Creative Cooking

I have spent 80% of my April grocery budget...and it's what, April 6th...and technically, this occured yesterday....so 80% by April 5th....deep, heavy sigh. I remember a time when I was able to feed my family of 4 on $200. Though, my children were quite younger and didn't eat as much...and I can't remember if that included household items....anyhoo, I am tryin to do it again and I can see this may be unreasonable.

Lunch seems to be the most difficult...as the kids lunches are either too skimpy or too heavy on perishables...and well, they perish. In an effort to avoid paying $50+ dollars a month on energy bars (of the Zone/Cliff Bar variety-at Costco they are about $22-$25 dollars for about 40 bars...we all pack these in our lunches) I did some research online and found a VERY good granola bar that my hubby said, "This tastes like a Cliff Bar," at which point I nearly cried! I spent about $10 on items I didn't already have and will easily make 2-3 batches of this stuff. The nice thing is the variety-add peanut butter/nuts/dried fruit-and you have control. The kids were eating at it all day and I had to stop them as 1. It's for their lunches away from home and 2. Don't want their taste buds to tire of it already....:)

I did some pantry scouring and discovered a ton of rice...so this weeks dinners will include....RICE! I have a rice/cheese/broccoli/meat dish in mind for tomorrow and also a risotto style dish with tomato sauce....and mexican rice with beans later in the week. Hopefully these are winners as I will need to make them again at least 1x a week until I get through this month. If I can stick with the original budget of $200...that leaves about $40 left.....worst case scenario, I use my debit card...but the purpose is to stick to the budget...and if the budget is unreasonable, well, I 'll have to address that next month.

I'm off to make Granola Bars.....:)

Year in Review

In April 2007, hubby and I got on a written budget and began to practice a debt-proof living lifestyle. Looking back over the year, we've had great success...we've paid down $13,000 in credit cards...however, we have a true net gain of improvement in $7000 range. We had a big medical expense that came up last Dec. that we paid a portion in cash and financed (gasp) the rest on a 0% card. So...here we are a year later and I want so badly to see on paper our years worth of work evidenced...it is, but, not as much as I would like.

This month, we've had car repairs ($1700!!!) and it's also the month that I need to do some balance transfers. Thankfully, I'll pay off one credit card this month...I had it 1 year with 0% interest. We've successfully transferred our remaining debt on two 0% cards that will keep that rate for 12 months. My goal is to pay off by next April, if not before that time.

We have some figurative storms looming...mainly, our home. We have an adjustable...and it will reset. We called to refinance and can't due to major decrease in our home's value...it's sickening. Hubby and I ask ourselves how we got into this mess...obviously, before we got financially tuned in...ahhh, hindsight is 20/20...we knew we were getting an adjustable, however, we were assured we'd be able to refi before it resets. Well, that's not happening. We've never been late with a payment, we have excellent credit, we make good money...we're just over extended....big time. We're working with our lender to see if we can get a rate freeze but we may not qualify...we may make too much, look too good on paper...we'll see. I guess this process is time-consuming too...hopefully not too much. Oh, but get this...I was nearly fit to be tied! On 4/1, I went online to pay my bill and since we're working with our lender regarding our rate...I no longer have online bill-pay access! I had to call and had the choice to mail a payment (uh....hello, don't think so....our mail is so slow!) or make a payment over the phone with a $12 fee!!!! But paying online isn't an option for the time being. I found that so asinine...I mean if someone is wanting to pay ontime...they've made it difficult. What's interesting is that the phone check for $12 has cleared my bank....but the mortgage payment hasn't. I may need to call and follow up....the last thing I want is a "late" ding on my report.

On a positive note, we're doing good with not spending...we're not expecting to do much this weekend...I'll need to grocery shop and will spend minimally.

Spring Fever

It's been beautiful in SoCal this week....since hubby and I are both in education, we've been off of work and generally, that means spending money. This week has been different...somewhat...we took my car in for routine maintenance and have a $1400+ appointment waiting for us on Monday. The good news is that we had an original bid from Toyota close to $2000...hubby called a trusted mechanic who is also a family friend, who also has a successful automotive care business and we're going with the $1400 bid. The even better news is that we have the savings for it...sadly, it takes about 50% of our savings...but we're avoiding charging for this needed expense.

Today is a no drive/ no spend day...we're basking in the family home with the kids...though we're all doing our own thing...it's nice to get kisses and hugs as we pass eachother in the home...we have leftovers from yesterday that I'm forcing myself to use...which brings me to my resolve for the upcoming month...

1. I will purchase two gas cards from Costco for hubby and I and we will use those for our gas needs for our cars this month
2. I found a treasure in a local market called "Cardenas"....it caters to the Latino community (latina in the house! smile) and the prices are amazing! so, I'm going cash-only this month for groceries...and will avoid going inside Costco. The reason is simple...I spend 200-300 when I go for the month...and right now, we're good on household needs and in light of our car issue, I need to build our savings fast....so, I'll go to Cardenas once a week and take 40-50 bucks and see what I can find. Our weakness is convenience foods for kids lunches...but, I'm going for bean/cheese burritos-yogurt-homemade treat-fresh fruit for the kids lunches...we'll see how it goes...it sounds good...right?
3. We will use left over food...I generally make my menu for the week on Sunday and whatever is left over freeze...well, that has built up to some weird frozen items that look quite nasty...so, if it's too much for lunch the next day, then it will be a form of dinner the following night and I vow to make sure it is consumed with two days.
There is nothing I hate more than wasting time and money and food not consumed is a waste of both...

Confessions of a Gen-Xer

I think I get it now...the whole Gen X thing....this idea that those of us who fall under this label are in fact, label-less....so maybe many of us (uh, me) have racked up debt...unconsciously- in search of a label....in search of meaning....because we weren't given meaning. As I've reached adulthood, I've struggled with meaning and place and identity and the Gen-X label crops up....latch key kid, 50% of GenX-ers are products of divorced homes, slackers, grunge.....all of it negative....and so we (I...in fact, I'll switch to that pronoun now) I have sought to consume in order to BE....yes, I'm reading "A New Earth" and that resonates with the reality that I've been in a slumber-fiscally, emotionally....and maybe it's part of the Gen-X identity....dunno....but, I don't want to be part of Gen-Debt.....I want to be Gen-Debt-Free.....

At some point, I'll have to get real...right...at some point I'll have to post my facts....post the data....post my stupidity. I'm questioning why the blog...and all I can do is think that if I'm facing this others are too...and, this blog will keep me accountable....and it will be a place to share the highs and lows and the creative ways I've cut costs and saved money thus far. So here it goes....blog-on...