Stocked Up And Planned Out

I did something this weekend that I haven't done for quite a while. I made up an extended meal plan. I was feeling as if the freezers and pantry were stocked up and wanted to see just how well-stocked we are. I also wanted to plan specific (easy) meals around the day of and the days following my surgery on the 15th. I now have complete meals planned for the rest of October and main dishes roughed in for November.

Now, I used pencil and paper instead of chisel and stone, so I still have some flexibility. It will be easy enough to replace one chicken dish with another chicken dish if the mood hits me. I tend to overcook a little, so I planned for at least five nights each month to be "clean out the fridge" nights. If for some strange reason there are no leftovers on those nights, we always have eggs in the fridge for a quick sandwich or "breakfast for dinner" meal.

The summer months saw us going out to eat far more than usual (and far more than planned in our budget) so I've planned for only one restaurant meal in the next two months, on Shane's birthday. We'll also be eating away from home on the night of my daughter's wedding reception (they married in July in a simple ceremony, but are having their marriage celebration this month).

Planning meals for a week was been difficult for me lately, so you'd think planning for a couple of months would have been daunting. It wasn't, though. I was in the right frame of mind, had a free couple of hours and it all just fell together for me this time. Come December, I'll probably be doing well to get a full week's worth of suppers planned, but it's a good feeling to know that for the next several weeks, figuring out what's for dinner is going to be a no-brainer.

Time For Supper

I'm a firm believer that cooking and eating at home is one of the best ways to save money. It's also a great way to serve your family nutritious meals.

By the time late afternoon rolls around, though, I'm sometimes too tired or too involved in other things to want to stop and cook supper. Sometimes, if I eat to much for lunch or eat lunch too late, I'm still full as evening approaches and the last thing I want to do is cook.

I've found, for me, the best time to cook supper is before lunch. If it's a meal that won't hold well for the day, I like to make most of it early in the morning, cool it a little, then stick it in the fridge to reheat just before serving. If it's something that will hold well, I try to make it late in the morning, then put it in the Crock Pot on low, or in a barely-warm oven, to hold until it's time to eat. This works especially well in the winter when we tend to eat a lot earlier in the evening.

I had fallen out of this habit over the summer, and there were just too many days when dinner didn't get made well (or at all, sometimes) because I got busy with chores and activities outdoors. I've recently reestablished this habit and I'm glad that I have. My days flow more smoothly now, and there's a lot less temptation for us to go out to eat, call for delivery or skip meals in lieu of snacks and junk food for dinner.

When do you prepare dinner for your family? Does anyone else like to cook early in the day like I do?

Of Lenders and Insurance Agents

Yesterday I received an email saying that we had a credit balance of more than $800 on our homeowners' insurance policy. I called my agent to see what was up.

She told me that they had just received a payment from our lender which was due this month, but they had also received a payment back in January. That payment was held because they could not post it until there was a balance due (which was this month). So, essentially, our premium was paid twice in May.

The back story is that we refinanced our home with the same lender on Christmas Eve of 2008. However, we did not deal with the lender directly, but used a mortgage broker (or at least that's what I would call them). Our lender had record of the insurance payment just made, but no record of the one made in January. Apparently the brokerage paid it out of our closing costs on the re-fi.

To complicate matters a little further, neither amount was correct. The amount the lender paid was correct for last year's premium, but not for this year. The amount the brokerage paid in January seems to have been pulled out of someone's...um...hat, because it doesn't correspond to ANY previous premium amount. It seems there had been a lack of communication between the lender and the insurance agent regarding the refinancing, our new loan number and the new insurance amount.

After an hour or so on the phone to both the mortgage lender and the insurance agent, I think we have everything straightened out. The lender now knows the correct premium due. The insurance agent now has the correct lender information and account number. We will get the overpayment refunded directly to us from our insurance company. Our escrow with the lender seems to be in good standing, but just to be on the safe side, I'm going to put $200 of that refund back into the escrow. The remaining money will go into savings. Everybody's happy now.

Our insurance agent told me that all the upheaval in the mortgage industry has caused a lot of information to fall between the cracks. She advises that anyone who has had any kind of recent changes in their mortgage should call their insurance agent to make sure all information is current and correct. A few minutes now could save a lot of time and trouble later.

Mixed Basket

Today we went out to lunch with Shane's parents, then stopped at K-Mart on our way home to pick up a couple of things for Kat's Easter basket. We keep things simple for Easter (as we do for most holidays), so her basket, a nice sturdy wooden one with pink ribbon, is reused each year. In it this year are a jump rope, some sandbox toys, some sidewalk chalk and a few pieces of candy. The candy is very limited this year because she still has candy left from Valentine's Day, Christmas, and yes, even a piece or two from Halloween.

We also have a tradition of giving Kat a new spring outfit at Easter. Nothing dressy; this years outfit is a pair of denim shorts, a t-shirt and some new tennis shoes. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon, because she'll want to wear them right away.

*****

While we were at K-Mart we noticed they had a lot of end-of-season clearance items that were 50% off of the already marked-down prices. We found a hoodie for me (I wear one almost daily at work) for $5, and we found a winter coat for Kat that can be worn four different ways (with or without the fleece liner, which can be worn by itself with either side out). We picked it up for just $15. We're pretty sure we found a size that will fit her next fall, but we'll leave the tags on it, and if it doesn't fit, we can surely get our money back by selling it on eBay or craigslist.

On a similar end-of-season sale last fall, at Target I think, I bought a couple pair of suede flip-flops ($2 a pair) and four pairs of denim and khaki capri pants ($4 each) for me, and some water shoes for Kat ($1.75). I can't wait to get these out in a few more weeks when it's warm.

*****

I saved a lot of time today by renewing our truck license plates online. If you're in Missouri and you have valid insurance, a copy of your most recent property tax receipt (the last two years' receipts if you want a two-year renewal), your inspection slip, and there is a PIN number at the top of your renewal notice, then you can probably renew online. Check here to see if your county participates.

If you aren't in Missouri, check your state's Department of Revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles website. I'm sure many states have the option to renew online.

TV Dinners, They Really Can't Be Beat

Anyone remember that ZZ Top song? It's been stuck in my head for a week.

I'll be going back to work tomorrow, and I'll have just 30 minutes for lunch. Because of where I'll be working (IRS), there's no way I can get to my van, out for food and back through security in half an hour. There is a cafeteria on-site, but there's no way I'm going to pay government prices for a meal. Instead, I'll be taking my lunch.

Sandwiches are fine a couple of days a week, but I like a hot lunch, so I've been making up as many homemade TV dinners as I can. The one in the picture is pork loin with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. I'll add a cookie and a piece of fruit and call it a meal.

Most things freeze just fine, and I've learned that putting a little bit of plastic wrap right on the food will keep it from getting freezer burn or forming ice crystals. I just take the plastic off before I heat the food in the microwave.

When there aren't any leftovers? I keep cooked rice in 2-cup portions in the refrigerator or freezer. It only takes an egg, a bit of frozen mixed veggies and few minutes to turn it into fried rice. Cheap, filling and tasty.

By taking my lunch, I figure can save between $20 and $40 a week over buying my lunch in the cafeteria. My homemade lunches are practically free, since they are usually from leftovers I hadn't planned on having available in the first place.

Weekly Menu - 1/20 thru 1/26

Since I'm starting back to work this week, I've made sure most of these dishes are already made and in the freezer. All I'll need to do is move them to the fridge the night before, then heat them in the microwave, oven or on top of the stove before serving. They'll be real time and a sanity savers as I re-adjust to working away from home. (Just for fun, I've highlighted the dishes I cooked ahead of time.)

Sunday and Tuesday: Grilled Meatloaf*, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Corn

Monday and Wednesday: Pasta Bean Soup, Italian Herb Muffins, Applesauce

Thursday: Swiss Steak, Steamed Rice, Broccoli-Cauliflower Medley

Friday: Omelets, Bacon, Toast

Saturday: Dinner Out (probably Italian food)



* This meatloaf recipe (already in the freezer, ready to cook) is meant to go on the grill, but this weekend is the coldest of the season so far. It'll be cooked in the oven instead.

The Kitchen Is The Heart Of The Home. And The Brain.

Here it is...Operations Central.

These four lists are posted on my fridge 24/7: my monthly menu plan, my daily chores (divided into morning, afternoon and evening), my weekly chores (divided by day of the week) and a list of other chores that I've decided need to be done once every couple of months.

I've become so dependent on them that I don't think our household would function without them! I used to keep them somewhat out of sight in a household notebook but "went public" with them few months ago when I was doing temp work away from home. That way Shane can take a quick look and know what still needs to be done (he helps a lot, with the evening chores especially).

The lists are based largely on the FlyLady system*, but I've adapted it to fit our household needs better. It works well for me whether I'm working or staying home.

My house isn't spotless, and it isn't always as organized as I'd like, but my lists help me keep things "under control". Sometimes that's the most you can ask for.


*There are a lot of homemaking "systems" to try, but I like the FlyLady because the system is direct, effective, secular and doesn't allow for excuses. Some think it's too "in your face", but it really works. Then once good habits have become routine, it can be adapted to better fit your own style.

Little Things Mean A Lot

There isn't a lot we can do on a daily (or even weekly or monthly) basis that will result in a substantial, immediate improvement in our financial situation. We're planning to refinance our home in a few months to a get a better interest rate, and I'll be going to work in January, adding substantially to our income. Unfortunately, those opportunities don't come along every day, and it sometimes feels as if we're just treading water instead of moving forward toward our goal to become debt-free.

Therefore, we spend a great deal of our time focusing on the small stuff. I plan meals ahead of time to save a few dollars a week on groceries. I take time to monitor our monthly utility usage to make sure we aren't using more resources than necessary. We recently switched bank accounts to earn a couple of dollars in interest each month. Unfortunately, because the impact of each small change is so subtle, many people don't believe the effort expended toward small savings are worth the payoff.

I disagree. Small savings add up over the long run. Opportunities for small savings happen daily, several times daily, in fact. They are easily performed and controlled. They are risk-free investments. Generally, all they cost is a little bit of time and forethought.

Not only do small savings help us feel as if we're doing something to improve our lot, they help us develop other frugal habits and they allow us to practice good stewardship. We believe both skills are valuable in our fight against debt. Little things often have a positive impact on our environment, as well.

As a new feature here, at the bottom of each post, I'm going to list one "little thing" either Shane or I did to save money that day, and one "little thing" one of us did to either save time or make our lives more simple.

*****

A Little Thing To Save Money: When the dishwasher hit the dry cycle, I opened the door, letting warm air and much-needed moisture out into the cool, dry house.

A Little Thing To Save Time: After grocery shopping today, instead of putting my meat purchases into the freezer, I went ahead and cooked four entrees, cooled them and packaged them for the freezer. I had time to cook today; we'll enjoy my efforts on a day when time is at a premium.

Big Cooking Day

Today was my "Big Cooking Day", aka Once-A-Month-Cooking (OAMC), Investment Cooking, Freezer Cooking and Cooking Ahead. Search any of those and you'll get dozens of results about cooking meals to put in the freezer to heat and eat at a later time.

I dabbled in OAMC several years ago and for some reason let it go by the wayside. Later I picked it back up as once a week cooking, which worked very well for my family for a long time.

For the last three months, though, I've gone back to doing more of a monthly marathon cooking session. I cooked for August because I (thought) I was going back to work then. I wanted to have meals made ahead because I knew I'd be tired from being on my feet all day...cooking, no less...and wouldn't want to cook when I got home.

It worked out so wonderfully that, although my job didn't work out, I decided to do a cooking session for September. And today, with resumes out and the possibility of temp work in the interim, I decided I would cook for October. That way, I'll have meals done, or at least mostly done, should I be called to a temp job with little notice. On most days, all I'll need to do is cook either the main dish or one of the side dishes.

Here are the dishes I cooked today. If they are for this week, they were wrapped and put in the fridge. Otherwise, they were wrapped a little differently and put in the freezer. Shane usually helps out; today he did the grilling and a little bit of kitchen prep.

In the slow cookers (I have three):
- Savory Pork Loin Roast
- Creamy Cottage Potatoes
- Red Beans (for Red Beans & Rice)

On the grill:
- Hamburgers
- Beer-Grilled Chicken Thighs

In the microwave:
- Cinnamon-Glazed Carrots
- Chuckwagon Carrots (brown sugar-glazed carrots with bacon)

On the stove top:
- Brown Rice (for Red Beans & Rice)
- Quick Onion Rice
- Rice for Rice Pudding
- Pasta with Chicken-Flavored Sauce
- Buttery Apples & Cabbage
- Fried Apples
- Pork Loin & Veggie Stew
- Rosemary Green Beans with Mushrooms
- browned some ground beef to use with pasta later in the month

Admittedly, I didn't get everything done today that I had hoped, because we had to leave the house for a while. So tomorrow or Tuesday, I'll be doing another half day of food in the oven:

- 1 loaf of Italian bread
- 18 Garlic Bread Sticks
- 4 pizza crusts that I will par-bake then freeze for later in the month
- a dozen cornbread muffins
- a dozen pumpkin muffins
- 1 loaf of "V-8 Bread"
- 1 pan of oven roasted veggies (seasoned broccoli, cauliflower, onion, carrots)

I'll not go into the specifics of OAMC here, but there are a host of websites that explain it in detail. I'll also be glad to answer any questions about it if anyone wants to ask. I'll just say that OAMC can save you a ton of time and even some money, and for me anyway, it's a lot of fun.

Also, I'll be posting some of the recipes throughout the month.

Paying The Bills

Paying the bills...the actual act of sending the payments...seems to be a popular topic recently on several of the personal finance blogs and websites I frequent.

By simply staying on top of your bills and keeping your checkbook balanced, you can avoid unnecessary late fees and overdraft charges. Anyone who even occasionally forgets to pay a bill on time or forgets to record an ATM withdrawal, knows these fees can add up in a hurry. I used to do both until I realized that it was because I wasn't organized pay my bills or balance my checkbook often enough.

Getting organized, for me, happened in two distinct steps. First was keeping a list each month of the bills I needed to pay, when they were due, and when I should send the payment. I keep mine simple by listing bills on a sheet of paper in a small spiral or steno notebook, then drawing a line through each bill as I pay it. At the end of the month, I write everything down on the next sheet in the book. Of course, there are more elaborate systems; I think whatever works for someone is the system they should use.

My list helped me to remember to pay everything on time without leaving anything out, but it did nothing to ensure that I would have enough money to pay a bill when it came due. Over and over, I read about the good ol' fashioned envelope method of budgeting, in which you cash your paycheck and distribute the whole of it into physical envelopes marked with categories such as groceries, utilities, mortgage, car payment, and so forth. I liked the idea, but not the execution. I simply wasn't comfortable with the idea of carrying around that much cash or that many envelopes.

Instead, I did the same thing, but only on paper. Using a standard 13-column ledger, I "distributed" our money into "envelopes", one per column, and tracked all of our spending.

The first step was to decide how much of our income should be allotted to the various envelopes. We want enough in each envelope that we don't need to worry if bills will be covered, but not so much that money is just sitting in an envelope when it could literally be better spent elsewhere.

Second, we decided to go "cashless" for the most part. Whenever possible, we pay for goods and services using our debit card, online bill-paying and the occasional credit card transaction. We love to go to garage sales, and those obviously require cash, and we pay our daycare provider with a check each week, but at least 95% of our spending is done electronically.

Third, we also began getting (and saving) a receipt for EVERYTHING we buy, even if it's just a pack of gum or a soda at the gas station.

On a semi-regular schedule, I would round up all of our receipts, make sure everything was recorded in our checkbook correctly, then enter ALL of our transactions into the ledger. If everything was entered correctly, and my math was error-free, the checkbook and the ledger would balance and both would agree with the monthly bank statement.

This worked very well, and almost immediately our financial situation improved. Everything was getting paid on time, our bank account wasn't overdrawn, and we could tell exactly where our spending strengths and weaknesses were. But the work involved in setting it up and keeping it up manually was daunting. I easily spent a 3-4 hours at a time working on it, and I often failed to maintain it every week. If I made a mistake in my figures, it could take hours or even days to locate and correct. But because of the difference it made for us, I was unwilling to give it up.

At some point, I was fortunate enough to read about a computer programs that would do automatically what I'd been doing manually. There are no doubt many of these programs available, but the one I read about was called Mvelopes. I'd read great things about Mvelopes, but instead of it being an application that I could download or purchase on a CD, it required a membership fee (currently ranging between $7.90 and $13.20 a month). I didn't want to pay the fee, so I continued to search.

I found another program, its name long forgotten, with a free trial download. It downloaded fine, but I found it cumbersome to work with and full of glitches. Then I found one called Budget for Windows by Snowmint Creative Solutions. It, too, had a free trial download. I downloaded it and had it completely set up in about half an hour. I absolutely loved it and purchased the download right away. It's easy to use, has a helpful tutorial, free upgrades and is very affordable. It even has colorful representations of envelopes, making it as close to the "envelope system" as you can get without actual paper envelopes.


At about the same time, our bank made online account viewing and bill paying available, which I signed up for immediately.

With these tools in place -- my list of bills, Budget for Windows and online banking -- I can now track our income and spending very quickly. I take on our budgeting "chore" once a week now. The steps are the same. I cross off the bills from my list as I pay them, except I pay them electronically now. We are still cashless and still save all of our receipts, which I record in our checkbook. Only now, I also look at our transactions online to make sure that no receipts have accidentally got lost and no online purchases or deposits (eBay, etc.) have been forgotten. When my checkbook balances with the bank's figures, then I enter everything into Budget. When it balances with the checkbook and bank, I not only know my math is correct, but I also know exactly how much money we have available and what it's been set aside for.

Paying bills and balancing the checkbook now takes about 20 minutes each week, and I suppose it's geeky to say, I actually look forward to it. At the very least, I don't dread it the way I once did.

BTW, when our old computer crashed about a year ago, I had back-ups of our working Budget files but not the application itself. I ended up purchasing another download, but within a day I'd found the receipt and download code from my original purchase. I emailed Snowmint and they immediately refunded my second purchase and allowed me to use my original download code. That's excellent customer service.

This isn't a sponsored post or anything like that. Just my personal endorsement of a product that, along with a couple of habit changes, made a huge improvement in our lives.