit card. That is one option. I’m going to mill that one over for a bit.

I am a member of e-Miles. A site where you look at offers for 5 miles a pop. If you decide to partake in the offers, you earn even more miles. Today, I saw one from Nordstrom’s that if you bought a certain amount online, you received 1000 miles. There are other offers, too. I just choose to try and accumulate the absolutely free miles. It takes quite some time, but to me it’s worth it to not have to spend any money to get the miles. That’s the whole point of free, now isn’t it?

There is a site called e-Rewards as well. I have been doing surveys for this site for a really long time. I haven’t done many recently, though. I used to do them for shopping gift cards. This site delivers every time. Within days of cashing in my rewards dollars, that gift card is in my mailbox. Most recently I noticed that I can put those rewards dollars to good vacation use by “buying” more miles. I will keep on keeping on with those surveys and hopefully make enough to chip away at those 9000 miles I still need to get 2 free rewards flights.

Even after all of this effort, I am still looking for other ways to accumulate free Delta Skymiles. I googled it and came up with another website that you can cash in for free miles. Club Bing. I have not yet joined, but from what I read it seems easy enough. You join, you play games, you earn tickets, and then cash them in for prizes. My prize will be a free vacation for my boyfriend and me.

Next up, trying to figure out how to earn more HHonors rewards points without having to spend. That, my friends, will be for another day. For now- let’s just focus on getting those miles.

If you have any tips or ideas that I haven’t come across, I’d love the feedback. Anything that gets me to a free trip FAST!

The Next 30 Years

Mortgages. What a pain! Recently a coworker and I were chatting about how the ratio of the cost of housing has gone up so much faster than the ratio of the amount we are getting paid has. She was telling stories about how she paid 20k for her first house (and how gas was 23 cents a gallon). I was in disbelief. I can only imagine what kind of equity one would have on that house now-a-days! It's true. Houses are one of the largest (and for most of us THE largest) purchase that we will ever make. Here are some tips that I have come across that are small changes but make a huge impact.

Bi-weekly payments instead of monthly payments creates one extra mortgage payment by the end of the year. On a 30 year mortgage that brings you to pay off a few years early.

It's wise to make extra principle payments monthly. Whatever you can afford. $50, $75, $100. It doesn't matter. It is all less that you have to pay interest on.

Taking all bonuses and raises, or any other lump sum- tax refund, inheritance- and applying them straight to your mortgage principle will allow you to pay your house off early, without sacrificing your current way of life.

It's also worhtwhile to look at refinancing when the rates drop. Although, keep in mind there are fees when you decide to refinance. Make sure to crunch those numbers to find out the cost first.

TVP

The way that my beau was raised is a lot different than I was. The largest discrepancy is the way that we ate as children. My family often ate as much food for as cheap as possible. I grew up in a family of six and we often had tempting items as spaghetti, chicken or tuna casserole repetitively. Nutrition was a concern, but only after money. It’s hard to feed a family of six on one income!

My beau’s family was often very concerned with nutrition and how to get the most out of your food. I find this extremely intriguing and have become fascinated with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein). TVP is a large part of his parent’s diet. They add it to virtually everything. I found some for about $1.75/lb (after reconstituting it) so I am willing to try it as a healthier alternative to ground meats. I have yet to actually purchase it. As soon as I do, I will let you know how it goes and if it truly is a cost effective way to create healthier, more nutrient dense meals without breaking the bank or sacrificing flavor.

For more information on TVP visit : All About Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

Can't Beat This! EAT PRAY LOVE DVD

My mom's birthday is coming up and I was having trouble trying to think of something to get her. This came up on one of the email lists that I am on. I am eternally grateful. Plus, if I use my Target card and save 5%, that brings the total cost down to $0.55!! I will, however be buying smaller jars of pasta sauce.

Post from Frugal Coupon Living:

Eat Pray Love (staring Julia Roberts) is on sale right now at Target for only $9. Here’s how to get it for $1!

	Eat Pray Love $9 $4 printable = $5 Then, buy 2 jars of Classico Pasta Sauce and submit for the $4 Eat Pray Love DVD & Classico Pasta Sauce rebate. = $1 after coupon and rebate!

Thanks, Saving Cents with Sense
Pay even less by using this coupon to save $1 off each 44 oz. jar of sauce too!

Fashion on a Budget

Most women love clothes and fashion. Being up to the moment in trends and at the height of fabulous. I am the same way, but much has changed in my approach to a great wardrobe. Since I have shifted in weight enough to warrant getting rid of most of my entire closet FILLED with clothes, it has become apparent that I was spending just too much money on clothes and fashion accessories. These days, I take a new approach when I am in need of an item.

First and foremost is Resale. I make my trip to Goodwill. That's right, Goodwill. Often, if I am not looking for something particular, Goodwill has what I am looking for priced under $5. The location closest to where I reside happens to have a large selection in my size. I have discovered an Ambercrombie lined corduroy jacket ($4), a pink Banana Republic trench coat ($2.50), lined pinstripe Banana Republic dress pants ($3), a Columbia coat ($10), GAP corduroy pea coat ($5), several name brand tops for my guy (including workout shirts!). I feel excitement knowing that there is quality there. If you have the time to look through the racks and aren’t too picky on what you need- say a sun dress, instead of a yellow vintage floral silk dress- you will come away pleasantly surprised.

If, after all my efforts, I do not find something that will work, I result to discount and sale purchases. Boston Store often has “Yellow Dot” clearance racks that are up to 80% off the original price. I have purchased Calvin Klein dresses for less than $10, new. Also, discount retailers such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory. I recently purchased a new pair of running shoes that are still in retail stores and online selling for $110 for only $40!

Try outlet malls. There are 2 nearby that I like to shop. It is unbelievable the deals that you can find. I bought 2 pairs of dress pants and a pencil skirt for less that $15 at the New York and Co. outlet store. It’s great for me, because they carry a wide array of pants that come in “long” length. One other store that I never pass up is the White House|Black Market outlet. They have tops for $5.99 and pants for $9.99. They carry great basics and often you can find a deal on some classic-with-a-twist items.

A lot of stores offer rewards programs. Several don’t require you to have the store credit card, but some do. It is worthwhile to join these “clubs” as long as it costs you nothing. They often send out special deals and coupons to members only. Plus, they give you advance notice on upcoming sales and events.

Let's say you're looking for something VERY specific and will not compromise. Try sites like ideeli, RueLaLa and NoMoreRack. They have sales that last a day or 2 and the prices are very nice. Most of the items are name brand designer and they are at a deep discount. You pay a fraction of the cost. They are all free to join and offer perks (aka FREE $$ to spend) if you invite friends and they purchase from the site as well.

I'm not too picky but I certainly have a style I like to stick with. Some of the best deals I have found have been from friends and family who have outgrown their wardrobe. The price is usually little to nothing and the quality is amazing. You know the person and know the items have been well taken care of. My favorite pick up is a vintage canvas trench coat from my beau's stepfather's mother. Would that be his "stepgrandma"? She was a true fashionista in her day and had plenty of classic pieces that I got the pleasure of sifting through for FREE!

Valentine's Day

There the holidays go, begging for attention and gifts, gifts, gifts! When it comes to holidays and holiday gift giving, the amount you spend can rack up before you realize. Flowers, candy, a gift, dinner, etc. Add that up to find out that it really is ending in a large sum of cash. I like to think of myself as a really sentimental gift giver. I have always stuck with a budget (even as a child) and sometimes found myself going over, as I found THE perfect present. They really were, too. Useful and absolutely loved by the recipient. However, I have found that a lot of times a gift from the heart would have had the same impact with a much longer lasting effect.

My beau and I don’t exchange gifts for any holiday. Zero. We do participate in family gift exchanges, but don’t see the point in buying something for each other. There is limited space in our abode and to fill it with “things” tends to clutter it up. Not to mention the fact that it is already cluttered. SPRING! Come soon! I need to get to that spring cleaning!!

I have found that handwritten letters (in your own words- from the heart) are of the most value when it comes to gift giving. However, since our anniversary was just a few weeks ago, the letter is a no-go this holiday. What better way to get to a man’s heart than through food? There are several delectable recipes available that have had my mouth watering for over a week. Here are a few:

Bears on Cloud 9

Chocolate Raspberry Cups

Chicken Amore

Fresh Riccota with Rosted Red Pepper on Crostini

None of these are difficult and the results look fabulous! Now I’m salivating again.

Tonight I am making a Semi-homemade version of Spanakopita, or Greek Spinach Pie. My darling came home from Seattle raving about his brother’s recipe. Since then, I have been waiting for time to make this special meal for him as a treat. I got in touch with his brother and had him send me the recipe. As it involves phyllo dough, the difficulty of this dish was a complete turn off for me and my patience. Then, a coworker pointed out that croissants do the same job. As the crust I will be using 2 packages of croissant dough rolled out and pinched at the seams instead of the layer, egg wash, layer cycle of phyllo dough. Mix the filling (easy part), top with second package of dough, pop in the oven and DONE! Easy Spanakopita! Thanks, Jan, for the tug back to reality on that one.

After dinner, a nice relaxing evening at home. As my beau would put it, “Every day is Valentine’s Day for us.” He is a sweet man.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry (with all the $$ you're saving)

Often, my boyfriend and I are invited to dine out with friends and family. Neither of us see the real value in eating out, unless there is a significant deal involved. We just can't justify $9 for a burger or sandwich that we can make at home for around $1. It is, however, a small form of social suicide to always turn down the invitations. Yet, there is very little resistance from friends who also understand the value of saving. Here are a list of ways to save on food related items. Whether you're at work, at home, or out with friends- plan ahead and you could save a bundle.

1. Cook your own meals: The number one tip, echoed almost anywhere you look, is to cook your own meals. Cooking is a fun way to reduce your costs, provide entertainment, and eat healthier.
2. Eat less meat: Veggies are cheap per pound compared to meat, so try going with a heavier vegetable diet. If you like meat, skip beef and go more often with chicken and pork. Pork isn’t as healthy as beef but chicken is a pretty good option.
3. Meat as a side dish: If you don’t want to eat less meat, here’s a trick – use meat as a side dish and something else as the headliner. You still get your meat, but you eat less of it. Like eating eggplant and ground pork, the eggplant is the headliner and the ground pork makes up the supporting cast.
4. Eat slower: The faster you eat, the more you eat. It takes time for your stomach to tell your brain you’re full.

1. Bring your lunch: Brown bagging lunch is a great way to take a $5-$10 expense every day and bring it in under $2-3. Heck, if you’re a cold cut sub kind of person, your lunches could be under a dollar or two and still be jam-packed with goodness.
2. If you like eating out, eat out for lunch and cook for dinner: Dinner at a restaurant is far more expensive than lunch at a restaurant, so always go with lunch if you’re deciding between the two
3. Check for restaurant coupons: If you do eat out, check online or in the local circulars for coupons. At worst, you can always hit up Restaurant.com and get $25 gift certificates for $10 (or even less when they have deals- which they often do). The only warning about Restaurant.com is that their selection can be very limited depending on where you live.

1. Take advantage of restaurant specials: Several restaurants have specials on certain days of the week, or during certain hours of the day. Take advantage of these promotions. My beau and I enjoy a local restaurant that offers 1/2 off BYO (Build-Your-Own) Pasta dishes on Thursday nights. We both go for the large entree and have water with our meal. We leave the restaurant with enough leftovers for 2 more meals and a bill that is less than $11!
2. Skip the vending machine: If you really like an afternoon snack, bring your own. You can usually buy them for much much cheaper at the grocery store.

1. Grow your own herbs: Herbs are really easy to grow, they just need some dirt, some light, and they’ll grow like crazy. Vegetables are a little tougher so start off with herbs and grow the ones you use the most. Fresh herbs will taste better and you won’t have to pay McCormick & Company $5 for a container of basil.
2. Make one of those lunches a cold cut sandwich: I’m a fan of hot lunches but if you want to trim your expenses even more, make it a real budget lunch once a week for extra savings. Two slices of bread, a couple slices of your favorite cold cut, some lettuce, maybe a slice of tomato… that is some good eating with a great price.
3. Cut one (or more) dining out meal a week (or month): Think of it as a reason to test drive recipes for any holiday dinners or potlucks you’ll be attending this year. You can save big money by cutting out dinners in restaurants and it will help your waistline too. Leftovers make great lunches.
4. Make a grocery store list and stick to it: To help reduce impulse buying whenever you’re in the supermarket, make a list before you go in and stick with it. Ignore the pretty displays showing discounts on things you don’t need and go straight for what you have listed. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save time.
5. Always buy generics: I can’t think of any instances where the generic brand of something is worse than the brand name. Many companies actually produce both the brand name and the generic, they just stick the product in a different box – check the manufacturer, you’ll see what I mean.
6. Bring your own reusable bag: Or any bag for that matter, many places now will give you a nickel off your grocery store bill if you bring your reusable bag. You save money, use fewer plastic bags, and save the world in the process!

1. Water is cheaper than soda, beer, juice, coffee, tea, etc: Thirsty? Hit the water fountain. Let the cold water hit your lips and quench your thirst. Water is far cheaper than any other beverage and it has the least amount of calories.
2. Brew your own coffee: You can either pay $5 for a cup at Starbucks or brew your own for pennies. It's as simple as that.
3. Having a beer after work “just to take the edge off.” It’s extra calories consumed and extra dollars spent. After realizing how much it truly costs, you might not even enjoy it anymore.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Last night I received some terminally bad news. It helped me realize that even when you have a plan, direction and/or goal, there is always something out there that can and will stir the pot. It’s time again that I re-evaluate my route to reaching my goals and become flexible knowing that I sometimes have no choice. Roll with the changes (thanks REO). Today I am going to go over some tips about how to become debt free and set in place a back up plan. Thanks to some friends of my ex for gifting us one of the most useful items ever, David Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. 

1. Get current on all of your debt. Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover uses a baby step plan. Before you can start on the baby steps though, you must understand all of your debt.

2. Save $1,000 in your Basic Emergency Fund (BEF). If you make less than $20,000 per year, you can reduce this amount to $500. The reason for the basic emergency fund is to have cash flow for any emergencies. If you throw all of your extra money at your debt and your car has a sudden tire blowout, you might not have the money to pay for the new tire and might reach for your credit card. You have got to stop spending on credit immediately and this $1,000 BEF is meant to act as a cushion between you and your credit cards.

3. Get out of debt. List your debts from smallest to largest and start hammering away at the smallest debt. Once that is paid off, take your minimum payment from that debt and apply it to the next smallest. Put any extra money that you receive towards your smallest debt. Do not include your mortgage in this step.

4. Build up your Fully Funded Emergency Fund (FFEF). Ramsey recommends three to six months of expenses. This isn’t three to six months of income, but of actual expenses. Since you are out of debt except for the mortgage (if you have one), three to six months of expenses is smaller than your income earned during this period.

5. Save 15% of your annual income for retirement. Ramsey recommends that you participate in your company’s retirement savings plan up to the match maximum (if your company matches funds) and then look at Roth IRAs for additional retirement savings.

6. Plan for your children’s college expenses. Create a separate college savings account for each of your children. If you don’t have children, and don’t plan to, you can skip this step.

7. Pay off your mortgage early. Once you have your FFEF and have set aside retirement and college savings, put extra money towards your mortgage to pay it off early. Financial freedom comes when you have no debt and a fully paid for house.

8. Build and share your wealth. Once you have no debt, you are able to more quickly build your net worth and subsequently share your wealth with others.

Read more: Purchase David Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover

Also, if you have a hard time tracking your spending, consider using Mint.com. They are very user-friendly and FREE. I use it to keep track of everything in one easy screen shot. They are awesome with budgets and visuals (pie charts, graphs, etc.) to keep you in the know on your finances.

Quick, Easy, Cheap!

One of my favorite websites for deals posted this in preparation for Valentine's Day. It's absolutely adorable and so affordable!

Here is the post from Frugal Coupon Living:

There have been plenty of Valentine’s Deals! I LOVE this adorable Valentine Idea from Frugal Living Chic.

SeeHere has 25 FREE 4×8 cards. These make perfect Valentines or Holiday Thank You Notes.

First, open an account with SeeHere. This offer is for new accounts. Accounts are based on email addresses. NEW accounts get 25 FREE 4×8 Photo Cards with code 25cards at checkout. S&H is $4.99 which will bring your order to $.19 per photo card.

You could order 24 cards for $2.99 S&H which brings them down to $.12 a card!

Head to SeeHere to get started!

Offer expires 03/31/11.

Thanks Frugal Living Chic for the ADORABLE idea and photo.

February Grocery Shop

I didn’t post on this right away because of my lack of time. I have found a groove in my life that has given me some much appreciated quality time at home. That seriously cuts into my blogging, especially since I don’t generally think about the internet unless I am in the process of utilizing it.

I promised to tell you all about my experimental “monthly” grocery shopping trip. I ended up purchasing 90% of what I required for the meals I will make at ALDI. If you have one of these near you- really take advantage of it. Yes, you have to bring a quarter for your cart (you get it back when you lock it back in) and you must bring your own bags (we’re green anyway, right?) but the prices are unbeatable! Not only that, but items that I generally would head to Trader Joe’s for appeared in the freezer section this time around! How about that? The rest (mostly lunchmeat and other deli items I DON’T recommend buying at ALDI) I purchased at Pick ‘n’ Save. I don’t know if they are regional or not, but it is the Wisconsin equivalent to Kroger.

All in all I have purchased all the food I will need for the entire month of February for a total of $96. $96(!!!) PEOPLE!! This whole experiment has already worked out far beyond what I had originally expected. Honestly, I believe that there is much more than one month’s worth of meals there. I think this could easily take me halfway into March. Granted, I am just feeding 2 people, but seriously. I used to spend $50 a week easily in my last “life” (the one with my former partner). It’s amazing how planning can cut down my most major cost- Food!

Once my life allows me the time, I will be sitting in front of the computer tallying the costs of each item into a spreadsheet. It’s my own personal project to help you (who am I kidding, it’s for me, too) know when a sale price grocery item is really a good deal or not. If anyone already has a spreadsheet devised, I would appreciate having a template that already exists. It would save me a ton of time.

Free food!

Nothing makes the mouth water more than the thought of free food. Today is free bagel day at Bruegger's bagels. From opening until 2pm today Bruegger's will be giving away 3 bagels for "liking" them on Facebook. Head over to Facebook and grab your coupon. Hurry! 2 o'clock will be here sooner than you realize it!

Saving at Home

The other day while at the store, my boyfriend and I got to talking about CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs.) I think that they are a great way to shave off money on our electric bill. Now, we have a 2-week rule about any purchases that aren’t necessities. Before making the big plunge, there is always a cost-benefit analysis done. This one didn’t take long to decide that it would be a worthwhile venture for us. These bulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. They do take some getting used to, and they won’t work in every light fixture. But use them where it makes sense and save energy and money. In our calculations, these puppies will end up saving us upwards of $50 a year in energy costs- that’s for a small one bedroom apartment. I can only imagine how much it could save by replacing a whole household with CFLs!

It’s been a cold winter. Our upper (we live in a duplex) is small and practically sieves heat from every wall, window, etc. Trying hard to figure out ways to keep our rising energy costs down, besides our bright light bulb idea, has been a huge past time. Lately we have been strategically trying to figure out what the downstairs neighbors keep their heat at and how much their heat actually helps heat our space. If we turn our heat off, the apartment actually stays near 55 degrees. Definitely not enough to keep us warm, but it gave us enough information to know that we should probably keep the thermostat UNDER that by a few degrees so that it doesn’t kick in all day long while we are gone. We also decided to try and close certain vents in rooms we don’t frequent. Which in a small apartment, it’s not easy. We decided to put both the bathroom and kitchen nearly closed. The heat from cooking keeps the kitchen warmed while being used. The bathroom, for some reason, never seems to get too cold. I bet we have the neighbors downstairs to thank for that one. By obtaining this information (and living through a few cold days with several blankets) we have a system down that heats the area to just where we are comfortable when we are there, and keeps the heat from kicking on when we aren’t. This last bill we saved over $40 from last month. Now THAT is a saving strategy worth sharing!

Before I met my beau, I was in a long term relationship where we mostly bonded while watching TV or on vacations. Television was an integral part of my life that I never thought I would be able to let go. I had MY SHOWS! I desperately needed to watch them. That is until I got a life and discovered Hulu.com. Moving in with my guy was hard at first, as cable was a needless expense to him. I didn’t understand how someone could live with a TV and almost never turn it on, let alone not have every station under the sun. What if Lifetime Classic-Made-for-TV Movie channel was running a marathon that I couldn’t miss?? We watched movies every once an awhile, but mostly did physical activities such as biking and going for walks. At first, I endured. Then it became easier. Then football season reared its head. My father, knowing that I couldn’t live without football- I really can’t- hooked me up with a free converter box. He took advantage of the government giveaway, much to my appreciation. We pay $0 dollars for cable every month and still get a great variety of shows, including my precious football. Cable television is very unnecessary. This is coming from ME, people. I was in love with TV. I would’ve married it if I could, need it only propose to me. It is a MAJOR savings for us monthly. This is a HIGHLY recommended way to actually stop doing passive interactions with people and really BOND with your partner.

Super Bowl Sunday

Since I am a Wisconsin native, this weekend is going to be a big one. The Green Bay Packers (miraculously) are in the Super Bowl! Here are some recipes, several that I have personally tried and love. Most of these are from Hungry Girl. Her cookbooks are awesome and the recipes are easy and much healthier than their greasy fried counterparts.


Hungry Girl's amazing faux-fried foods!


Plus, if you aren't aware- most grocery stores have double coupon days. The one closest to my house does it every Saturday and then has "events" where certain months also have a weekday that they will double all manufacturers coupons. I must say, I wasn't aware of this and never have been a huge coupon clipper. Let me explain how fantastic a deal this can be. Most of the time when there are manufacturers coupons for a product, my local chain has the item on sale as well. This makes it such a good deal. But what if I want a GREAT deal?? Well, double coupon day shop! This takes some of these seemingly small coupons to huge price reductions.


Yes, I am going on and on about this. I am young and haven't had a lot of experience in this facet of saving. I do, however, have a question for you.


Where do you get your manufacturers coupons from?


They seem to be harder and harder to find now-a-days.


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I have to tell you about this simple, yet wonderful idea that my co-workers started. I used to end up buying books that I wanted to read at bookstores because the holds at the library were out of control. How can "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" have over 700 holds on it? That means that I won't be able to check that puppy out for over 2 years!! The girls in my department have started a collection that fills one large file drawer with books they have bought and read. What an astounding idea! I rarely do anything with the books I buy after reading them. They just end up on my bookshelf at home collecting dust. Why more people don't do this is beyond me. Not only does it save us all beaucoup bucks, it helps us do that office bonding thing that companies love so much.

It feels like a Monday

To everyone that was a regular reader of my last blog, I have shut that one down. I've gone through some changes and felt it was best to start fresh.

In my quest to live a fulfilling life, I have found that most things that are of importance cost very little. This saves me large amounts of cash as well as a lot of stress. As I come across tips, freebies, easy (and I mean EASY) recipes and other such tokens of wisdom- I will pass these along to you. Otherwise, you'll be reading about my day-to-day. Hopefully you will find some of helpful gems and be able to apply them to your life.

If you have any suggestions or run across any helpful hints- please let me know so I can share your wisdom!

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Lately I have been interested in ways to save money thoughout the month of February. This is all an attempt to "not spend any money" the entire MONTH of February. Obviously there are exceptions to this "rule," as I have loan payments and the like. My vision here is to go to the grocery store one time per month with a game plan. The desired outcome is to spend a lot less on groceries than I normally do.

That said, I haven't been keeping track of my spending on groceries, but it has been over $200 a month for 2 people. If the shopping is done smartly and strategically, I don't see any reason to not spend less than $200 every month.

Here is what I have done so far:

- create a monthly meal plan, with built-in left-over meal days.
- create a monthly grocery list
- Shop wisely for these items (I will be first going to Aldi to get most of the items there, then to Trader Joes for the specialties)

Yes, I know that February has already started. The massive snow fall in the Midwest has crippled my ability to make it to the grocery store for a large shopping trip. I will be heading there this weekend. If anyone has ever done this before, any tips or tricks you have would be great!



Here are the links to the forms I used for creating the meal plan and grocery list-

http://frugalliving.about.com/library/pdfs/MonthlyMealPlanningWorksheetA.pdf

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=grocery&origin=TC006089426#ai:TC030007984|

And then the sun came out...

Not too cold ... for a snowman

A lone snowman takes in the view of Lake Michigan from a bench near Bradford Beach.

Sometimes the news can be really endearing. You go, JSonline!