Ready for my guide to getting in shape for just pennies? Here we go:
1. Don’t buy anything
2. Take a walk outside; jog the last five minutes
3. Repeat tomorrow
How’s that for easy!
Okay, maybe I oversimplified. But, not really. You don’t need anything to start working out. You just need to go outside and do it! Continue reading »
This recipe is so ridiculously easy, you’ll never buy canned soup again!
Cook 1/2C chopped onion and 1C chopped celery in a pot with 1T melted butter for 5 minutes until veggies are tender.
Stir in 60oz of chicken broth (4 cans), 14.5oz of vegetable broth, 1/2lb uncooked bite-sized chicken pieces, 1C chopped carrots, 1/4t basil, 1/4t oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer 10 mins.
While all that is simmering cook the egg noodles in a separate pot then add to soup and simmer another 10 mins.
Eat and enjoy! … Continue reading »
This is a fabulous cheesecake that is much easier to make than it appears. This recipe is very flexible, even for a cheesecake, and the end result is definitely worth it (and boyfriend approved!).
Crust: Press 2C cinnamon graham cracker crumbs, 1/8C sugar & 1/3C softened butter into a spring-form pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Strawberry Sauce: Blend 20oz. strawberries with 1T cornstarch until smooth then boil in a pot for 2 minutes and refrigerate to cool.
Cake: Beat 2pkgs cream cheese until fluffy then beat in 1C sweetened condensed milk, 1/8C lemon juice and 3 eggs. Continue reading »
I was tired of dishing out $3 for sugary syrup at the store, so I decided to just make my own. Don’t worry! This isn’t a huge project at all; In fact, it’s easier than making a pot of rice.
Mix 2/3C cocoa powder with 1C sugar in a pot on the stove.
Stir in 1C of water and boil everything for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in 1t of vanilla then pour the syrup into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
Easy easy easy!
The syrup will thicken upon cooling and the … Continue reading »
This is as easy as you can get and you should already have all the ingredients in your pantry.
Mix 1/3C of dijon mustard, 1/3C honey, 2T mayo, and 1t steak/worcestershire sauce.
That’s it! Mix it all up and it’s good to use right away or refrigerate it for later.
Some meal suggestions: dip for spicy chicken/wings, dip for french fries, dressing in a chicken wrap, mix with tunafish, mix with mashed potatoes or just as a chicken marinade.
This mustard is extremely flexible and you can adjust the ratio of ingredients to fit your taste-buds.
How’d I do this month?
Bars: $0/$20
Bills & Utilities: $114/$200
Car Payment: $0/$300
Cell: $77/$80
Entertainment: $49/$50
Gas: $156.36/$190
Gifts: $39/$300
Groceries: $15/$200
Personal Care: $0/$20
Restaurants: $18/$70
Shopping: $11/$100
Student Loan: $0/$162
Continue reading »
I really wanted to stretch out my December budget and put a lot into savings, so I decided, on a whim and completely unprepared, to use every single food item I have in my kitchen before grocery shopping again. I didn’t go to the grocery store from November 25, 2009 to January 10th, 2010.
I typically go grocery shopping once a month though sometimes I will purchase milk, eggs and bread mid-month. This time, I didn’t even want to do that. I started out with everything mentioned in the link above plus all baking essentials. I really lucked out by purchasing all that meat and freezing it. I made my normal meals for a while and didn’t think anything of it until the middle of December. A life saver was having my home-made marinara sauce in the freezer. Definitely glad that I made extra of that. Continue reading »
I wanted to have soup for lunch today, so I drove out to Target and picked up a 10.5oz can of their condensed chicken noodle soup for $0.59. Not the healthiest, I know, but I just wanted something light.
Before leaving the aisle, I noticed that they had Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup in a ready-to-eat microwaveable container. I already had a mug at work that I planned to prepare my soup in, but I took a look at the price just out of curiosity. The 15.4oz microwaveable soup was $1.47! Continue reading »
I am one of those people who will spend cash when they have it. Small purchases that I wouldn’t normally bother to charge, I will buy if I have cash on me. Basically, I have learned that having cash around is not a good idea.
I know that some people are the opposite. Cash may seem like real money to you. For me, I feel I have to be more accountable to debit charges than cash purchases. When I look at my bank statement, there is no denying that $45 spent at Target or $28 at Express. I am not one to keep receipts so tracking my purchases with cash is not practical for me.
When I have cash, I find myself going out of the way to deposit it at the bank, to make sure I don’t irresponsibly spend it. Then I have to go out of my way to the ATM to take it out, which often results in taking out more than I need and sometimes being charged extra fees. However, in the past month, I found a better way to deal with cash. Continue reading »
Every weekend, I will detail my activities and expenses to provide an example of how to implement a frugal mindset while still having a fun and active life.
Since this was a long weekend, I’ll start by detailing Wednesday night (the 23rd) through Sunday (the 27th).
I went out to a local bar with some friends and spent $3 on an infamous chocolate cake shot (no chocolate involved, I swear!). I spent the rest of the evening chatting with my friends and had a great time. I only brought five dollars with me so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend more. The plan worked. I passed on a second drink and still had an enjoyable evening.
Wednesday Total Cost: $3.00 Continue reading »
Making a budget is tough! For starters, you can’t just go out and make your budget. Why? Well, how are you going to know what to budget if you don’t know what you already spend?
See, this is usually what happens with budgets. You make your budget. You estimate $100 for groceries and $50 for eating out. By the second week, you’ve already exceeded both of these budgets. Not wanting to starve yourself, you declare budgeting to be “stupid” and “a waste of time.”
A budget is only successful if it is realistic. So, let’s start with my Beginner’s Budget template that I’ve already created just for you. (Yes, you!). Continue reading »
I didn’t buy a single Christmas gift this year. And it was such a relief.
Now that it is Christmas day, I can look back and realize that this was a stress-free holiday for me. It was nice not worrying about finding gifts that people will like and use. I didn’t have to find free-shipping deals or store discounts. I didn’t have to fend off crazy mall shoppers and drivers. There was no need to worry about spending too much money or fearing January credit card bills. Even my evenings were free from spending hours on crafting gifts. Continue reading »
Life is always throwing obstacles at us, that’s just the way it goes. It is up to us to be tough and face what we are dealt. Accepting change and adapting is necessary to progress. Whether it’s something as silly as our clothing style adapting to a new dress code, or as deep as our moral compass adapting to a personal family situation.
In the beginning of December, I made a budget for the month. For the first two weeks I was sticking by it without a problem. Then, I learned some disappointing news about my job. Immediately I had to adapt my budget to the new financial situation. During this unstable time, I am being even more frugal than usual. All entertainment is being sacrificed until I am certain of my income once again and my savings has taken a priority over debt repayment.
Continue reading »
I have been living on my own for ten years now. And over the course of those years, I have lived with 23 different roomates!
From a financial perspective, living with roomates is a good deal. All your rent and living expenses are shared. Rather than pay $100 for cable/month I am paying $34. Also, in states with a higher cost of living (such as New Jersey), renting a one bedroom apartment for $1000+ isn’t an option for many (including myself).
Continue reading »
According to dictionary.com, the word Frugal means: “economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful” and “entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty”. Essentially, being frugal is being resourceful.
Every now and then I try to put this to the test. For example, instead of running out and buying more exfoliator, I decided to use the resources I already had, to make my own. And it worked out great. Continue reading »
