Menu Plan Eat out of the Pantry May 24, 2010

Meal Plan for Week of the 24th

Monday  Broccoli and Garlic Pasta with Chicken added

Tuesday Hamburger Steaks with veggies

Wednesday  Italian Chicken, baked potatoes, green beans.

Thursday Leftovers

Friday Pasta?  TBD

For more menu plans visit OrgJunkie.org

All of this is coming out of my pantry minus any last minute needs.  So yeah that much more saved for our trip.

Have a great week!

XO,

Becky

Mid Month Update May 23, 2010

Meal Planning for May.

Well I have to admit that May’s Month started out a lot like April. 

I got an itch at a new car.  What was I thinking?  I was quickly reminded of how badly I hate dealing with car salesmen.  I got over the new car itch quite fast.   Man it’s terrible when you ball up your fist and your knuckles turn white in pure and absolute anger toward the other person you are talking too.  Thankfully, I was not in front of the gentleman.   All I have to say is answer my questions about the CAR I WANT and leave all the other hundreds of vehicles out of it.  I have done my research and these are the ones I want not that one.  OK my tangent is over (I HOPE)!  I also hope that the want for a new car goes away too…

I wanted to do some meal planning at the beginning of the month.  Well that just didn’t happen.  By the end of Week 2 I was getting antsy to say the least, so I scoped the sales and paired my coupons and went to it.   I did well.  I kept under my $50 weekly budget.  Yes I am posting this end week because I was afraid I would falter on the actual menu.  This what we come up with!

Monday           Chicken and rice dinner $2.50

Tuesday           Italian chicken, vegetable stir-fry $4.50 I had to buy the veggies.

Wednesday      Frozen meatloaf (new recipe not so good), Mac & cheese, biscuits $4.25

Thursday          Steaks from the beef we had worked up, salad and corn on the cob $3.75

Friday              Leftovers and or another vegetable stir-fry.  Should be ZERO.

My veggie stir-fry is super easy peasy.

Slice your veggies (what ever you have on hand)

Mine usually has Broccoli, potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and green peppers in it.  Put a stick over butter over top (more or less depending on how healthy you want to be).   Place in oven at 375 for 30-50 minutes depending on how thick your slices were.

You can season this too. I have done a little of everything.   But is great just like that.  Maybe I like plain food. IDK!  This a great way to use up those summer veggies coming up too.  I could eat as a meal in itself.

By shopping the sales I was able to keep my suppers WELL under $5 a piece.  Not bad!  This coming up week there aren’t many sales that really jumped out to get me.   So I will be taking advantage of cleaning out the pantry/freezer.  I have been restocking and have lots of food hanging out.    Yes shopping the sales have really help overstock my pantry.

Do you have questions or comments?  Let me know…..I love hearing from my readers!

XO,

Becky

Lack of creativity May 16, 2010

Well I have sort of had a slump in the creativity department.  My auntie asked for a tile well….A LONG TIME AGO!  It has a lot of words and I just didn’t see the finished product.  Couldn’t find a font I liked then I also seconded guess myself.  I am working on it.  I am really trying here.  I didn’t want a “print” font but all the script I came across was very thin.  Have I mentioned I am not very creative when I can’t see a finished product????   SO 2 half finished Tiles later it still isn’t done.

My next weekend.  I dislike slumps so much…

XO,

Becky

XO,

Becky

Insurance May 13, 2010

Let me voice my opinion.  First let me say that this is my opinion and it should not be seen as any opinions of anyone else including my employer or any of its affiliates.  

  

Insurance is protection.  I have home, auto, health and life insurance and are thinking about some others like cancer, long term care and an umbrella policy.  Yes I may be over-insured fine by me.  I am not a risk taker so I have insurance to protect against perils (A danger or hazard that can cause a loss, for example, a car collision with an object, or a fire.).  I have insurance on my family.  I want my child/children to be taken care of if something should ever happen to me before he/she is an adult.  In my budget, I have always has money set aside for the monthly/yearly payments of life insurance because I believe in it.

  

Even though I am striving to live a debt free life; there will always be bills that have to be paid whether I am alive or not.  I do have a small mortgage left to pay and have 7 years on it.  I want very much so to pay this off and live debt free.  I am a realist as a friend told me the other day.  I know that cars don’t last forever.  I know that bills come up.  I know that expenses can surprise you when you least expect it too.  I am realizing that it might be better to save up money for the car/other debts instead of paying the house off early.   We have a great interest rate and monthly payments that we can afford.  Still yet, I don’t want my child/children to be burdened with a mortgage payment his/her caretaker wouldn’t be able to afford either so I have TERM and WHOLE Life policies to cover my expenses if something was to happen to me. 

Do you?

  

Think about what you can afford per month?  Your agent can talk to you about your needs and what he or she has to offer. 

 

I am also not one to jump around to a different insurance company every other year or so just to save a buck or two.  I want a trusted company that will help their clients in every possible way; be friendly when I call in or have a claim that is important to me.  I do not want to be just a number or just another customer to have to deal with.  I want to be able to go in and pay instead of mailing the check or having to do it online.  I want the personal touch per say.  I stay in touch with the agent and get to know them.  I want someone to handle my affairs that know who I am. 

 Like I said before THESE ARE MY OPINIONS.  I want my child/children to be taken care of by the caretaker without extra burdens added to them. I can not be any clearer that this is what I believe to be important to us not necessarily what you need for your family. In the very least I hope you can think about the benefits of insurance.  I am not a risk taker and believe in insurance.  I have personally seen how it affects people lives whether you see a tragedy coming or if it is unexpected.

  

XO,

Becky

Hand Me Downs May 6, 2010

Little Farmer cringed when I told him that with summer coming we were going to go yard selling to find some clothes because he is growing out of his current stash.  Well Mama had to have a little chat with him about once we washed them they became his and if he really wanted his trip in the summer he was going to go with me so I could hold the clothes up and try what I need to one, etc.  We need to save as much as possible to be able to bring home some souvenirs from our big trip.   

So a dear classmate is a full size bigger than little farmer; so his mama and  I were chatting about clothes and she said that they had just graduated to a bigger size.  YES for little farmer!  She brought me 2 big shopping bags.  She is so generous.  He couldn’t wait to get home and go through them.   Funny thing is he doesn’t even think of them as ever being someone elses.  She had told me that they were some pants that need patching because the knees were busted out of them.  Little Farmer was the MOST EXCITED about those pants so I told him he could wear them around here. 

So are you lucky enough to have a friend that shares?  In return, do share for free your stuff not necessarily clothes that you don’t use and more?  I always try to pass clothes down the line whether to family, friends, or even strangers.

XO,

Becky