Buckling Down

It’s time to buckle down. For reals…

Our spending for April and May was a little cray-cray, and it’s time to put our seat belts on, and steer the ship back on course. We didn’t purchase things out of the ordinary or anything. We didn’t suddenly go on shopping sprees or decide that we are 21 and want to start clubbing again, or anything. But there is a money leak somewhere, and we haven’t been paying attention to the dinero, like we should have been.

Also, as fun as working on commission is, there are months where the times aren’t as good. My husband works on commission so sometimes, the plus and minus columns aren’t as concise as they should be.

So that being said, for the month of June I’m tracking every blessed penny to the T. Groceries? Check. Rent? Check. Every dollar spent is being tracked like a mo-fo. The only way to see where the extra coins are going to, is to put it down in black and white. On paper. I’m writin’ it down.

30 days of “where the *#@! is my money going?”

Then come July 1st, time to analyze the damage results, and see what’s what. Then we’ll go from there. Right now, I just need to focus on this month and get my bearings, financially.

Do you guys keep track of your finances old-school style using a pen and paper? Or do you use financial programs like Mint? Let me know!

Is That The Beach? And Some Link Love!

I’ve missed the beach, I really have. I used to live just minutes from it, and I didn’t realize just how much I missed it until I wasn’t next to it anymore. I swear, if I win the lottery someday, I am immediately buying a house right on the ocean. Well, not right on the ocean, I mean I don’t want a floating house, for Pete’s sake…

On the pier in Oceanside!

Anyways, my husband surprised me and took me and my girl to the beach! And it was wonderful! We went to Oceanside and then to Carlsbad. It was such a nice day! I think my husband knew I was going through “beach withdrawals”

I’ve also been reading blogs, yo…

Here are the posts I got a kick out of this week:

Giving Up Habits to Save Money by Budget and the Beach. Are there some habits you could give up to same some moolah?

Expensive Doesn’t = Good Quality by Student Debt Survivor. Isn’t that the truth?

How I Paid Off $30,000 of Debt in Two Years by Blonde on a Budget. This is just all kinds of awesome, seriously!!

The Biggest Ripoff EVER! by Debt Chronicles. You won’t believe what it is!

May Budget Review: Epic Fail by Club Thrifty. Holly’s comedic post on why May was not a good month for her budget!

Have a great weekend everyone!

To My Princess

To My Princess:

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! I can’t believe you are already three years old! It seems like just yesterday you were in my tummy, and now…now you are a girl full of energy and ideas, and beautiful smiles.

I can’t help but wonder how you will be, as you get older. My girl who loves to twirl around pretending she is a princess, complete with a crown on her head. I have a feeling you will still love to run around, giggling, saying “Mommy, look at me!” I look at you and marvel…

Marvel that time has passed so fast. So fast, that it is hard sometimes to realize that you aren’t my “baby” anymore. Gone are the days when you first learned to roll over, and made your way around the living room like you were on a mission. To go where, I don’t know, but you were determined. You’ve always been determined. You’ve always known what you wanted, and have gone after it, even if it was just figuring out how to take your first step.

And I admire that about you. I know that whatever comes your way in life, you will go after what you set your heart upon… Nothing will ever stop you from going after your dreams.

My precious girl, my “mini-me”, my daughter, my heart ♥

I love you so much and wish you nothing but happiness always.

Happy Birthday ♥ Love, Mommy

Mac ‘n Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

I know, it’s quite a mouthful to even say, right? But it’s gooooooood…

So last week, I bemoaned the fact that I hadn’t been able to adequately meal plan in ages. Try some new recipes seemed to be what the doctor ordered in terms of getting back on track. So while the meal planning is still a work in progress, trying out a new recipe is not.

And you know what the best part is? I had all the ingredients in my kitchen and did not have to spend any money to make it! Frugal? Um, heck yeah!

Mac ‘n Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 TBSP butter, melted, divided
• 1 cup 2% milk (I used 1% cause that’s what we had)
• 8 oz. rotini pasta, cooked and drained
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 4 cups frozen vegetables, thawed
• 2 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 3 TBSP of butter with the milk, pasta, chicken, veggies, and cheddar cheese in an 8-inch baking dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and remaining butter in a small bowl; then sprinkle it on top of pasta mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Yum!

****Recipe adapted from Country Crock

Meal Planning…Bleh…

So, that whole meal planning thing that I was kickin’ some serious arse in? Yeah, well…I’m not kickin’ its butt, it is kickin’ mine.

For the past two months or so, I have not meal planned. Not even a little bit. Even though this one little thing, this one little hand-written list, is what has saved me money more than doing anything else in terms of saving money at the grocery store… ugh, I have not done a meal plan that is even remotely cohesive in thought.

Why? That’s an excellent question. I wish I had an answer.

I know that when we were searching for a place to move to, our time was consumed with that, and after driving around all day, cooking just didn’t sound enticing. Then we found a place, and then the “packing stage” started, and then my time was consumed with that, and yet again, cooking was the last thing I wanted to do.

But now, I am firmly ensconced in my new digs, and yet…no meal plan. Honestly, I just haven’t been into the whole “planning out a week’s worth of meals” like I used to. But I need to. Our grocery budget is getting a wee bit out of control due to lack of pre-planning, and we need to reign that bad boy in.

So my plan for getting back on the meal-planning bandwagon? I need to tap back into my love for trying new recipes, with ingredients I already have, of course! Need to be frugal here…not trying to spend money calling for ish I never use, know what I mean?

Food has just been bleh for me lately, and I need to get back to actually enjoying it, so I am going to find some fun new recipes to make. I have cookbooks that are earmarked with recipes waiting to be tried out. I think this will help me with getting back to meal planning, especially if I can find recipes that can be double-batched or made into leftovers.

Friends, do you guys meal plan? What helps keep you on track?

Frugal Jewelry Display

So, I am not a big jewelry person, but I have a few pieces that I have collected over the years. Strictly costume jewelry, but they are pieces that I like to wear on occasion, and when I worked full-time, practically every day. But the problem is, they were a tangled mess in the jewelry box that I had them housed in. Then, trying to untangle the hot mess would just leave me frustrated, and more times than not, I would just say “Aww, forget it!” and leave the yarn sized knot in the box.

There had to be a better way. I needed to be able to see the jewelry. I needed to figure out a way to display the pieces, but not have it be in the way. Also, it needed to be pretty. Cause, well you know…

And this is what I came up with:

Love it!

Ta da! Neat, organized, a bit retro, and a dash of pretty. Total cost? One dollar. Yup, that’s it. The ribbon was purchased at a craft store in a clearance bin and it was only $1.

Who can beat $1?

I really love what I came up with! Everything has a place: my necklaces, my bracelets, and my “going out” purse.

I added in some “old Hollywood” pictures of Myrna Loy (love her!) that I had, and I found an old Mad Libs from when my husband and I took a road trip a few years ago. I cut off the cover, and tacked it up the wall. Also, I had this random Avengers postcard, so hey, that went up too!

I love, love, love my jewelry display! And the best part? It was totally a frugal project!

Life, Lemons, and Some Link Love

Lemons, lemons, lemons, oh my!

So, I have a lemon tree! Fantastic, I know! When we moved last month, we moved to an area with a lower cost of living so that we could rent a house. Living in an apartment is all good, but we were growing out of it. Hence a house which happened to come with a fabulous lemon tree!! Super cool, I know! I see lots of lemonade in the future this summer

In other news, my Ducks lost in the 1st round of the hockey playoffs I was devastated honestly… I really am a diehard fan, and this year just really seemed to be our year to take the whole thing, and now it’s just over… Still bummed but what are you going to do, right?

The weather has been warming up considerably here in SoCal, which is nice. And now I have a backyard to spend those warm days in! Happy, happy, joy, joy

I’ve also been reading blogs, yo…

Here are the posts I got a kick out of this week:

Things I Would Never Do: The 97 Month Car Loan by Frugal Rules. Check out John’s post; there were many of us who didn’t even know this option existed!

Blogging and Social Media Etiquette by Girl Meets Debt. GMD shares what one should and shouldn’t do in the wide world of online sharing.

Your Credit Cards Are Paid Off, Now How Do You Stay Out of Debt? by Eyes on the Dollar. Want to know the answer? Read Kim’s Post!

Important College Considerations and Conversations by The Heavy Purse. Even though I graduated college eons ago, Shannon’s posts on college and money are always my favorites!

In Life and Finances, You Are More Adaptable Than You Think by Budget Blonde. Cat wrote my favorite post of the week! A definite must-read!!

Have a great weekend everyone!