Some frugal goals
Happy New Year!
I'm not much of a New Year's resolution sort of person, but since posting my goals on my blog seems to work so well for me, I thought I'd write down a couple of money-related ones. I'll try to remember to do a check-in post each month in which I will report on how well I'm doing with each goal.
1) I'd like for the kids and me to eat three non-cereal breakfasts per week. I do usually manage to purchase cereal pretty cheaply, but even cheaply obtained cereal is not as cheap as, say, oatmeal. If things go well, I may manage to give cereal the boot more than three mornings a week, but I'm going to set my goal at a manageable three for now.
I'll post any well-received non-cereal breakfast recipes for you all, of course.
2) I'd like to save up an emergency fund that is equivalent to 3-6 months of living expenses by the end of the year. I'd REALLY like to get it up to six month's worth by then, but I don't know if that's do-able. I'm going to do some calculations next week and come up with some hard numbers, as I'm not entirely sure what three or six months of living expenses adds up to.
3)I'd like to be more disciplined about keeping Quicken updated. I do a very good job of keeping up on our bills and paying everything on time, but I'm not the best at record keeping(actually, I stink at it!), and I know I'd feel better if I improved in this area.
4)I'd like to save up some money to use this summer. While my income from playing at church stays the same year round, my piano teaching income goes down dramatically in the summertime since most of my students take time off for at least part of the summer. In past years we haven't done a very good job of preparing for this and so sometimes by the end of summer we're not in very good shape financially. If we saved $1000 by the end of May, we'd have $333 for each month of the summer, and that coupled with the teaching money that I'm able to earn each month would be enough to keep us on track.
I'm a little nervous about my Quicken goal, as I've spent a good many years in a chronically behind state when it comes to my record keeping. But, I spent a good many years wasting food and by God's grace, I'm now a reformed food-waster. So, I suppose it is possible that I could learn to be a good record-keeper in 2009. Stay tuned!
photo by faeryboots
I eat oatmeal pretty much every morning. I like mixing in almond butter for protein. It tastes so yummy! And if you have a Costco membership, buy it there. It is so much cheaper than at the grocery store!
Oh yes, I was going to check their oatmeal prices, and also Aldi's prices. I don't buy oatmeal all that often and so I'm not very educated on what a good price is.
Do you add sugar to yours?
Have you tried Quicken online? I have been using mint.com which is very similar to Quicken online. It's free and links to your accounts. All you have to do is go in and categorize your spending that isn't automatically categorized.
Good luck with your goals!
I sit down on the last Saturday of the month and enter all my Quicken stuff, pay the bills, etc. Quicken is so great for getting reports on where your money is going and how you are spending it. I like it a lot.
I buy oatmeal in the bulk section at our Cub. It is really really cheap.
Angie, thanks for the mint.com link! I'm telling my friend's son...he's new to budgeting and loves his iphone (which can run mint.com). What a great tool!
I just want you to know how much I have been enjoying your blog. I am pretty frugal by nature, but have been inspired by you to try to be more aware and intentional in saving money, and not wasting food, energy, etc. I appreciate that you have such a cheerful attitude and are reasonable in your goals. Looking forward to your posts for 2009!
Angie, I haven't done that. I'll look into it, though. I do have my Quicken set up to link to my accounts online, though, so mostly I have to do the categorizing. The problem is that I put it off, and then I get behind and categorizing is really hard then(you can't remember what all you bought at Walmart three months later! lol). So, I need to work on it at least weekly, I think.
Maddie, thanks for the encouraging comment! I'm so happy that my blog has helped you.
Steel-cut oats will keep for days in the fridge and reheat well. I usually make a big batch at the beginning of the week with chopped nuts and raisins and then reheat for the next several days. (Usually adding a tbsp or so of milk and some honey to make them taste richer).
Hi Kristen and a Happy New Year.
I've been following your blog with great interest for some time now but this is the first time I've left a comment.
It's more of a question really. What is Quicken?
Hi Gai! I'm glad you finally commented! lol Quicken is a piece of financial software that you use for keeping track of all your accounts. It's a nice program, but I've just been a slacker at keeping up on it.
Have you tried baked oatmeal? Really tasty & easy - Flex Recipe: 2 cups uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal; 1 1/2 t.baking powder; 1/2 t. salt; 1/4-1/2 c sugar (depending on how sweet you like it); 1 c milk; 2 eggs; 1/2 c applesauce; 1/2 cup frozen blueberries or raisins, dried cranberries, mashed banana, chocolate chips, whatever); 1 t. vanilla. Mix dry ingredients; mix 'wet' ingredients; then mix together. Bake in 8' sq oiled pan at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Cool & cut into squares. Also, I make homemade granola & use that instead of cold cereal.
Oatmeal is really quick and easy to make in the microwave: Pour oatmeal and milk (at a ratio of 1:2; we use 2 cups of oatmeal, but my family likes it a lot) into a big bowl and cover with lid. Heat on 100% until boiling (takes about 7 minutes for ours.) Heat on 20-30% to keep simmering for a few minutes (3 minutes for quick-oats, 10 minutes for full flakes.) Done. No burning, no stirring, you can even go and do something else while it cooks. And the bowl can go straight to the table as serving dish. The only problem is that sometimes the milk boils over if you don't know your microwave well and can't watch.
Also, rather than buy ready-made cold cereal, I buy wheat puffs and frost them myself (mix honey and oil, pour over, then bake at 300F for 30 minutes.) Way cheaper, and just as popular as frosted flakes with my kids.
I'm sorry but I hate cooked oatmeal. I make granola, which is good. My other favorite breakfast is waffles. Why? Because there is so little clean up. You never have to clean up the waffle maker, just put it away once it cools. I make my waffle batter in a 8 cup tupperware measuring cup. That is the only thing to wash when I am done, and it can go in the dishwasher. It only has 6 ingredients, so even my 7 year old can make them.
For our family of 4
1 1/4 cup flour (often I will do with freshly ground wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
Enjoy!
Sara, I make waffles too...but I find that they are a lot of work with kids, what with the buttering and cutting and such. :p I think oatmeal would be simpler. I don't mind cooked oatmeal, so I'm hopeful that I can find a way to cook it so that everyone likes it.
I make granola sometimes, and I hope to get more into the habit of making it.
Pancakes are a big hit in our house and freeze well...
PANCAKES
2 eggs
2-1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (Emergency substitute1 TBSP Lemon Juice or vinegar to 1 Cup Milk)
1 tsp. baking soda
2-1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. Sugar
4 tsp. melted butter or vegetable oil
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Beat together until smooth. Spoon on ungreased hot griddle. Flip over when bubbles appear.
These freeze very well and I just reheat them from frozen in the microwave for my kids.
*From Miserly Moms Book by Jonni McCoy
MOM'S FRENCH TOAST
6 Eggs
1-1/2 Cup Confectioners' Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
6 Tablespoons Maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 loaf of Texas toast bread
In a shallow dish, beat together the eggs, sugar, milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon with a fork until blended. Dip each bread into egg mixture, coating completely. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden. * I cook mine in my electric griddle as I can cook 8 at a time.
These freeze very well and I just reheat them from frozen in the microwave for my kids.
Kristen,
I just found your blog today & love it! I was raised in the "frugalist" (is that a word?) of homes by parents who loved to watch "the frugal gourmet" (does anyone remember Jeff Smith?) Anyway, I am a mom of 2 little girls (yours by your pics are so beautiful!); I am also a Professional Organizer and have enjoyed your discussions on motivation, organization and freecycle (of which I am a moderator in my community). I just wanted to introduce myself and will continue to enjoy your blogging. Thank you for the info. and social outlet. All my best, Dawn