Sunday, February 22, 2009
Cheap Meals
| By Lynn Forgy Here are some ideas for really cheap meals: 1) Chili (if you put it in the crockpot to cook, you can save some money on your electricity bill) - 2 cans of beans ($1.00) - 1 can tomato paste ($.35) - 1 packet chili seasoning ($.40) TOTAL: $1.75 2) Vegetable soup (again, put it in the crockpot) - 1 can mixed vegetables ($.50) - leftover vegetables if you have any (if not, use 1 or 2 potatoes, a can of green beans or other beans, etc.) (approximately $.50) - chicken bouillon ($.25) TOTAL: $1.25 3) Corn chowder (in the crockpot) - 2 potatoes ($.50) - 1 can creamed corn ($.50) - 1 can corn ($.50) - Milk (I use the powdered milk and water it down somewhat) (approximate cost $.50) - Chicken bouillon ($.50) TOTAL: $2.50 4) Veggies & Rice (steam the vegetables, and put the rice in the microwave to lower electricity costs) - 1 bag frozen veggies ($1.00) - Rice (approximately $.50) - Soy sauce ($.25) TOTAL: $1.75 **Got any ideas for cheap meals? Email me to add yours to the list! |
Thursday, February 19, 2009
GRRRR....
| By Lynn Forgy I'm sure some of you can understand my frustration - whenever I think I might be just a little bit ahead, WHAM - some unexpected expense smacks me in the face! A brief summary - I did my taxes, and thought I would get a nice refund to pay off my student loan debt and then put half of the remaindert in my 3-6 month emergency fund and the other half towards my upcoming dental surgery. So what happened? First, I got a bill from my daughter's dentist. $312 remaining from what the insurance wouldn't pay. OK, so I thought that wasn't too bad. I can handle $312. I just made the little deduction in my notebook. And then? I got ANOTHER bill from my daughter's periodontist. Apparently, the insurance didn't want to pay for that consultation either (I think she had actually reached her limit for the year and I wasn't aware of it - long story, but that's the gist). Another $110. So I made another deduction. And another, and another... What was I left with? Well, I had enough to pay off my student loan (Yeah!! Finally). And I'll be able to pay the aforementioned dental bills ($422). And I'll be able to pay back one-half of what I owe to a family member that fronted me the money for my daughter's root canal. So instead of being finished with Baby Step 2 (my original plan), I am still stuck here, and with the following debts: $600 - remaining payment for root canal $3050 - dental surgery (mine) Sometimes I just feel like giving up - except I know I wouldn't be any better off, particularly since I performed surgery on my credit cards. Grrrr... Labels: Baby Step 2, Debt |
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Frugal Friday Tip
| By Lynn Forgy My aunt gave me a tip about saving money on the heating bill - remove the hose hooked up to your dryer vent, cover it with a sock, and let the heat enter the house rather than venting outside. |
