Weakness Points

Recently, I made the commitment to pinch my pennies, go on a budget and start a shopping ban once again.  I thought the first step I should take is to identify all of those places that I fall prey to spending more money (I'm nervous this is going to be a long list....) so I know which places (and areas) I need to steer clear of when out in town.

1.  Wal-Mart

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I touched on this yesterday, but I'm terrible about making a grocery run and buying a bunch of crap I don't need.  I'm the poster child for effective advertising.  If it promises to make my life easier, more organized, simpler or just looks pretty in the package, I'm probably going to be tempted to buy it.  Thanks to some really great readers, I've gotten some great suggestions on where to shop for groceries once we move back to Etown.  Now, I need a lesson in couponing.  I don't want to be an extreme couponer, by any means, but I always seem to find the coupons that are "Buy 6, get 1 free."  Well, I don't need 6.  I'll barely use the one that I have to buy.  I need to know where to find good, worthwhile coupons that are going to save me money on the things I need without making me buy 80 of them to get a discount. 

2.  Target

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Oh Target.  How I could talk for hours about your Clearance section and clean stores and Bullseye logo that suck me in.  Your accessories, your clothing, your shoes, your home section.  I love it all.  And that's why I won't be seeing you for 90 days.  At all.  I just can't.  I don't have that much willpower.  But please know that I will miss you very much....even though my bank account won't.

3.  Organizational aisles

I'm an organized nerd.  I love planners, binders, bins, shelves, containers, anything that makes my life even halfway organized. I will buy planners just because I like the way they're laid out....even though I already have a planner for 2013.  I'll buy stackable containers to store office supplies...even though I already have an organizational system in place in my home office.  Therefore, I must stay away from Office Depot, Staples, Michaels and all organizational and home supply aisles in any store I go in.

4.  Pier One, Kirklands, TJ Maxx, etc.

We're moving.  We're getting a new home.  A blank canvas.  That's just begging to be decorated exactly how I want it to be.  That I'm dying to make look exactly like all the pins I've been faithfully pinning on Pinterest.  But I can't.  That would be EXPENSIVE.  Instead, I'm not going to unpack all of the old stuff that I didn't like about our current house.  I'm going to work on my house a tiny little bit at a time.  It may take 5  years, but it would finally be how I wanted it.  I'm horrible about buying little knickknacky clearance things if I think it looks cute.  As a result, my house looks.....jumbled.  Not pulled together.  Not how I want it.  Stay away from all home goods stores, Devan.

5.  Avery clothing

Ugh.  Little girl's clothing.  I buy it like crazy...even when my child doesn't need it.  I buy the cutest dress, the cutest shoes, the cutest shirt.  As a result, she has a pair of shoes that only match two shirts in her entire wardrobe, shirts that don't match any pants and dresses for the wrong season.  I'm going to plan ahead when it comes to shopping for Avery.  Before buying that adorable shirt, make sure it's practical and that she can wear it more than just once.  I'm going to allow myself to buy Avery clothes during my shopping ban, but only on a limited basis and only if she truly needs it.

6.  Clearance sections

Do I need to say more?  Totally off-limits.


That's it.  It's easier for me to spend less when I can identify my weaknesses and know exactly what I need to stay away from.

What's your shopping weakness??

Acting My Wage.

This past summer, I embarked on a personal finance journey that was really successful for me and for my bank account.  I think it's time to dredge it out of the archives....with some slight changes.
Introducing:  Penny Pinching Summer LIVING!  

I'm bringing it back y'all!  It's time to start, as Dave Ramsey would say, "acting my wage."  Marty and I have had a pretty significant life change happen to us in the last couple months.  I eluded to it a couple of posts ago, but I think it's finally safe to say:  we're moving!  We're finally moving back home to Etown!  I'll go into more detail later, but we're leaving our little starter home for a bigger  home, more suited for our family and closer to the ones we love.  But with a new, bigger home comes new, bigger expenses.  Bigger utility bills.  Bigger problems.  Bigger upgrades and work I want done to make the house the one of my dreams.  And Marty and I can afford all this (obviously, or we wouldn't be moving in the first place), but I don't want to get to the point where we're scraping together our pennies and dimes because we've strapped ourselves down with a bigger mortgage.  So I'm taking the first step to discipline myself.  I don't have to.  I WANT to.  I'm the world's worst about buying crap I don't need.  I go to the grocery and I end up with probably $30 of stuff that wasn't on the list, I just felt like I needed it.  I go into a store and end up buying myself two shirts off the clearance rack because I felt like it was a deal I couldn't pass up.  I don't spend money with my head.  I don't logically think about what I should or shouldn't be buying.  I shop with my emotions...the worst kind.  I impulsively buy things, get them home and then later feel guilty about not saving the money for something more important.  I'm HORRIBLE about going out to eat.  Getting a Coke in the mornings.  Grabbing myself some breakfast.  Hitting the drive through for lunch because I was too lazy to get up early and make myself a lunch.  Well, no more.  Not only am I resurrecting the "Penny Pinching" idea, I'm going to put myself back on a shopping ban.  I did it a couple of years ago, and I was successful.  But I limited myself to not buying anything for myself--meaning new clothing, shoes, a pair of earrings.  I'm taking that a step further.  I buy NOTHING.  For 90 days.  Unless it's a necessity.  I spend absolutely no money except on groceries, necessities for the new house and necessities for Avery.  That's it.  No more little knickknacks at Kirklands or cute little home items at Target.  No more shoes from the clearance rack or craft items that I don't need.  I am going to start crafting and selling again when we get moved into our new house to make myself a little extra "cushion" money (a.k.a. I'm saving to treat myself to a new couch!), but if it's not a necessity for the specific craft I'm making, I won't buy it.  Now, here's where you come in.  Hold me accountable.  Ask how my shopping ban is going (and then be a shoulder to cry on when I tell you about an adorable purse I had to pass up).  Tell me about great deals and how to save money at the grocery (where I fail miserably at saving money).  Tell me where I can get good discounted clothing or deals on Avery things.  Let's make this a group thingy!  You share deals and penny pinching tips with me, and I'll do the same for you (here's my first--start by making  your own laundry detergent!).  And hopefully later, we'll both be in excellent financial shape and be able to brag about being debt free (hey, I dream big, okay?).
I'll leave you with a couple of Dave Ramsey quotes that are going to be my motivation for the next 90 days.

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No, shoes.  I don't need you.  No, unnecessary Walmart crap.  I don't need you.  No, Marty.  We don't need to go out to eat tonight. Let me make dinner tonight.

Printing this off and putting it in my wallet.  Right by my debit card.

Goodbye Michaels and Target.  I'll see you in 90 days.

Organize One Thing Wednesdays Gets Chilly!

There is nowhere in my house that disorganization drives me more crazy than in my kitchen.  I'm constantly looking for new ways to organize my pantry, under the kitchen sink, cabinets....and the fridge.  I was wasting so much food because my refrigerator was so ridiculously unorganized.  I had no idea what food I had in there on a day-to-day basis.  A fridge organizational overall commenced!  Afters:

"The Dairy Shelf" is where I keep all my dairy products (except a gallon of milk).  The cream cheeses, shredded cheeses, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese (geez, cheese overload!!), butter and buttermilk all reside here.  A cheap dollar store basket helps me corral all those shredded cheese bags that are too wimpy to stand or stack on their own.

I don't even want to think about all of the money that I've wasted on produce that rotted or went bad before we had a chance to eat it.  I would make the effort to buy healthy fruits and veggies and throw them in the crisper drawer, still in their little produce bags, to be forgotten about forever.   Problem was, when they were still in the bags, it was hard to see what was in there..."Is that a green pepper or a granny smith apple??"  So I bought some more dollar store baskets and started putting the veggies in the bottom drawer and fruits in the top so I could easily identify what we had on hand.

If I buy veggies for the purpose of adding them as toppings on salads or sandwiches, I slice them up as soon as I get home.  I slice my green peppers into strips.  I cut one tomato into slices for sandwiches and dice the other for tacos and salads.  I cut celery sticks into hand-held pieces for snacking and lunch sides.  After I'm done cutting, I put the veggies into Tupperware containers.  This makes it SO easy in the morning when I'm making lunch.  If I want a ham sandwich with green peppers and tomatoes, I open the Tupperware container and throw 'em on.  Before, I would have to get the tomato out, find a knife, cut it up, add it to the sandwich, wrap the tomato back up, add the tomato to the sandwich, put it back in the fridge.  Time-waster in the morning--and I need every free second I can get during my morning routine.  Time wasters are NOT allowed. 
I've also started putting my bagged lettuce into a sealed container that can easily be taken out and made into a fresh salad or be added as a topping.  I know it's no different than grabbing the bag out of the fridge, but this way, I have the container on a shelf at eye level and it helps me remember that I have lettuce in the fridge that can be used.  I've cut down on some MAJOR lettuce wasting by doing this. 
All of the lunch meats are on a shelf together for easy grabbage.  Tortillas in the "meat" drawer because they're a funky shape and I just wanted them out of the way :)

And voila.  You have yourself an organized, but not obsessively so, fridge.  It makes things so much easier when lunch and dinner prepping and has actually helped me eat healthier.  I still have some ideas out there, like place mats or Press and Seal paper to help prevent spills and make an easier clean-up if one were to happen.  What's your fridge look like?  Organized bliss or crazy chaos??

1950s housewife, here I come.

It's June 14th and I'm continuing my "Penny Pinching Summer" in my quest to save and be less stressed about every aspect of my life where money and spending are concerned.  So far, I've been doing well by saving money at the grocery through coupons and store-brand shopping.  I've been keeping more green in my wallet by passing up the clothing stores for myself and Avery and only picking up things that are needed in our wardrobes.  I eat out less and cook at home more.  I bought pretty much all of the gifts for Avery's birthday using a gift card that I got to the Disney Store. 

Now, I'm looking to save money around the house.  The obvious answer led me right to my laundry room.  I know I can't be the only one who has gawked at the price of laundry detergent lately.  It's RIDICULOUS.  I buy Tide Coldwater because, obviously, I wash everything in cold water.  I also buy Dreft because Avery had eczema pretty bad as a newborn, so I didn't want anything to irritate her already delicate skin.  At ten months old, the eczema has all but disappeared and I'm ready to stop spending so much on detergent.  At Wal-Mart, the Tide Coldwater is around $12 for 100 ounces.  The Tide website says that you can get 52 loads out of a 100 oz.  So I'll base my numbers around that estimate, although I probably get less loads out of a bottle because I'm super guilty of not measuring out my detergent.  Pour some in the cap, dump in the wash, close the lid.  Anyway, back to the detergent.  If you are a good little laundry-doer and get the 52 loads out of a container, you're spending 23 cents a load.  I hear you now, Devan it's only 23 cents.  What on earth can you buy with 23 cents??  Just wait.  If you also count the Dreft, which is about $16, at 52 loads, I'm spending 30 whopping cents a load on baby clothes.  Yeah, that's gotta stop.
Once I decided that I wanted to go all pioneer woman and make my own detergent, I started looking around on Pinterest (of course) for the perfect detergent "recipe."  I was surprised by the variety of homemade detergents.  Some people put scented oil in theirs to give their laundry a fresh, clean scent.  Others put Oxi Clean in to make sure their whites sparkled.  Still others added baking soda to give their laundry that extra "oomph."  Despite all the variations, three ingredients remained consistent in all the recipes--Borax, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and bar soap.  Most used a fancy type of washing soap like Fels-Naptha or Zote, but I decided that I would stick with good old, time trusted Ivory soap.  I decided to stick with the basic 3 ingredients for now and leave the recipe open to change if I decided it needed a little something more.

Count 'em...just THREE ingredients

After the ingredients were purchased, it was time to assemble.  I bought a small plastic container at Wal-Mart that I knew would fit in my laundry room and would hold a large amount of detergent if I decided to make it in bulk.  Making this detergent couldn't be easier.  Three steps.....ready?  Pour the entire boxes of Borax and Super Washing Soda into your container. 

After the two powders are poured, take a cheese grater and grate 3 bars of soap into the mix.  If you have a food processer, you can use that....I'm not fancy and had to use a basic hand grater.  The result will look like a bunch of grated Mozzarella cheese.  It's not.  Don't eat it. :)  Another plus to making this detergent?  Your arm gets a good workout while grating. 

Don't be fooled...it's soap.

Alright.  Soap is grated, powders are poured.  Now, stick your hand in and mix it all together.  This was the hardest part for me because I'm a texture freak and this was weird.  I mixed quickly and ran to the sink to wash off.  And I'm D-O-N-E, done.  

Detergent!

Now for the savings.  Prepare to be stunned.  Earlier I mentioned that I was spending 23 cents for every load of mine and Marty's clothing and 30 cents on Avery's.  On my three ingredients, I spent $7.86.  Most of the blogs I read of ladies making their own detergent call for either one or two heaping tablespoons of detergent in your washer.  Here comes a little math...stay with me....the Borax comes in a 76 oz box, the Washing Soda is 55 oz and the three bars of soap were a total of 9.5 oz=140.5 ounces of detergent.  The conversion from ounces to tablespoons is 1 oz=2 tablespoons, so I have approximately 281 tablespoons of detergent.  If I put just ONE tablespoon per load of laundry, I would be able to do 281 loads.  Ready?  $7.88/281= 3 CENTS A LOAD.  Even if I use two tablespoons per load, I'm spending about 6 cents.  Are. You. Kidding. Me??  Basically, every time I walk to my washing machine and do a load of laundry, I'm saving myself 50 cents.  On 281 loads of laundry, I'm keeping $140.50 for myself to spend on something else.  Take a moment to soak that in.  Can we say "No Brainer??" 

Of course I had to make the container pretty.  I'm a self-diagnosed over decorator.

Note:  Most articles I read mentioned that you might have some soapy build-up from this type of detergent.  It's an easy fix....dump a cup of vinegar in your washing machine and run an empty load to keep your drum clean and soap-free.  Some places also mentioned using 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the dryer as a fabric softner to remove soapy residue from clothing.  I'll be interested to see how my detergent smells and how well it cleans my clothing.  I'll keep you guys updated on that.  But for now, 20 cents of savings is worth trying my homemade detergent!  Next, I'm working on finding ways to save on fabric softner.  Stay tuned for more Penny Pinching tips around the home!

Sources:  Sugar Pie Farmhouse  Yellow Brick Home  How Does She?

Menu! Printables! Supper Clubbing!

As promised, this week's "Super Messy Supper Club" menu:

Monday-- Rotel Chicken Skillet
Tuesday-- Ranch Chicken  (Combine 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes. 3/4 cup parmesan cheese. 1 packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix. Dip 8 chicken halves in melted butter and then roll in cornflake mix. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Bake @ 350 for 45 min)
Wednesday-- Forgotten Chicken                                       
Thursday-- Baked Fajitas

Friday-Sunday, I'll be in Gatlinburg for my cousin's bachelorette party, so Marty and Avery are on their own. :)

And since we know that you should menu plan before you go shopping for all your dinner ingredients, I've made up your very own "Super Messy Supper Club" menu and grocery list planner for you to save to your computer and print off any time you make your weekly menu and shop accordingly.  Happy menu planning. :)

My penny pinching brag of the week.

Well, actually its a couple of brags on myself.  This week, I paid off two of my medical bills and freeing up $125 from my paycheck to go towards saving and debt reduction.  Can I get a "woot woot?"  Tonight, I went to the grocery.  Before my penny pinching summer began, it was not unheard of for me to spend $200+ at the grocery. That $200 was a huge hit to my bank account, leaving little money for all the other necessities (and sometimes frivolous purchases) I bought.  Well, times have changed and I'm fully embracing the penny pinching lifestyle.  Tonight, I had to embark on a marathon shopping spree.  You know the kind--when your kitchen has nothing but butter, Ritz crackers and spaghetti noodles.  Spending over $200 was no longer an option for me.  So I planned.  I planned my meals for the week (menu to be posted asap) and made my grocery list.  I clipped coupons and figured out which were going to expire soonest and what items I was really going to need in the near future (because whats the point of buying ketchup for 50¢ less when you have two economy size bottles at home?). When making out my list, I now write "coupons" by the item that I'm buying that has a corresponding coupon.  Too many times, I would have the coupon clipped and with me, and somewhere in the chaos that is grocery shopping and paying (especially at Wal-Mart), I would forget that I even had it.  Then the coupon would expire.  Stupid, I know.  I arrived at the grocery, list in hand and I shopped.  In my reckless spending days, I only bought name-brand food.  I guess I thought that the off-brand would taste horrible and wasn't worth the savings.  Ridiulous.  I still believe that some items are worth the splurge and taste different.  But whats the point of paying $3 more for a can of spaghetti sauce that tastes exactly the same as the store brand?  So, cart overflowing with off-brand items and coupons in hand, I made my way to the check-out.  Before going in, I gave myself a $150 budget.  My total tonight, if you take away a $14 sundress I purchased for myself for tomorrow's church service, was $152.  Yayyyyy!  Don't worry, I'm patting myself on the back for you.  I realize that some of you serious grocery shoppers out there are probably balking at a $166 grocery bill.  But for two weeks worth of food for Marty and I and a completely stocked baby food cabinet and wipes,  Maybe I can slowly whittle off $10 here and $20 there to get my total lower, but for someone that was used to spending $180-$230 at the grocery, I'm pretty dang proud.

Penny Pinching Tips....from a pro.

I feel like an official blogger now...I've asked a guest poster to give you some tips on how to save some money.  Lucky for you, she gets paid to tell people how to save money as the Nelson County FCS agent....and she's my sister!  We are nothing alike--Dayna is a saver, I'm a spender.  Dayna is outgoing, I'm super shy.  Dayna is modern and color, I'm vintage and black and white.  Despite all this, the boys in our family can't tell us apart when they're learning names.  I'm "black hair," she's "red hair."  So, without further ado, Red Hair and her "Penny Pinching" tips.

Hey Penny Pinchers!

I hope that Devan has been giving you some helpful tips this summer about how she saves money and that you’ve been able to apply them to your own life. Dev asked me to “guest post” on her blog because her “Penny Pinching Summer” idea is exactly what I do in my job. I am the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at the Nelson County Extension Office. (Every county has an extension office and most have an FCS agent- check out your county office here: www.ca.uky.edu/county). Basically, it’s my job to deliver UK information to the community about financial management, nutrition, food preservation, food safety, child development and much more. It’s kind of hard to explain to people but I love it.

Fortunately for you, the information I give out about financial management is all research based and backed by the one and only University of Kentucky. So, I figured I’d compile all of my favorite money saving tips into one and then give you the links to a few publications on saving money.
First: Couponing 101
Couponing 101 is just a lesson for basic coupon etiquette and use for those individuals who want to use coupons to save a little dough. Basically, it’s for those smart folks who take the free money stores send out in the paper every week.
When couponing, don’t make your list around the coupons. Make your grocery list, then browse the coupons to see if you can use any. If you hunt through coupons first you’ll end up buying things you don’t need just because you have a coupon for it, which ultimately, just cost you more money.
When you coupon, sort them out in some way that makes sense to you. Some people like to separate into food and non-food, some put them in order of the grocery store aisles, and others paper clip the ones they know they’re going to use onto their list. Regardless of how you do it, find a way that works best for you. It may take you a few tries but you’ll figure something out.
The first rule of couponing is this: only try to use the coupons for what they are intended. If it says buy three, save $3.00, no you may not buy one and save $1.00. Buy what it says you need to buy for the coupon to be honored.
Second, don’t try to use expired coupons. They have an expiration date on them for a reason. If you have some recently expired coupons, visit www.coupsfortroops.com to find an address to someone you can send them to who will send them overseas to our military families who have access to commissaries. They can use them up to 6 months expired there. (only manufacturer’s coupons!)
Last, don’t get angry at the cashier if one of your coupons doesn’t work. First, make sure you bought the correct item and amount (don’t try to buy a 16 oz Coke and use a coupon for a 20 oz). Then, if you have the correct items and it still won’t scan, check the expiration date and check that it isn’t a coupon for another store. Using a Dollar General coupon at Kroger aint gonna fly. If all of this is correct, calmly ask for the manager. No big deal.
I think couponing is a wonderful thing- I honestly see coupons as free money. If you have to buy toilet paper and it would have cost you 5.89 without a coupon, but you have a coupon for .40 cents off, imagine that you paid your normal 5.89 and they just handed you back .40 cents. For free. It helps.
I just skimmed the very basics of this publication. Check it out to learn about sale cycles (typically 12 weeks) and more. It’s worth the read: http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/FCS/FACTSHTS/FRM-AP-087.pdf
Next, we have these awesome “Add Up the Savings” cards. They’re quick tips to saving money different ways. Let me re-cap for you:
Add Up the Savings When Eating Out: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_When_eating_out.pdf
1. The obvious one- try to limit the number of times you go out to eat.
2. Don’t order super size meals. They only add calories and money. Order smaller, save money.
3. Drink water. Sodas shouldn’t cost 2+ dollars but they usually do. So again, save money, save calories. If you don’t like the taste of water, take a flavor packet into the restaurant with you.
4. Bring your lunch to work. Sometimes this isn’t feasible if we’re on the road or we have a lunch meeting, but when possible, you can save up to $1,000 a year. And I know there aren’t too many people out there who couldn’t use an extra $1,000 a year. Lunches is one of the fastest ways we blow our money. Spend an extra ten minutes at night or in the morning to pack yourself one, or better yet, eat your leftovers from the night before.
5. Eat earlier in the day when you’re going out for dinner. Many places up the prices of their meals later in the evening. Get there while they’re still offering the early prices.
6. Order off the lunch menu if you go during the day. They’re usually smaller portions and cost less, again saving money and calories (anyone else see a theme here?)
7. Avoid vending machines or stopping at a gas station for snacks. They’re usually packed with fat and cost more than they should. Keep a drawer of healthy snacks in your office or at home.
Add Up the Savings On Clothing: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_on_clothing.pdf
1. Avoid fads that are probably going to be unfashionable next season. Those flamingo pants may be cool today, but they probably won’t be in a month, and you just dropped $50 for something you can only wear a few times. Purchase classic pieces that you’ll be able to re-wear season after season.
2. Don’t buy lots of bright colors. These can usually only be worn in spring. Darker colors can be worn all year.
3. Follow care instructions when washing and drying your clothes. Meaning, if it says dry clean only- dry clean it. Don’t risk tearing it up, then you’ll just have to go buy another one. (Personal opinion: don’t buy things that are dry clean only in the first place!)
4. Buy solid colored pieces so you can mix and match and re-wear more often without people noticing. If you start to show up in that start studded pink zebra shirt more than once a month, people will talk.
5. Use accessories at a minimum. Yes, they are nice and can add to an outfit, but they also cost quite a bit of money. Find classic earrings you can wear with anything and a good watch and bracelet or necklace. Use extravagant accessories for special occasions.
6. Shop at consignments stores. Yes, I said it and I mean it. Consignments stores can offer you the same thing a store offers you for a much cheaper price. Who cares that someone wore it a few times already? It’s half the price and technically, people have tried on the clothes in the store, so they’ve been worn too.
7. Don’t buy clothes you don’t need. If you already have a black shirt in good condition, don’t buy another one.
8. Learn how to sew to make minor repairs. (You can all come to my beginner’s sewing class at the Nelson County Extension Office if you need to learn. July 25th at 5:30 p.m. and it only costs $5.00)
There are also “Add Up The Savings” cards when shopping for food, at home, on energy, and on food preparation. See those here:
At Home: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
On Food Preparation: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
When Shopping For Food: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_at_home.pdf
On Energy: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/FCS/FACTSHTS/AUTS_on_energy.pdf
My last money saving tid-bit is this: host a swap party! Get some snacks, call up your girls and get together for a night of fun! Have everyone bring their purses, shoes, clothes, books, whatever that are in good condition, lay them out and swap! Then, have the party the next month (or rotate it to someone else’s house) and do it again! Bring the same items (friend A may have borrowed friend B’s purse that you really wanted to get) and/or bring some new things! You’ll always have new things without spending a dime! Plus you get girl time!
Basically, just be aware of how much you’re spending and what you’re spending your money on. I recently went through my bank statements and saw that I had bought 12 McDonalds Sweet Teas in one month. TWELVE. I justified it to myself each time that it was only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR! Who can pass up a large delicious sweet tea when it’s so cheap? Well I can when I figure out I’d spent twelve dollars over the course of the month.  Needless to say, I’ve banned myself. I grab a cup and fill it up with water instead. No money, no calories. I really don’t see a down side to it!
I hope you all find this helpful, I know it was long but I hope it was worth it! And please don’t hesitate to call me (our office number is 502-348-9204), email me (dayna.parrett@uky.edu) , or check out my work blog (www.nelsonfcs.wordpress.com)  if you want more information! I also try to tweet financial tips every now and then (@NelsonCountyFCS).  You’re also welcome to call the FCS agent in your own county. That’s what we’re here for!
Additional publications you might find interesting:
How To Keep Money In Your Pocket: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/fcs5/fcs5102/fcs5102.pdf
Supermarket Savvy: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/FRM-RHF-131.pdf
The Power of Ten: http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/frm-ssb-76.pdf
There are tons more! Visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/index.php?p=206 to see all of the financial management publications. From estate planning, to retirement planning, to which bread machine to buy, we’ve got you covered.

Happy Penny Pinching! :)

Ready, set, save.

It's time for me to begin my "penny pinching" summer.  I know that saving money is easier said that done.  It's nice to say that you're going to tighten your belt and put more money back in savings, but when you're out in the real world and are faced with problems (or, in my case, the clearance section at Target), reality is a lot different that what you had planned.  For my sake, and for any of you that are interested, I'm going to give myself a set of rules to follow during this budget-conscious summer.  I'm a rule-follower.  If I tell myself I'm going to do something, but don't set a schedule or guidelines, more than likely it's not going to happen.  Must be the inner OCD in me.  So, here are my rules and guidelines to pinching the pennies and living a better life.

1.   Figure out where your money is going.
        I got a head start on this step last night.  I sat down and went over my last 4 months of bank statements to figure out where the heck all my money is going.  It made my stomach turn.  I keep a checkbook register faithfully.  I check my register against my online banking totals daily.  I highlight all of my expenses in different colors...green for checks, blue for transfers, pink for deposits, yellow for debits, orange for cash withdrawls (again, OCD.  Don't judge).  But until I actually sat down and totaled up how much I spent per month on food, gas, groceries and the like, I had no idea how much of my money was leaving my account.  Particularly on eating out.  I wish we could have all the money back that we have spent in restaurants.  And I'm not even talking nice dinners out where we spend $30 a dinner.  No, no...if only it were that easy!  It's the McDonald's trips and the gas station Dr. Peppers that add up very quickly.  Who notices $2 leaving here and $4 leaving there?  You don't....until you sit down and add everything up.  It'll shock you.

2.  Budget.
       Now that I know how much I'm spending on things I need and things I don't, I can set a budget.  Marty and I took a Dave Ramsey course as newlyweds.  It was informative, smart and a great plan for us starting out.  But we're both guilty of being lazy when it comes to budgeting.  So we didn't.  I had an idea of how much I wanted to spend at the grocery or on clothing for the month, but I was always off.  To be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to it.  No more.  I'm setting an entire budget for myself.  I know exactly how much I take in a month, how much I take out for bills, and how much I have left.   I've set myself a strict budget on groceries.  Gas, however, is a different story.  Driving back and forth to Bardstown every day adds up.  And with these crazy gas prices, it's hard to judge how much I should be spending or how much I should allow myself to spend, because it's not like I can go without gas in my car for a week (unfortunately).  If anyone knows any tips on budgeting or saving at the pump, I'm all ears.

3.  Allow myself some room.
         I have my basics that I'm going to spend money on.  Groceries, gas, church tithe and bills.  That being said, I will allow myself a budget to spend money on the following things:

• One craft project a month.  I will go crazy if I can't craft or do some home improvement projects.  Nothing that costs over $50. 
• Clothing here and there that help me feel better about myself and help me build a better wardrobe. 
• Clothing for Avery as needed.  Don't get crazy.
• One breakfast and one lunch out to eat during a two week period.  I'm horribly guilty of forgetting my lunch or rushing out the door before breakfast and stopping at McDonald's or the gas station on my way to work or on lunch hour.  Pack my lunch, get up earlier to eat breakfast (or fix it the night before). 
• Two dinners out a month.  Marty and I love to eat out.  On payday or when we get a little extra cash, it goes towards dinner.  Now, I'm all about date nights out with my husband, but our current spending rate on dinners is ridiculous.  Two dinners a month. 

That's it.  Yes, I know emergencies come up and I have to run to Walgreens to get Avery some Benadryl or I have to get my oil changed.  I'm not naive.  If I save money and stop the unnecessary spending, I will have the money to cover these little emergencies. 

4.  Put the extra money towards debt reduction and a rainy day fund.
       Like the average American, we have a little bit of debt.  Nothing huge, by any means, but two car loans and a few store credit cards with fairly low balances.  If we pay the minimum amount due on these bills, it'll take years to pay them off.  With extra money that is being saved, I will put an allotted amount towards reducing our debt, starting with the smallest bills first.  I will also be putting a specific amount from each paycheck into an extra "rainy day" fund.  This will be for the big emergencies...the car needs a new battery, Avery needs a new (and stupid expensive) convertible car seat....so when we're in that kind of situation, we won't be borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and paying for it later.

5.  Sell the extra.
       If you're anything like me, you have a TON of stuff.  Stuff that you probably don't even use that often.  Solution?  Yard sales and eBay.  Last week, my mom and sisters and I had a yard sale in my neighborhood.  Despite low traffic, I made $46.  This week, we're moving the junk extra stuff to my sister's house where there's more car traffic and potentially more buyers.  For my bigger items, I'm resorting to eBay. 

6.  Take on a "part time job."
       As nice as a third income would be, a part time job or nightly job just isn't realistic when it comes to having a 9 month old.  So, I'm going to paint again.  It's an incredible stress reliever (and believe me, I need it) and it made me some money.  I'll paint at night when Avery's gone to bed.  I cannot wait.

My rules are in place and I can't wait to get started.  I'm excited about the money saving possibilities.  If you have any great money saving or budgeting tips, send them my way!  Let the Penny Pinching Summer begin!

My cooking journey....sort of.

Well, I hoped to have better news on the cooking front.  Like everything in life, I've had to be flexible and unseen things that came up this week prevented my "6 out of 7 day cooking project."  Friday, I published my blog post, went to the grocery and was fired up for my newest quest to be a super mommy.  Friday, I made Chicken Bacon Pasta.  It. Was. Fabulous.  Naturally, I took the recipe and changed a few things.  We don't have a grill (yet....I hope to have a grill one day soon) other than the dinky countertop, fat-reducing grill that doesn't ever cook my chicken completely or evenly enough.  So I decided to pan sear my chicken.  Salt, pepper, olive oil and a skillet.  Couldn't be easier.

Mmmmm...

Holy pots and pans Batman.

As I was pan searing chicken, boiling water and making a white sauce, I was so excited.  For too long, I've had the attitude that the cleaning, cooking and baby raising shouldn't be all my responsibility.  I shouldn't be the one to provide meals, clean clothes and a happy baby every single day.  I'm not sure what happened, but a light bulb has gone off and I've realized that taking care of my home and making sure my family is happy and well-fed shouldn't be a chore, but a priviledge.  Yes, I still strongly believe that my husband should help out around the house, but it's my responsibility.  When someone walks in my house and sees that it's filthy and I have an empty pantry, who does that reflect on--me or Marty?  As unfair as it may be, it's me that would look bad if we didn't live in a well-run home.  And I'm accepting that.  I was looking at cooking as an exciting activity and not a chore.....finally.

Why is it that my dish is never as pretty as the picture??

So back to the cooking.  The sauce in this dish is fantastic.  I didn't have red pepper flakes, so I would recommend a little more salt in the dish if you choose to leave that seasoning out.  Since we're huge fans of broccoli in this household, I decided to throw some in to give us our veggie serving for the day.  Successful dish.  Marty gave it his stamp of approval and said he'd eat it again (always how I measure my success). 
Saturday night, I found this awesome recipe for gluten-free crust-less pizza.  I was PUMPED.  For about two years, I've been watching my gluten intake due to a gluten "intolerance" that was diagnosed after some pretty intense stomach pain.  For the most part, I'm okay to eat breads and pastas, although I can't have a whole lot of wheat breads.  But pizza is 100% off-limits.  One slice will send me crawling right to my heating pad.  So when I found this recipe, I was excited to try it.  I chose to make my pizza with sausage, pepperoni and green peppers.  While the taste of this pizza was pretty great....it wasn't really a pizza.  The crust is made mostly of cream cheese that I baked before adding the pizza toppings.  Even after baking first and leaving it out to cool, the "crust" wasn't firm enough to pick up and eat.  The dish basically ended up being more like a pizza casserole.  Forks were needed, but the taste was great.  Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, I definitely recommend the recipe for anyone trying to live the gluten-free lifestyle.

My little kitchen helper :)

And unfortunately, this is where my cooking story has ended.  Sunday night, we exercised the "see-food" night and fended for ourselves.  Monday, I was ready to fix my chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.  When I got home, I realized that I didn't put out any chicken to thaw out.  Oops.  So Marty ended up eating the leftover chicken bacon pasta (another plus to making dinner...leftovers....and saving money!) and I made myself a grilled ham and cheese.  I cut my losses and swore to get back to cooking the next night.  Tuesday night, Marty and I ended up going to my parent's house to visit and ate over there.  No biggie, go with the flow, try again Wednesday......until I woke up this morning with a massive migraine and Marty ate at his sister's house so I don't have to make dinner tonight.  I'm disappointed that I'm not getting to hone my cooking skills, but isn't that what life is all about?  Being flexible and rolling with the punches?  Cooking 6 nights a week sounds amazing on paper, but you don't factor in those nights that Avery needs to spend just a few more hours playing peek-a-boo with Granddaddy and Grandma's house or illnesses that make walking from the bed to the bathroom painful, much less pulling out pots and pans to make a homemade dinner.  It doesn't make me a terrible mom that we had some dinners away from home or that I might have to make a McDonald's run later to feed myself.  I know my family is still happy and I promise to return to cooking tomorrow night....no unforseen circumstance provided.

The beginning of my super messy adventures

Well, welcome to my NEW blog. Don't worry, all the old "Audrey" posts are still here, I just felt like the blog had outgrown it's "Life Inspired by Audrey" name. Yes, I'm still obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. But life (and my blog posts) seem to be more about being the best mommy I can be and less about finding the perfect Audrey-like outfit to wear everyday. Hence, my new blog name. I couldn't think of a better name to describe my current path in life. I want so badly to reach that elusive "supermommy" status that I dreamt of for so long. But mostly I end up being super messy in my quest for perfection. And voila! The Super Messy Super Mommy was created. I hope you enjoy my new blog name, new look and new "supermommy" inspired posts. So onto my latest quest towards mommy greatness.....

Lately, I've been looking for any possible way to save a little bit of money. It might be the addition of Avery and all the things that keep her clothed, fed and happy (and the expense of each). Maybe it's the fact that I've fallen in love with a house plan and want to build ASAP, but I know without putting aside money each paycheck, I know that's not going to happen. Or maybe it's just because saving money feels good and makes me feel accomplished. It's not like I'm going to start extreme couponing any time soon, but I welcome any opportunity to save a little green.....especially at the grocery. It would amaze me how much I could spend at the grocery on just two adults and a baby. I would buy what I thought we needed for a week or two and get up to the check out line, thinking I was being frugal. I would have the total cost figured in my head that I thought my recent shopping escapade would cost. I was always wrong. Not a drastic difference from what I was thinking, but I would always be $30-40 off. How is that possible?!?! I've learned from experience that I should shop alone. If my husband and I shop together, we always spend more money--the same principle applied when I was growing up...go shopping with dad=bigger grocery bill. I've also learned from experience that I am an impulse buyer. I know I don't need the Wild Berry PopTarts or the sandwich thin bread that costs $2 more, but I can't help but be sucked into the cute packaging or the promise of convenience. My grocery trips always result in convenient, pre-packed foods that I know isn't the healthiest for myself or my husband (but it's so darn EASY). I fall into the habit of making out a weekly menu, buying the items and then never getting around to making the recipe I had picked out--resulting in a pantry full of food that only went with that specific recipe I had picked out. What on earth am I going to do with quick-cooking tapioca or a can of green chiles?? My sister in law and I were having a conversation about mommyhood and things that frustrate us about our lives. I mentioned that I don't cook anymore. I really enjoy cooking. I love finding recipes that sound appealing and easy. When I told my SIL that I don't cook, she looked surprised and said "What do you guys eat??" I was embarrassed. Well, no more. I will no longer be the mom that cooks convenience food simply because it's faster. Do I want to have the obese child at three years old because her mom only fixes frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets? Do I want to be the mom that Avery tells her friends about that never cooks dinner for her family? I GREATLY admire homemakers and stay-at-home-moms. Some critize them for not holding any "real job." Bull. Raising children, keeping a clean or well-run home and cooking one, if not two meals a day is harder than any "real" job I've ever had. I want Avery to remember me as a fun mommy that cooked good meals for her family and kept a happy home. I understand that things can't always be perfect. I cannot always have the clean house or the homemade dinner or the spectacular crafts that knock people socks off. But I can try to be the best mommy/wife/homemaker I can be. And to be that person, I'm going to start making dinner for my family. I've found recipes that are just as easy as opening a blue box and pouring noodles into a boiling pot of water--and a lot healthier too. Because you all keep me sane and this blog holds me accountable for things that I want to do (remember my crazy cluttered office??? It's almost done!!! Pictures to come this weekend---all because I promised you guys I would!), I'm posting my weekly menu on my blog. I hope to share recipes with all of you and hopefully share my successes! I'm much more motivated to do something when I know that other people know about it. So, today starts my first (of what I hope is many!!) what we'll call the "Super Messy Super Mommy Supper Club." I'll post my menu for the week, along with links of where I found the recipes. In return, I hope you'll share your favorite tried and true recipes with me so I can try them in my own home. This week's menu looks a little something like this:

Friday--Chicken Bacon Pasta
Saturday--No Crust Pizza and salad (due to my recent gluten intolerance, I'm crazy excited about this one)
Sunday-- "See"food night....whatever you see that looks good, you fix it yourself. A Sunday night staple in my house growing up.
Monday--Chicken Nuggets and mac and cheese
Tuesday--Lasagna Roll Ups
Wednesday--breakfast for dinner (I'm thinking eggs and french toast)
Thursday--Enchilada Pockets
Friday--Zatarain's Jambalaya with Cheese (inspired by our recent New Orleans trip!)

Wish me luck!