Frugal Shortcuts for Our Trip

Our trip to Michigan is coming up in just a few short days and of course, like always, money isn’t overabundant. Fortunately, I have enough to get us to Michigan with a little bit leftover. With the in-state traveling we’ll be doing and the fact that we’ll most likely want to have a little bit of spending cash, I’m racking my brain to find ways to save money.

Food: I’m borrowing a cooler from a co-worker and I still have about $10 in credit on my Dillons card to buy things. Sandwich stuff will be key, followed by some fruit, some easy snacks, and some diet soda for the much needed on the road caffeine rush. We’re also packing water, but I’m going to try something different. Instead of buying ice and bottled water, I’m taking a couple plastic bottles, filling them part way then freezing them. That way we have “ice packs” to keep food cool and when it melts, we’ll have water to drink.

Hotel: I’m a little unsure of this right now. Cheap will be the key word since I don’t have any hotel points or anything like that. My mom had offered us a discount through her work, but we decided not to reserve. For me, it’s easier to stop wherever than to have a certain destination to stop that may hold us back from getting a little further. I’ve actually batted around the idea of sleeping at a rest stop (not something I’d ever do by myself) but I think we’ll opt for the cheap hotel option instead. There’s bound to be somewhere for less than $50 on a Thursday night.

Gas: Even though I don’t have a hybrid car, I do get fairly good gas mileage at about 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Mapquest’s gas cost estimator puts me at under $70 for gas just one way. Before we head out, I’ll make sure to check the air in our tires for better gas mileage. Unfortunately, we have some stuff in the trunk that we’re not removing until the actual move, so that will lower it a bit. However, I’m hoping to find a few cheaper fill up stations along the way.

We’re lucky to be able to stay with family and as far as spending cash goes, while it will be nice to have, it won’t be necessary. In fact, the only thing we’re really planning on spending money on is garage sales. My mom is an avid garage sale fan and it will make her day to be able to spend one morning hitting sales in the area. Since we’re looking to furnish our new place, we’ll be on the lookout for good deals too. That’s half the reason I’m driving…car space to take stuff back in.

It’ll be interesting to see just how much we spend all together over the week. Nothing like an added challenge to make a vacation exciting.

Wedding Planning

It's official. My boyfriend is now my fiance and we're getting married in less than a year, May 1, 2010 to be exact.

I know most women want the elegant, perfect wedding day of their dreams. I've also seen a few of these women break out in hives due to the stress of planning...and that's before the final bill comes in sometime after the honeymoon.

We've decided to do the opposite. I want the most stress free wedding possible. Some of my friends at work have offered to help with planning and they're both fans of being frugal. When I told them cheap and fun was going to be my theme, they actually got excited about the process. We've also set an insane cost goal for the whole thing: $300. Having said that, on that stress free note, I'm not going to freak out if we go over. But having a goal will help us keep things as cheap as possible.

Call me cheap, call it a redneck wedding, whatever. It's one day and I want to enjoy it without crying over my bank account.

So far, the cost has been $15 (engagement ring...yes, it's a Wal-Mart original). Marriage license will be about $75, though according to Kansas law, we can marry ourselves so that should save on some officiating. With $210 left, the possibilities are endless.

A Cheaper Bowl of Cereal

I love cereal, but there's generally two things wrong with it. Most of it is really sugary and high in calories. For most people that's okay, but not so much for me since I'm on a mission to lose alot of weight. Sure, there's high fiber cereals that are good for you, but that brings me to the second issue with it...cereal is expensive! I've seen some okay deals recently, and I know coupons can bring the cost of cereal down alot more, but it's rare that I find something cheap enough to satisfy me.

A week ago, on a strange whim, I bought a bag of puffed wheat for 99 cents. It was the most generic cereal they had at Dillons, but for some reason I just wanted puffed wheat. After eating a bowl of it plain, I had to wonder where I got a craving for cardboard. Not one to let it go to waste, I decided to try it again with a few additions.

Tonight I had the same puffed wheat, this time with a sliced banana and a sprinkling of Splenda and voila! It was really good! It wasn't overly sweet but had a nice taste to it. Plus it was relatively healthy. Now I'll admit, Splenda is pricy, and so that was my splurge to keep it healthy(we bought a box a couple weeks ago so I didn't have to buy it new), but for those of you without sugar/diet issues, a small sprinkling of sugar would be just as good.

My next experiment with puffed wheat? A cinnamon/Spenda mix and raisins. I'll let you know how it turns out.

To Netflix or Not to Netflix?

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine sent me a free month of Netflix. Not being one to turn anything down for free, I took it. The BF and I had talked about getting Netflix as we're both avid movie and television series lovers. I'd subscribed to Netflix before and always had a good experience with it.

To take advantage of the free month, he signed up rather than me re-opening my account. True to the promo, we got our month free before they started doing their automatic withdrawal. We did discuss it however to make sure it fit into our budget and if it was even worth it. On the three movies at a time unlimited plan, the cost is 16.99 per month (18.23 after taxes here in good ole KS).

If a movie rental is an average of $2.00 per movie (which is somewhere between the cost of an old release and a new release depending on which store you go to), we figured we'd only need to rent 10 movies a month to make it worth it. In a regular four week month, this is a cycle of DVDs per week (get three, watch them, return them). Already we've made it worth it for us, as some weeks we've gotten six DVDs because of the way the weeks and the shipping dates fall.

Not only are we saving money on rentals, we're saving money on the gas that it would take to get to the video store to rent and then take back . We're also saving on any late charges we might incur (something that I was always bad about). And watching movies keeps us home and out of spending trouble.

Though it doesn't work on our system at the moment, Netflix also offers a "Watch Now" option in which you can watch movies directly on your computer along with the ones you get in the mail. If you're a major movie buff, you can probably lower the cost per movie to $1.00 each. Or even $.50.

There's also Blockbuster Total Access which works much the same way but offers in-store rentals as well.

Movie lovers, I highly recommend one of these but only if you can fit it in your budget and only if you know you're going to get your money's worth out of it. If all you're going to watch is three movies per month...go ahead and go to the video store.

Recipe: Tortilla Casserole

I believe this recipe came from the Betty Crocker website though I had a hard time finding the recipe to post the link. However, the BC website has alot of great and easy recipes to check out.

This one was extremely good, though a bit spicy. I don't have the exact cost of everything for this one, but it was relatively cheap to make. Also, the original recipe called for some name brand items which I'm making generic as I don't usually buy the name brand if I can find a cheaper version.

1lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup medium salsa
1/2 cup milk
1 package Hamburger Helper Cheesy Nacho or Crunchy Taco mix
6-6 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook beef and onion in 10 inch skillet over medium hight heat until brown. Drain any grease.
3. Stir in hot water, salsa, milk, and Hamburger Helper components (make "topping" sauce separate and then add).
4. Heat to boiling, stirring occassonally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pasta or rice is tender
5. Cut tortillas in half. Spread 2 cups of skillet mixture in ungreased baking dish and top with six of the halves. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of shredded cheese.
6. Repeat the layer process, ending with the last of the beef mixture and shredded cheese on top.
7. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted

When I first saw this recipe it looked pretty complicated but it's not at all and it's really really good. Not only was it great as a main meal, it sets up beautifully and makes some great leftovers. It gave me and the BF two dinners and two lunches with good sized, filling, portions.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Tenders

This recipe actually started out as a sesame chicken recipe gone a bit wonky. However, the recipe came out really well and these chicken tenders were much tastier than the kind you buy in frozen foods section.

- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips or small pieces (use your judgement)
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
-1 egg beaten (recipe may also use 1/3 cup melted butter if baked instead of cooked in a skillet)
- a little bit of veggie or olive oil (if cooking in skillet)

1. Mix ginger, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs together (I do this by throwing it all in a plastic baggie, sealing, and shaking)

2. Dip strips into egg then in breadcrumb mixture

3. Heat oil in skillet on med high heat and cook strips for about 5 minutes on each side (longer if needed depending on how thick your chicken is)

4. Serve with choice of sauce.

The variation on cooking this is to put on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Estimated cost: about $2.00 per person per meal

Recipe: 20 Minute Chicken Parmesan

I have to credit this recipe to SparkPeople (http://www.sparkpeople.com/). They have a daily recipe that they send in email and I found this one in my specified folder. It was from months ago, but could probably still be found on the 'net. For anyone looking for good, healthy recipes and a bunch of other healthy stuff, check this site out.

This was recipe was AWESOME! Very easy and the best chicken parm recipe we've made so far.

- 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 large egg, beaten lightly
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I only had regular breadcrumbs, so I mixed in some italian seasoning and garlic salt for the same effect)
- 2 tbs butter or margarine, melted
- 1 3/4 cups spaghett sauce (I didn't measure this, I just used a standard can of sauce)
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Dip chicken in egg and dredge in breadcrumbs
2. Cook chicken in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides
3. Spoon spaghetti sauce over chicken (I just poured the can over it carefully)
4. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, let simmer 10 minutes
5. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley; cover and simmer 5 minutes
6. Serve over spaghetti

This made two meals for two of us, even using the tiny 8 oz box of spaghetti from Wal-Mart. Best thing is that this can be thrown together quickly and is very flavorful and filling.

Estimated cost: about $1.50 per person per meal

Recipe: Pork Chops with Balsamic Vinegar

This recipe is technically a dinner for two, but we doubled the recipe to get two meals out of it. I'll post the original as it's made for two people or two meals for one person.

-2 boneless center pork loin chops, 1 1/2 inch thick
-1 1/2 tsps lemon pepper
-1 tsp vegetable oil
-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-2 tbsp chicken broth
-2 tsps butter

1. Pat chops dry and coat with lemon pepper
2. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium high heat
3. Add chops. Brown 8 minutes, turn, and cook 7 more minutes or until done
4. Remove from pan and keep warm
5. Add vinegar and broth to skillet; cook and stir until syrupy (about 1-2 minutes. NOTE: I never did get to the syrupy stage, so either I did something wrong or it just takes longer than a couple of minutes)
6. Stir in butter until blended
7. Spoon sauce over chops

We served this with frozen vegetables as a side.

Estimated cost per person was a little higher as we had to buy lemon pepper. Lemon pepper is a great thing to have on hand though.

Estimated cost: about $1.50 per person per meal

The taste was really good though a little light on balsamic flavor. Add more to taste as needed. I had thought that the leftovers would be more flavorful as they had time to sit in the sauce, but they weren't as good as leftovers generally have seemed to be. Still good in a pinch however and good with any number of sides.

Recipe: Onion Baked Pork Chops

Another fairly cheap recipe and a tasty one!

4 bone-in pork chops (center cut) (bought on sale for about $1.00 each)
1 envelop Lipton Recipe Secrets Golden Onion soup (about $.65 as the whole box was only like $1.29 and you only need one envelope)
2/3 cup Breadcrumbs (already had stocked, but Wal-Mart sells big cans for less than a dollar)
1 egg well beaten (about $.15)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine soup mix and bread crumbs in plastic storage bag. Shake until well mixed then pour out on flat dish.
Dip chops in egg then coat with crumb mixture on both sides.
Grease baking pan and arrange chops
Bake uncovered 10 minutes, then turn and bake for another 10-15.

We served this with macaroni and cheese, which we bought for $.33 a box at Aldi. We had enough for two meals, so we had leftovers a couple days later. The leftover taste was fine, but the pork got a little bit tough when re-heated in the microwave.

The estimated cost per person per meal: less than $1.50.

Recipe: Garlic Mushroom Chicken Melt

This recipe was completely awesome and the BF loved it too. We actually had the leftovers tonight and even they were really good. It's a pretty cheap and easy meal too.

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts ($.75 a piece per the bag we bought...that may vary)
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Golden Onion Soup (about $.65 as the whole box was only like $1.29 and you only need one envelope).
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained ($.48 Great Value brand)
1 tbsp olive oil (can also use veg. oil)
sprinkle of garlic salt (optional)
sprinkle of italian seasoning (optional)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (used the imitation Kroger brand for $1.50)

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Arrange chicken in 13x9 baking or roasting pan
- Blend soup mix, tomatoes, and oil together (I didn't have a blender but stirring it worked just as well)
- Pour over chicken
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes
- Remove and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
- Bake for 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted

We served this with spaghetti noodles ($.48 for smallest GV box) coated in a little bit of margarine and parmesan cheese and got two meals out of it.

Total cost: approximately $1.25 per person per meal (if I figured that out right).

Note: The original recipe called for Lipton Secrets Savory Herb w/ Garlic Soup Mix, which is where I'm assuming the mushrooms came in. WalMart didn't have it so I grabbed the golden onion and substituted the garlic salt and italian seasoning.

Taco Bell Value Menu

My previous experience with Burger King was less than good, so we've stricken that one off our list. But sometimes a person just wants some fast food. Taco Bell has always been a favorite of mine but it can get costly as most fast food does.

Recently, TB has released their new value menu which uses three different tiers of pricing: $.79, $.89, and $.99 items. Ever a fan, this past week gave me an opportunity to try them out with the BF on an errand busy lunch.

The verdict: this is a pretty good deal! While not as cheap as eating at home, you can get something to tide you over for less than $5.00 and if you like the taste of Taco Bell, the cheaper items are no less in quality. For lunch, I had a double beefy cheese and rice melt, a soft taco, and mango strawberry Frutista Freeze for $3.95. Not bad considering the drink was the most expensive thing I bought.

This shouldn't mean it's okay to go to TB everyday of the week. Four bucks a pop still comes to $28.00 if you ate it everyday, and that's only for one person, for one small meal. Plus it's fast food, so it's not really healthy. But for a treat or a grab on the go lunch, you could do much worse.

Internet Issues and Tips

Once again, we went a few days without internet. There's been a lot of issues here since the apartment complex switched from everyone having individual 'net to offering it for the whole community. So once again, I was unable to get anything done in the way of blogging. However, I did have time to think about some things concerning money and internet.

First, ways to save on internet. You don't actually have to have home internet to survive. Most of us feel disconnected when we can't get online to chat, do email, or whatever it is we do. And admittedly, I'm one of those people. However, when you're forced to do without, you find ways around it. If internet is one of those costs that can be cut out to save money, here are some ideas for staying connected:

1. Utilize work internet - I'm lucky in that the company I'm currently working for has internet and allows us to use it on breaks for personal use. Check with your company's internet policies to find out if it can be used at designated times. If so, do email on your breaks and/or part of your lunch. Just make sure not to do anything that would violate company policy. Don't be a jerk and ruin the privelege for everyone else because you wanted to download porn.

2. Find a Wi-Fi spot - If you have a laptop, Wi-Fi hot spots are common and can be very helpful. Plan some time where you can find a local coffee shop, bookstore, or restaurant that offers it. If there's a cost associated with it, find out beforehand. And be careful, even though you might not be paying for the internet, you might get tempted into buying an expensive coffee drink or meal. In order to avoid this, try the.....

3. ...library. Not only does the library generally have wireless access to internet for laptop users, they usually have several desktop computers set aside for the general public to use and to access the internet with. And because most libraries are "No Food or Drink" places, you won't be incurring any extra costs except the gas to get there.

4. Ask a friend - If you have a close friend who's online, make plans to use their internet. Offer to pay part of the bill for the privelege of using it for periods of time throughout the week to do basic email, bill pay, account stuff. If you're in a financial bind, let them know about it. Who knows? You may have something they need in exchange. You can also use the time to hang out and catch up if you don't get to see each other often.

If after careful consideration you find that you truly, absolutely, no matter which way you look at it can NOT live without internet, there are a few options that will help cut costs.

1. Downgrade to dial-up - Not everyone uses the internet to download, upload, and play games. If you're a minimalist when it comes to the internet, meaning you pay bills, check email, and occasionally shop online, then you probably don't actually need a high speed connection. Find out how much local dial up costs. With DSL and cable connections, dial up prices have decreased immensely. Remember that you do have to have a land phone line and a degree of patience as it is slower and may not be as efficient.

2. Search around for package deals - Many big companies are now offering packages that include internet, phone service, and digital cable. If these are things you want anyway and can afford, try out a package deal to save money. However, make sure to read the small print. Alot of bundle deals start out at a low price and go higher after a month or so. Know exactly what you're getting into before signing on the dotted line.

Even though we've had problems, many apartment complexes are already set up with internet and have, for the most part, gotten all the bugs out of their system. So if you're looking for a new place to live, finding one that has on-site internet can be a money saver if the rent is already reasonable.

Last but not least, don't hesitate to call for a discount on your bill if your internet is out for an extended period of time. Most companies want to keep their customers and will do what they can to make them happy, especially if the problem was on their end. If they won't help you out, you have a good reason to file a complaint and go look elsewhere.

Be Careful of the "Splurge"

Interesting story I thought I'd share.

Yesterday was my first payday and even though the BF and I agreed we were still going to be frugal, we decided to go ahead and hit the drive thru on lunch while were running errands around town. With a little bit of money at our disposal, we figuired it would be okay.

After a few weeks with no fast food and rarely eating a meal that costs more than $3.00 per person, we decided to try Burger King. The first painful part of our meal was the wait, though by that time we really didn't have time to go anywhere else.

The cost was another hit to the stomach. For two medium size value meals, the cost was $11.70. This is more than double what we've been paying for the meals we've been eating at home. I knew it was a bad idea, but to top it off, we both agreed that the food was horrible. Fairly bland, way too greasy, and completely unsatisfying.

Our lesson? There are some splurges that are worth it when you're trying to live cheaply. Fast food is not one of them. Because of what we spent, we have agreed to forego our normal after-church meal out, which, from now on, will include fare that's worth the splurge: Quizno's, chinese, Applebees, etc.

No more of this fast food stuff. Our wallets and bodies will be alot better off.

The Joys of Hamburger Helper

I have a confession...I used to be a Hamburger Helper snob!

I'm not sure why. It wasn't that I looked down on it as a meal. I think part of it was growing up and remembering how often we had noodles and meat, so the thought of it as an adult wasn't appealing. Another part of it was the preparation. Up until recently, I've never felt comfortable in a kitchen, and even now I'm still finding my feet. But it always seemed like such a pain to have to brown the meat and mix everything (I know, right? That's pretty lazy of me).

Cooking dinner tonight, which was Hamburger Helper (Three Cheese if anyone was wondering), I felt silly for being so snooty about it. HH is a really cheap, pretty tasty, easily made dinner for people who are aiming to save money. It comes in a ton of different flavors and when you get sick of hamburger, you can fall back on Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper.

Some nifty things about Helper meals:

1. Low Cost of Item - The brand name starts at about $1.50 depending on the area you live in, but it seems to be one of those items that goes on sale alot. Look for local sales on HH. The most common one brings the price to about a buck a box, so stock up when you find them to keep around for an easy dinner. If you want to go generic, there's many off-brands of this type of meal, though you might not get the same variety.

2. Budgeting for the meat - The thing that's going to drive an HH meal up is going to be the meat which has gotten more expensive over the past few years. Depending on the type of hamburger you buy, it can get really expensive. We opt to buy the cheapest/easiest we can find which is the small pound tubes of it at WalMart for $2.12 (plus tax). We're currently working with limited freezer space so these one shot servings work best, though if you can find bigger packages at a lower per lb price, buy up, divvy the meat into storage bags, and freeze away. Also remember to drain the grease too as the cheaper hamburger will produce alot of it.

Chicken breasts for CH are a little pricier and take more preparation but not much. If you really want to save time, buy the canned chicken. TH is probably the cheapest as you can get a can of tuna for less than a buck. A Helper meal covers your meat and grains, so adding a cheap veggie and a glass of milk can help cover some of the others.

3. Not a health food, but... - Hamburger Helper is a little higher in calories and fat than alot of foods, but if you're trying to save money you can still compromise. For a slightly higher cost you can buy a leaner cut of hamburger, or you can buy ground turkey instead. I haven't bought ground turkey in a long time, but last I remember, it's actually cheaper than hamburger but gives a similar taste and is much healthier. Substitute "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" for butter/margarine and use skim milk for the mix.

Portion size is also something you can control and can make your meals cheaper. Check the box to see how many it will serve, especially if you're cooking for two or just yourself. Divvy the portions up accordingly. This isn't always easy with families, as different people eat different amounts, but you can try it a couple of ways. After separating it out for one meal, decide if you want to further multiply it. A single person can get two large meals or four small meals out of one box. Two people can one or two meals, etc. The more meals you can get out of one box, the cheaper each meal becomes. Keeping that in mind will also help you stay on track with healthy portions.

The BF and I were lucky enough to have acquired three boxes of HH from a friend who was moving so our meal was a bit cheaper. But taking into account the regular price of HH from WalMart, the meal breaks down into the following:

HH = $1.50
1 lb Hamburger = $2.12
Milk = negligible, but estimated at about $.50.
Total = $4.12

We opted for no sides and we didn't go the healthy route on this, deciding on a big dinner after a long day of work. Therefore, this meal came to $2.06 per person.

Cheesy Chicken With a Taco Twist

As I am now officially a working woman, making easy dinners is going to be really important. Today we did another crock pot recipe and added our own twist.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl1c3.htm

One of the ideas found in the review section suggested adding pepperjack soup in place of one of the cans of cream of chicken. We followed this suggestion and then switched out the garlic powder for taco seasoning. It was ready when I got home from work tonight. I ate it over tortilla chips for a chicken nacho dish.

We cooked enough for two meals (4 chicken breasts) so we can have leftovers for tomorrow.

The prices are as follows but these are only estimates based on what I can remember.

Chips (free from a friend, but you can get a bag of generic chips for a dollar)
Cheese soups - $1.50 per can
Cream of chicken soup - $.70 for the generic
Chicken breasts (Great Value) - $.75 each
Taco Seasoning (generic) - $.40

Total cost: about $4.35
Per meal per person: about $1.09

This tasted really good and is pretty versatile with seasonings and soups. If you have a crock pot, I highly suggest trying this recipe out.

Temporary Shoe Fix

This one actually comes courtesy of my BF and is something I never really thought about doing. It's a good idea if your shoes are in rough shape and you don't have the money right away to get a pair of new ones.

Cheap insoles can be found at the store. At Wal-Mart, you can get a really cheap, standard pair for less than a dollar. Depending on your preferences and how much you have to spend, you may want to spend a little more, but we're going really cheap these days.

Find some heavy cardboard and super glue the insoles to it. Then cut around the shape, cut to size, and fit into your shoes. The cardboard reinforces the insole and covers over any areas where the rubber sole may have started to come through.

This is not a permanent fix. If your shoes are in bad shape, they can cause foot and back problems if you continue to walk on them. However, if you just need something to tide you over until you can get to Payless (or find a cheap pair at a thrift store or garage sale), this is a good solution.

Online Pre-Browsing

I really hate buying something at one store only to find later that I could have gotten it cheaper at another one. I'm currently in the process of coming up with a database that will tell me the different prices of different things at different places. Unfortunately, it's a work in progress as I'm not about to go through three different stores and take notes on every price. Since we're just in the early phases of cooking, we don't even know what our staples are going to be.

I found out today that one of the local grocery stores has a site that shows their weekly ad prices. After working in retail for many years, the general rule seems to be that big grocery chains generally have higher prices than say WalMart or Aldi. But they also tend to have the best sales. Checking sales online before going shopping can save gas money and a small piece of mind.

In this case, I made a list of all the sale items that would work with this coming week's menu and their sale prices next to them. I'll take this list when I go to one of the other stores and will be able to compare sale prices with regular prices. Granted, this doesn't work on regularly priced items, but it's one step to take to make sure you're getting the lowest possible price on groceries.

Italian Chicken Recipe

On a recent internet browse through time and money saving recipes I came across this one:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl103c9.htm

The recipe seemed easy enough and I'm all about the crock pot so we gave it a try. It turned out to be really good! The sauce isn't a thick one, so if you like a thicker tomato, meat or marinara, you might be surprised to find this to be a thinner one. But the taste is really good and being that it's a crock pot recipe, the chicken comes out nice and tender.

For the dry sauce mix, we used the Great Value brand for 50 cents a packet. In fact, all of the ingredients were GV which kept our cost very low. We served it over spagetti noodles with parmesan garlic bread from the Wal-Mart bakery on the side.

Also, the recipe calls for 6-8 chicken breasts, but we used four and the proportion seemed to work. We were able to split this recipe into two meals for two people. After doing some minor calculations on the cost of one of these meals, the total comes to about $1.30 per person.

High Money Days

Alot of money has been spent over the past few days, but most of it has been things that are fairly necessary, at least for where I'm at right now and what I'm doing.

1. I had to spend 23.00 on a new drivers license. There's really no way out of this people. However, I did have to pay a 1.00 late fee since my last license was expired. Be aware of your drivers license expiration date and renew before it completely expires. I only had to pay 1.00 but different states have different rules and you can save a good chunk of change by not accruing those late fees.

2. I finally had to get gas for my car. I only had $20.00 to spend, which doesn't get very much these days. It took me just over half a tank of gas. Make sure to find the cheapest gas in your area. I've also heard that the best times to get gas are in the morning. As far as gas mileage goes, keep your tires inflated and your car free of extra weight that's not needed. And be conscience of how much you drive. Walk or bike whenever possible.

3. Food over the past few days has cost a little more than usual, mostly due to our own failure to plan. At Wal-Mart, we spent a whole $10.00. Unfortunately, we only got 1.5 meals out of it, sloppy joes one night and then we had some bakery cheddar buns for tonight's meal. It wasn't a total washout though. We scored some more sugar free drink and cheese, as well as some bananas and cookies for snack purposes. Tonight, we splurged on dinner and ate out, though if you want to go cheap and like pizza, Little Caesar's Hot and Ready deal is great. For 7.50 we got a large pizza and a thing of breadsticks and made it last two meals.

Weekend Spending

We were really lucky this weekend in that we didn't end up having to spend much of anything. The BF's family was in town, so we got treated to three meals and a movie. We did make sure to conserve leftovers for a good dinner tonight though. I've never been one for leftovers but I'm really learning the value of them. We're also making our bread and bologna last and we still have some cash for supplies later this week.

I have to admit to a little splurge tonight though. Sunday nights have been the BFs gaming nights for a long time and now that I'm living here they've become mine too. One of the key ingredients to a get together night is snacks. Not having money means we can't go to Taco Bell like everyone else does or bring in major munchies. But we have found a way to have our own snacks without spending alot. The local Dollar Tree has all kinds of snacky type food, all of it for $1.00 or less. For 3 bucks plus tax, we were able to get a 3 liter of pop that we could share and two snacks, like crackers and cookies or beef jerky and chips. The snacks last the whole evening, we were able to share, and we still had some to bring home.

Also, has far as gaming is concerned, we play the Dungeons and Dragons RP game. Those who really get into it can end up spending hundreds of dollars on books, dice, maps, and miniatures. Luckily, as a passive player, this form of entertainment is free for us. The BF already has a whole can of dice he's accrued over the years (a basic set costs about $5 to get started) and player sheets and pencils are usually supplied by the host of the game or can be acquired for pennies using the internet (for the sheets) and the dollar store (for pencils).

If RPing isn't your idea of fun, game nights are really inexpensive. Find a cheap deck of cards, or get together with friends and pool board games you have hidden in your closets. Socializing doesn't have to cost anything and can be alot of fun.