My grandmother used to take great care in doing things to stretch her dollars. We'd go out to eat for the early bird special, only to the places she had coupons for, mind you. She would reuse kitchen items such as aluminum foil and bread bags. She made sure electrical items were unplugged when not in use. My parents said it was because my grandmother lived during the Depression and was used to making the most out of what she had. As Boomers, my parents lived oodles better than my grandparents did, and I think I had an upbringing just as good if not better than my parents.
I won't lie; I have had issues with money most of my life. I like to spend it. I have it in my head that I can't take it with me, so I might as well enjoy it now. Not exactly the mentality I need as I am now forced to live on a strict budget since the Major moved.
I've taken the steps to reduce my current bills to save a few dollars. I'm turning into my grandmother-- I'm reusing items and unplugging all the electronics in the house. Perhaps most notably, I am getting my grocery bills under control. I am quite proud of my efforts in this area. Here is what I do:
Every Wednesday, I get my local grocery ads in the mail when I get home from work. I look over them to see what kinds of things I can buy at great deals. Once I get an idea of how much things will cost, I will create my menus for the week based on what's on sale. From my menus, I create a shopping list of things I will need. Finally, that shopping list is surveyed against a few coupon sites and the coupons from the Sunday paper for further savings. It is a lot of work, but I've noticed a dramatic drop in the money I've been spending at the grocery store. All you need is a little time, a lot of patience, and the will to follow through with your plan.
To help with the planning, I use a few printables I've downloaded for my life organization notebook. Here are some examples of what I use:
Weekly Menu Planner
The Ultimatest Grocery List (grocerylists.org)
The coupon sites I like to use are Coupon Bug and Coupon Suzy.
If you don't want all the hassle of the work, but still want to save, another great option is E-Mealz. They have a host of plans you can buy for $5 per month ($15 per quarter) that will give you weekly menus and grocery lists that are designed to save you time and money. I've used them before for their gluten-free plan and I found the product to be outstanding. I just went to the site each week and printed off the recipes and shopping list. The recipes were easy to follow and very flavorful, and I know I saved a great deal of time and money at the store. My grandmother would be so proud.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday Wonders
Here's a few things I've had my mind on the last couple of days...
The Costa Concordia disaster: I was really shocked and saddened to hear about the cruise ship dubbed "The Floating Temple of Fun" meeting its watery demise over the weekend. I was far more saddened to hear about the loss of life, the injuries, and the vacations of thousands gone wrong.
I was probably moved more than the average American about this disaster because I actually sailed on this ship 4 years ago on a vacation with my husband. We were picked up in Italy and traveled to Barcelona, Mallorca, Malta, Tunisia, Sicily and Rome. We had a really good time! We saw some sights, ate lots of good food, got stung by a jellyfish, and won 480 euros in a slot machine. Here are some pics from our trip:
Jay-Z and the "B" Word: and I don't mean Blue. But thanks to his daughter's birth, the King of Rap has seen the error of his misogynistic ways and vows he will not use the word "bitch" in his rhymes anymore. I guess that it to be commended. On the other hand, it rubs me the wrong way. I'm with Kellie Rasberry from Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on this one-- why didn't he see the error of his ways when he married his wife? Or when he looked in the eyes of his mother? I guess we'll never know, and we can all be glad he at least is making the change now.
Mitt Romney and the Tax thing: I will say it-- I don't like Mitt Romney; there's something about him that I just don't trust. He has not disclosed anything of his tax records, except to say that he will in April, (most likely AFTER the Republican nomination is locked up) disclose his taxes and also said that he pays around 15 percent. Wow. That's it? He made more in his personal appearance fees (upwards of $300,000) than I will in 10 years if I keep the job I have now. And he says that that income was "not very much". In what world does he live in? Where is $300,000+ not very much?
I guess even more than Romney's tax luck, in learning about this disparity, I learned about the income tax of average Americans. The standard ordinary income tax rate is at 31 percent. The capital gains tax rate is only 15 percent. Now, taxpayers making less than $94,000 only have 4 percent of their income in the 15 percent tax shelter of capital gains, while those making more than $1 million have an average of 43 percent locked up in capital gains. In Romney's case, he is making MOST of his money in capital gains due to his Bain Capital (the private equity company he founded) investments. There's just something about this that doesn't sit well with me.
Happy Birthday!
Yesterday marked the anniversary of the birth of two of my personal icons-- Betty White and Michelle Obama. I like them both for various reasons.
Betty White is proof positive that comedy can keep you young. She's sharp as a tack and as entertaining as ever! I loved her in the Golden Girls, and she was a riot in "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. But she is pure comedic genius is Hot in Cleveland. I want to be just like her when I grow up! I must remember to have at least a laugh a day. I'm sure that's her secret...
Michelle Obama is a model of poise and grace. Say what you will about politics, but this woman has a sense of affordable class. I remember her ensemble she wore when she visited the ladies of "The View". It was a gorgeous dress she got from White House(ironic)/Black Market. It of course sold out within mere minutes online. And I can tell you one thing: it was a heck of a lot more affordable than the Reiss dress I bought that Kate Middleton wore to meet Mrs. Obama.
The Costa Concordia disaster: I was really shocked and saddened to hear about the cruise ship dubbed "The Floating Temple of Fun" meeting its watery demise over the weekend. I was far more saddened to hear about the loss of life, the injuries, and the vacations of thousands gone wrong.
I was probably moved more than the average American about this disaster because I actually sailed on this ship 4 years ago on a vacation with my husband. We were picked up in Italy and traveled to Barcelona, Mallorca, Malta, Tunisia, Sicily and Rome. We had a really good time! We saw some sights, ate lots of good food, got stung by a jellyfish, and won 480 euros in a slot machine. Here are some pics from our trip:
Jay-Z and the "B" Word: and I don't mean Blue. But thanks to his daughter's birth, the King of Rap has seen the error of his misogynistic ways and vows he will not use the word "bitch" in his rhymes anymore. I guess that it to be commended. On the other hand, it rubs me the wrong way. I'm with Kellie Rasberry from Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on this one-- why didn't he see the error of his ways when he married his wife? Or when he looked in the eyes of his mother? I guess we'll never know, and we can all be glad he at least is making the change now.
Mitt Romney and the Tax thing: I will say it-- I don't like Mitt Romney; there's something about him that I just don't trust. He has not disclosed anything of his tax records, except to say that he will in April, (most likely AFTER the Republican nomination is locked up) disclose his taxes and also said that he pays around 15 percent. Wow. That's it? He made more in his personal appearance fees (upwards of $300,000) than I will in 10 years if I keep the job I have now. And he says that that income was "not very much". In what world does he live in? Where is $300,000+ not very much?
I guess even more than Romney's tax luck, in learning about this disparity, I learned about the income tax of average Americans. The standard ordinary income tax rate is at 31 percent. The capital gains tax rate is only 15 percent. Now, taxpayers making less than $94,000 only have 4 percent of their income in the 15 percent tax shelter of capital gains, while those making more than $1 million have an average of 43 percent locked up in capital gains. In Romney's case, he is making MOST of his money in capital gains due to his Bain Capital (the private equity company he founded) investments. There's just something about this that doesn't sit well with me.
Happy Birthday!
Yesterday marked the anniversary of the birth of two of my personal icons-- Betty White and Michelle Obama. I like them both for various reasons.
Betty White is proof positive that comedy can keep you young. She's sharp as a tack and as entertaining as ever! I loved her in the Golden Girls, and she was a riot in "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. But she is pure comedic genius is Hot in Cleveland. I want to be just like her when I grow up! I must remember to have at least a laugh a day. I'm sure that's her secret...
Michelle Obama is a model of poise and grace. Say what you will about politics, but this woman has a sense of affordable class. I remember her ensemble she wore when she visited the ladies of "The View". It was a gorgeous dress she got from White House(ironic)/Black Market. It of course sold out within mere minutes online. And I can tell you one thing: it was a heck of a lot more affordable than the Reiss dress I bought that Kate Middleton wore to meet Mrs. Obama.
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