Thanksgiving 'til Christmas; The Time of EXCESS

Every year it seems as though the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is full of EXCESS. Excess shopping, excess spending, excess eating, excess work, excess travelling... excess! excess! excess! (Say that three times fast!) My goal between now and Christmas is to do my damnedest to counteract that excess, by keeping in check the things that I can control.

While shopping for presents, it is very easy to fall prey to the endless sales, bargains, and advertisements and buy for yourself. My goal #1 is to not purchase anything for myself (besides food and necessities) between now and Christmas.

Since I will be spending a more than usual over the next month for Christmas presents for friends and family, I would like to counteract that by spending less than normal on my food budget. My Goal #2 is to spend only $20 a week on food (including dining out!) between now and Christmas.

My Goals #2 & #3 will need to balance with each other, making them my most difficult goals. My Goal #3 is to diet and eat healthy between now and Christmas. I think of it as an early start to my New Year's Resolutions.

So somehow I will need to eat cheap AND healthy. Ah... the eternal struggle.

Since I can't really control if I have excess work and excess travel to do (my family is scattered among numerous cities), my last goal relates to spending. My Goal #4 is a little more vague, but I would like to plan and budget for the Christmas presents I am buying, and still be completely satisfied that I have given personalized, worthwhile presents for my loved ones. I've already got some good ideas for this one.

Make some goals for yourself that help counteract the craziness that is the holiday season. Or feel free to join me in my goals! Although it may seem at first that making goals is just adding more things to do over the next month, when you already have a million things on your list, I believe that making a couple goals for yourself will help you to be more grounded, more in control, and less stressed during this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Soup Recipe- Pumpkin White Bean Soup

Here is a recipe for a very tasty soup, perfect for Thanksgiving. It is festive, different, delicious, filling, cheap AND easy to make. Did I mention that it is healthy as well? If you're looking to stretch your budget and try something new for Thanksgiving this year, give this recipe a try!

PUMPKIN WHITE BEAN SOUP:

Ingredients:

1 sprays olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat pot
1 medium onion(s), coarsely chopped
15 oz canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
15 1/2 oz canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium-low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.

Stir in pumpkin, broth, beans and oregano; simmer 8 minutes.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. (Note: Make sure not to overfill blender in order to avoid splattering.) Return soup to pot and reheat; season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

This recipe was highlighted as one of the seasonal recipes on weightwatchers.com.

Budget: How Bare Boned Can it Get?

Just for fun I decided to find out what my budget could look out if I cut out EVERYTHING possible. No cable, no dining out, $100 for entertainment for the month, etc. Bare minimum only!

For comparison, here is my current budget:

*Although I pointed this out in my first budgeting post, I want to note again that this budget is my take home pay, aka after my 401K contribution.

Here is what I could make it, if I super SUPER sacrificed:

This makes a whopping 19% difference in my spare funds! Impressive! I thought I was on a tight budget already. This table shows the amount difference in each category, in dollars rather than percent.

Analysis:

Rent, Car, Loans, Cell Phone, and Insurance are fixed. I have decreased the amount available for Entertainment, Groceries, Gas, and Electric. And I have completely removed cable, my gym membership, and tanning.

I would have to make some drastic changes to live on this budget, but if push came to shove, it would be do-able.

I currently give myself a very lenient Entertainment budget. I enjoy concerts, going out to bars, and travelling. If I needed to, I could find inexpensive alternatives to keep myself entertained. I could go to the bars, but not drink (as my mother is always encouraging me to do!), I could take advantage of the free/cheap local events in my area, and I could put off any major travelling for a year or so.

I am currently pretty frugal with my Groceries budget. I treat it as a game to see how little I can spend on groceries, but still eat well. I rarely dine out, or order in, and really enjoy finding new, inexpensive recipes to cook at home. My latest obsession is making new soups! Yet, I am completely sure that if I gave myself a $20 a week budget for food I could do it. Off the top of my head, I could decrease the amount of meat I consume by having one or two “meatless” days each week, eat oatmeal for breakfast (cheap AND healthy), stop drinking soda, and do some of my grocery shopping at ethnic markets. I’ve also been having some crazy thoughts about using ramen noodles in some sassy recipes… there will probably be an entire post on that.

Saving $20 on both gas (as in automobile gas) and my electric bill is something I’d have to experiment with to see if it was possible. Currently, I pay little attention to either. Limiting my travel (per my entertainment cuts) would naturally save gas. I could also plan my errands to be more efficient, not drive home for lunch hours as much, and use public transportation when possible. I think I could make a $20 difference in my gas bill with just a small effort. And for my electric bill, I could be more cautious about leaving lights and fans on, and unplug chargers when not in use. Lastly, not using my air conditioner as frequently in the summer months would make a large difference.

And now the three bills I could cut out completely; my cable package, my gym membership, and my tanning membership. Tear! It would be sad to see these things go, they are the luxuries that I most enjoy.

Many bloggers have talked about doing without their cable package, and most of them find themselves to be happier, more productive people! Could I possibly be one of these people? Or would I become a social outcast, not knowing the latest plot line of Desperate Housewives? If I just couldn’t cut out TV cold turkey, there are many shows that you can catch for free on the Internet. Abc.com has a good number of their shows online including Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and many more. USA Network also has shows online, Monk for one. I currently get together with one of my old college roommates on Thursdays for some catch up time and to watch Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy. If she didn’t mind we could always watch it at her place, and take turns bringing the cuisine! In other words, I think I would survive… and maybe even prosper.

My gym membership is a luxury that I decided was worth the money, because I was worried about staying in shape post college…post walking a mile to class, post walking everywhere I needed to go, post living within walking distance to an amazing campus gym, post having the schedule that gave me time to visit that gym regularly. I have enough trouble keeping my will power and motivation up, and I wanted a workout facility available to me 24 hours a day, so that will power and motivation would be my only worries. Yet, I could stay in shape without a gym, if I put my mind to it. I could start the “Couch to 5K” program, which I have always wanted to complete. Walking/Running is all this requires, and this can be done outdoors. My apartment has a small, barely adequate gym in the basement. If the weather is crappy I could use their treadmill. My Dad and Step mom lives less than a mile from where I work, and they recently renovated part of their basement into a workout room. I could go there during lunches, before work, or after work, and get a full work out. I own several workout DVDs that I could use in my very own apartment. After listing all of these options, it actually seems to me that I have plenty of resources available that make the gym membership negligible.

Conclusion:

Creating a “Bare Boned Budget” is a great exercise to motivate yourself to “trim the fat” off of your current budget.

1. First, get out your current budget (or make one if you haven’t done that yet!). Next, figure out which things you could remove completely, thinking as if you didn’t really have to do it.

2. Then of the remaining, figure out how much you could cut back on each one, again, as if you didn’t really have to do it.

3. Create a pie chart of each budget and look at them side by side. Make a table that calculates the dollar amount difference that you would save in each category.

4. Then write a sentence or two about each change. Would you miss it? What would you have to do to make the goals? What are your alternatives? What would your plan be for the excess money?

5. Take action!

I also noticed that doing one thing often affected two different areas of the budget. For example, travelling less helped me cut back my entertainment budget AND my gas budget. Working out on the weekends would be a cheap alternative to my usually expensive entertainment options, AND help keep me in shape without my gym membership. Saving gas by not going home for lunch would give me time to visit my Dad and Step mom's house for a lunch hour workout, an alternative to my gym membership.

I know that writing this made me think “WOW, I could actually do this!” Give it a try and see if you have a similar experience.

FREE Haircut!

The best things in life are free. :)

Today I found an advertisement for a FREE haircut! A local salon was completing advanced haircut training for licensed cosmetologists and needed models for FREE haircuts.

Although these programs carry some risk, being that the cosmetologists are in training, I consider this risk completely worth the reward.

A good haircut can run $40 dollars!

These were my thoughts when deciding whether to participate in this program:

1. Even when I pay $40 dollars for a haircut, I often get a cut I am not satisfied with.
2. These cosmetologists are licensed.
3. Since these cosmetologists are being trained, and probably watched by supervisors, they will be "putting their best foot forward".
4. Hair grows back.

Luckily I ended up with a cosmetologist who had been in the business for 12 years, and was enrolled in this training only because she was switching companies. I got a great cut, left a 5 dollar tip, and was completely satisfied.

Check out the businesses in your area to see if they do any regular training programs that you could schedule your haircuts around. Another great place to look is Cosmetology schools in your area.... they often offer free or cheap hair cuts, hair colors, manicures, pedicures, etc.

Are you a dipper?

I like to dip. Pizza, bread sticks, steak, veggies, wings, crackers, pretzels.... You name it, I'll dip it.

I've been wanting to buy a set of little dipping bowls for the longest time. You know what I'm talking about, those dishes similar to what you see when you order your dressing on the side at a restaurant.

I think they would be so cute and useful. No more piles of ranch running into everything on my plate. But the voice of my mother runs through my head every time I am tempted to buy a set. I am enthralled with all the little kitchen gadgets that are out there. An avocado slicer?!? Awesome. But my mom will just shake her head at me, and say in disdain, "you don't need that."

Recently I thought of a free way to make my own little dippers! I am a fan of crystal light. I have always just thrown away those little pitcher portioned cups that crystal light uses for packaging. But it dawned on me that these little cups would be perfect for individual size dippers. So I am now washing them out and saving them to use as dipping bowls.

And I am saving even more money now that I have found the generic brand of crystal light they now carry at Walmart. (tastes the same, I swear)

Just a good idea I thought I'd share on this lovely Friday afternoon. Have a nice weekend!

Breaking Up With The Boyfriend.... Good or Bad For The Budget... Part One

As I recently went through a breakup, I am trying to find ways to distract myself from my thoughts. I decided I would think about how this situation would effect my personal finances. I realized there are two topics to discuss. Immediate post break up activity... spend more or less? and Long term post break up activity... do I spend more or less as a "couple" rather than a "single".

Part One: Immediate post break up activity

Do I want to run to the mall and buy new shoes and clothes to make me feel better? Yes. Do I want to go grocery shopping and load up on extras like chocolate and ice cream for those lonely nights on the couch? Yes. Yes. Do I want to make myself feel special by making an appointment at the spa for a mani, pedi, and massage? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Will I? No.

Luckily I have picked up this second job that keeps me occupied a couple extra evenings a week. Not only am I not spending, I am earning.

What am I doing to keep myself from spending on clothes, shoes, voodoo dolls and chocolate covered sundaes? I made myself a list of all of the things that I did not make time for when I was in my relationship. I have been neglecting my crafting, the apartment needs a mega clean job.

I spent one evening devoted to cleaning. I did every single load of laundry I had. I scrubbed the tub so it sparkles. I cleaned the kitchen head to toe. I organized my linen closet. I vacuumed behind the couches. I dusted every surface I could find. I cleaned the windows. I cleaned under my bed (gasp).

I am being productive, busy, and emotionally I feel like I am scrubbing his memory from my apartment.

Next in line, clean the second bedroom. I am a pack rat. I have already been having the urge to reduce my clutter. I will go through every single box of shoes and clothes and crafts and old miscellaneous things. I will pretend I am on that one show, and make piles... to sell, to donate, to keep. I will put the things that are sellable on eBay or craigslist. I will put the things to donate on freecycle or to Goodwill. I will nicely organize the (hopefully small pile) of things to keep.

After that I think I will rearrange the furniture. This is always fun, and when the memory of someone is everywhere you look, rearranging is a good way to make things feel fresh and different.

And once my second bedroom is organized, I will know where all the supplies are to all the projects I have put off. I will enjoy completing each and every one.

I have also been neglecting the gym. I am already paying for it, so I am going every evening that I do not have to work at my second job.

I will take an evening to call all of those people I call periodically to catch up, my friends and family that do not live in the area.

And all of these things cost no money.

I think that when someone goes through a break up, they can easily revert to previous bad habits. For me, this is spending money. By consciously making a plan, I can come out of this situation a cleaner, better person... who is still in control of her finances.

Expect Part Two Soon... Long term post break up activity... do I spend more as a "couple" or a "single"?

Alternative Income: Picking up a Second Job

So I scored a second job! I have been thinking about getting one for a long time, and I have kept a steady lookout for one that is juuuust right.

My ideal job would be working one or two evenings during the week, and some reasonable weekend hours every couple of weekends. I have season football tickets to my Alma mater, and a pretty active social life, so I didn't want to be working a ton of weekend hours. The pay was not really important to me, flexibility was my priority. I would also like to work somewhere that interests me, with an employee discount that I would use.

So I am now a cashier at a local craft store! The store is halfway between my work and my apartment. This is perfect because during the week I will be coming straight from work, and on the weekends I will be coming from my apartment.

The hours of business are:

M-F 8am - 9pm
Sat 9:30am - 5:30pm
Sun 11:00am - 5:00pm

This means that I can still have a reasonable bed time during the week. Also, no matter what, I will not be working past 9 on a Friday night (still time to go out afterwards). I wont have to wake up too early if I work on Saturday mornings, I will be able to do things on Saturday evenings (only work til 5:30!), and I will be able to wake up late AND still have time to relax after work on Sundays.

They do expect some weekend hours, but they said as long as I give them my schedule, they will work around it!

They also are working around my ongoing Thursday night plans with my old roommate (Happy Hour!!). All I said was if they were just picking days of the week to work, I would prefer not to work Thursdays, but no big deal. Well another girl that works there prefers Thursdays so it works out just perfect!

The pay is only 7 dollars an hour, but I get a 25% discount! And I can definitely use that discount on crafts. Spending money at craft stores is one of my major weaknesses.

I'm going to allow my first paycheck to go towards my crafting wish list (which is rapidly growing in my head), and try to save the rest of my checks.

This is PERFECT timing, too. I am going to Europe for work in late September, and after that comes the holidays... both of which require some extra money.

Making 7 dollars an hour, this is how much I can expect to make each month (before taxes) if I work 10-15 hours a week. This equals out to $3,636 to $5,460 a year (if I can handle a second job for that long)

When considering a second job, spend some time thinking about your ideal job and what is important to you.

Is it important to spend the least amount of time making the most amount of money? Consider giving up your weekend nights and bar tend. If you find the right place bartenders can make hundreds of dollars in a 4-6 hour shift.

Are you a morning person? Consider working at a bakery early mornings before you go to work. If you picked up a 5:00-7:30 am shift on weekdays you could squeeze in 12.5 hours a week

Don't want your second job to interfere with your working out schedule? Become an aerobics/yoga/spin instructor and get paid to work out!

Do you have a store that you regularly spend money at? I know my weaknesses are Target, Old Navy, and Craft stores. Get a job at one of your favorite and save yourself extra money by using the employee discount. My sister work in a department store throughout college, and got a 25% discount. This came in VERY handy for buying wedding gifts.

Getting a second job is a big commitment, so I figure that it is okay to be picky. If you look hard enough or long enough, you will find a job that fits your needs and your schedule. And you will be a lot happier because of it.