˚budgeting series-part 5˚ Assigning $

This week, we are going to assign some of the $ values to the categories. Sound hard? Well, what if I told you that the dollar amounts you assign don't have to necessarily be right? And, you don't even have to look at the income your calculated last week. 

Sound easier? 

Good.

First, take the categories that remain fairly constant each month (by fairly, I mean give or take a few dollars) and write down how much you spend in each one. Yours might end up looking something like this:

Rent $600

Internet $14.95

Saving/Investing $100

Phone $50

Life Insurance $19.50

Rental Insurance $14.00

Auto Insurance $80

Look back to the list you created in part 3 to find more categories that might remain constant for you. These might be health insurance, piano lessons, debt payments, etc.

Once you have assigned the values for the fairly constant expenses, move onto the others. Take your best guess and don't stress over it any more. Next week (and over the next month) we will refine a bit and make things a little more accurate.

Then, give yourself a pat on the back, leave a comment to let me know how you are doing, and come back next week for some more budgetting fun! (Boy am I a nerd!)

*Update: click here to see part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

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˚organizational tip˚ Winter Blankets

In the winter, do your beds ever have piles of quilts on them like this?

Mine do! So here in Texas, it is warming up quite a bit. We no longer need all the layers on the bed. But, where should one (with limited storage space in an apartment) stash the excess quilts? Well, here are two places I have used that work just great. 

First, we like to put our down comforter in between our mattress and our box springs. And with the help of another person, it is not hard at all. Just lift the mattress up and slide the quilt in on top of the box springs. Make sure it is laying flat and replace the mattress. 

Need a different option? The first couch we owned was free, and about 15 years old. After being loved for that long it sort of swallowed anyone that sat in it. We removed the cushions and laid out our extra blankets nice and flat. After a few days, the blankets were smashed under there nice and flat. Not only did it add a little lift to our couch, it also hid our extra blankets. We just kept adding more and they flattened out. Eventually, we had quite a few under there. 

Happy blanket hiding!

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˚recipe˚ Gloop

So this recipe isn't edible, but my little sister sent me an email telling me about how her and a friend had a blast with it, so I thought I would share.

In one bowl, mix these two together:
1 teaspoon borax
1 cup water

In a separate bowl mix these together:
1/2 cup Elmer's glue (clear glue is the coolest but you can use white too)
1/2 cup water
Drops of food coloring (you can also add sparkles if you want) 

Poor the borax mixture into the glue mixture. Be stirring it while you pour it in!! Once it is gooey, pick it up. If there is a little bit of extra water in the bowl pour it out, and play with it for a while till it gets gloopy!!! 

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˚budgeting series-part 4˚ Income Guessing

So how did it go? Did you complete the list of categories where you spend all of your money each month here in part 3 of our budgeting series? If not, you can do it this week.  

If you are just joining in, click here for the first three parts of the series.


This week, we are going to figure out average income. For some of you, this will be cake. If you are like us, your income changes slightly each month and is a little more difficult to calculate. 


So...list all of your sources of income. 


Some of them might include:


Salary
Tips
Babysitting money
Teaching piano lessons
Tutoring
Home businesses
Monthly much appreciated gifts from friends and family (I wish!) 
Etc. 


Now, put a star by the ones that are fairly constant (within $50 or so each month) and list the income you receive by those ones. For the income sources that change drastically each month, take a good guess of the average income from those sources over the past three months and write down those amounts. 


Now add up all the categories to get your average total income each month (feel free to laugh or cry depending on the amount. I tend to do both when I complete this step). 


And that's it! Check back next week and you will really start to see your budget unfold. I told you we would take this nice and slow...
didn't I?

*Update: click here to see part 1, part 2, part 3, part 5, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

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˚kitchen tip˚ A Simple Bowl

Quick tip today regarding a time saver (and mess saver) in the kitchen. We eat a lot of veggies and fruits around here. A lot of time my cutting board gets overwhelmed by everything I am cutting up. In order to save space on the cutting board (and avoid big goobers on the garbage can) I put all of the unusable parts of my fruits and veggies in an extra bowl until I have finished cutting everything up. It frees up space on the cutting board, makes it so you only have one trip to the garbage can, and reduces the amount of gunk that gets stuck to the garbage can. And since everything in the bowl is fresh, a quick rinse with water cleans it out. I like it. Maybe you will too!

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˚organizational challenge˚ The Never Ending Paperwork

Let's be honest. Paperwork is a doozy. It's never ending and annoying. But, when it is organized, life is so much better. Mr. Candid used to make fun of the fact that we had a filing cabinet. Now, when he asks where something is, he just smiles when I tell him to check the filing cabinet. 

I have recently found the best method of filing for us, but every once in awhile I have to doctor it a bit. 

Here is the before: (Not too bad right?)

Here's the action: (this is definitely a project for nap time if you have little ones)

And after:

A couple tips: 

If you have a lot of receipts or information regarding a specific topic, use labeled envelopes so that all of the info is easily accessible in one place: 

I like to have broad categories for the larger green file folders, and then subcategories for the manila folders. I have a "spending folder"...

That contains manila folders labeled important receipts, budget sheets, and coupons.

You will need to have a few folders for your taxes (I think you need to keep 7 years worth):

And a miscellaneous folder is okay, as long as you actually know what is in it:

 Don't let the bottom of your manila folders look like this. It makes all of your papers stick up over the labels. 

Instead, use the little folds at the bottom to flatten them out like this:

And lastly, get rid of as much junk as you can! You might be surprised at what you saved that you thought you needed. Be sure to shred the docs with important info on them. 

And when you are done and the Mr. asks you where something is, you might get a little smile out of him when you say, "In the filing cabinet". 

Happy Organizing!

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˚recipe˚ White Chicken Chili

This recipe was shared with us by some of our favorite people and we eat it a lot. Complete with guacamole, sour cream (or plain yogurt for a healthier option), hint of lime chips (have you ever had these? Yum!) cheese, this delicious salsa, and anything else you might want to add. We love this soup. Mmmm. Perfect for a chilly day.

Here is what you need:

3-4 chicken breasts
8 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. onion chopped
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans navy beans (I have also used pinto, great northern, or even garbanzo beans)
2 cans shoe-peg corn (or regular corn...it's cheaper!)
1 lime juiced (sometimes I use two depending on the amount of juice I get out)
1 tsp. cumen
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. chili powder

Here is what you do:

1. Boil raw chicken in 8 cups of chicken broth. When finished, remove chicken breasts and shred or chunk them into pieces. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over the stove.
2. Add onion
3. Add garlic
4. Cook until translucent

5. Once the chicken has been shredded or cubed, put it back in the chicken broth.
6. Add 1 tsp. lemon pepper
7. Add 1 tsp. cumen
8. Add 1 tsp. chili powder
9. Squeeze lime into soup
10. Add translucent onions and garlic
11. Add 2 cans of corn
12. Add 2 cans of beans
13. Heat for about 20 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with hint of lime chips, sour cream. guacamole, cheese, and salsa.

If you have leftovers, this soup is excellent the next day!

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˚budgeting series-part 3˚ Make a List

So how did it go? Did you complete the tasks that were listed here in part 2 of our budgeting series? I hope so. If not, it is not too late, but hurry and get on track so you can keep up with the series. 

Click here for the first two parts of the series.

This week's task is pretty easy. (That is a good thing right?) All you have to do is make a list of the categories that you spend money on. Don't fret (I love that word). It is easier than you think, especially with the tools I will give you in this post. All we are looking for is a list. Bullets...numbers...doesn't matter. Just a list.

So, take 5 minutes and write down the categories where you spend your money each month. I will get you started: Rent/Mortgage, food...now keep going. Before you look at my list, try and do it on your own. Then compare the two. 

Here are the categories we use:

Rent

Utilities (including electric, gas, and internet)

Saving/Investing

Phone

Food

Gas/Oil changes

Gifts

Fun

Insurance (including life, rental, auto, health, etc.)

Miscellaneous

Medical

Clothes

Education

Charity 

Other things to think about that I don't have listed: 

Debt payments (credit card, school loans, car payments, etc.)

Tap dancing lessons (or any other activity you/spouse/child might participate in on a monthly basis)

Eating out
TV 

Mortgage

Transportation

Travel

Keep your list handy because next week, we will need it again. And give yourself a pat on the back. You are on your way to "financial freedom" (as Dave Ramsey would say. Can you tell I like that guy?)

*Update: click here to see part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

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˚excuses˚ A Sneak Peak

Do you ever have those times in your life where you have to drop everything and work on something special for a little bit? I do. That explains my absence. It is a sad story, but that will come later. This weekend I have been working hard on a little project for someone experiencing a lot of pain in their life. I am hoping to be done in just a few days. Want a sneak peak? Here you go:

(Don't mind the weird coloring. Flash pictures at night never turn out well.)

On a lighter note, I have some great things for you this week. Finally, the soup that goes wonderfully well with this Salsa Recipe. And I wouldn't want to forget about our Budgeting Series of course. (Did you complete the challenge? Have you convinced yourself and told your significant other/husband/wife about doing a budget like you read about here?) And how about another challenge like this one here? This time it will be more along the organizational line. Stay tuned this week and I will make up my hiatus for you!

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˚budgeting series-part 2˚ Let's Start Slow

Alright. Let's start slow. One of the most important things about budgeting is actually doing it. BUT...sometimes it is hard to budget by yourself. Especially if you "share" money with a husband/wife/significant other/kids/etc. So first you have to convince yourself that it is actually worth it.

To be honest, budgeting is difficult. But, lets focus on the why we want to budget part. Do you remember this post? (Zambia and starving children...those might be a few reasons why you want to budget). But let's think a little more long term. How would you like to retire with 7 million dollars? (I can't even imagine what that would be like...) Or have a fully funded college fund for each of your grandkids? (Not to mention kids...and you probably don't even have grandkids yet).  And what about having little to worry about when you or your husband/wife can't find a job for a year. (Can you say emergency fund?) Budgeting gives you the peace of mind by knowing how much money you make, and what you do with it.

But really. Around here, we know where our money is going. We know exactly how much we make. And, it feels pretty good to know that we are thinking about the future. Many people aren't. For example, today I was eating lunch at work with a fellow co-worker. She is 58 years old, and she still has a student loan. She was hoping that it would be paid off by the time she retired, but she wasn't sure. Really? I wonder how many years she has had a student loan. Why not pay it off early and stop paying someone else to lend you money? She was also planning to rely on Social Security in order to live once she retired. Me? I am not planning on getting anything from Social Security, so I have to plan ahead.

So this week you should focus on two things:

1. Commit to developing a budget and trying to live by it for 4 months. (That really isn't that long...)
2. Tell your significant other/husband/wife that you want to live by a budget. Tell them why.

Like I said...we are starting slow. And if you follow right along with this series...you are already on your way!

*Update: click here to see part 1, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

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˚dejunk challenge˚ Just Five Things

I live in an apartment that is about 825 square feet. It is worlds larger than our previous 500 sq. foot apartment. But regardless of the size of your abode, dejunking can always be done. Trust me. One easy way to make your house/apartment/tent feel larger is to decrease the amount of (excuse my French) CRAP that you have. So, the challenge this week:

Find 5 things that you can donate/sell/trash/giveaway.  

Want to know what I found? 

1. An old snowflake candlestick holder that hasn't seen a candle in about a year. 

2. A Christmas tree skirt that I will never use.

3. A wood Santa that was painted by my sister-in-law when she was probably 7. (Don't worry, I know she won't be offended because she is the one that suggested that it needed to go.)

4. The cover to an amp that we don't even own.

5. Three textbooks

So go find five things that you don't need, and get rid of them!

Then let me know what you got rid of.

Happy Dejunking!

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˚recipe˚ Fresh Salsa

I absolutely love fresh salsa. There is something about fresh-cut, juicy goodness that I can't turn away. And if your friends and family are anything like mine, this will be gone before you know it. (Be it with a chip, taco, fajita, and even a spoon. Trust me. I've done it.)

This is what you will need:

-Cliantro

-Onion

-Tomato

-Garlic

-Lime or lemon

-Salt

-Pepper (optional)

So here is the catch. I can't tell you exactly how much of each ingredient to put in. It just takes practice. I will give you estimates, but remember that they are just estimates. 

Step one: Chop tomatoes. Don't worry about seeding them. That takes too much time. We want the yummy salsa as fast as possible. Want a turbo chopping method that works especially well with roma tomatoes? 

       1. Chop off the top of the tomato where the stem used to be and slice into thin strips. 

       2. Take half of the chopped tomato and lay it flat on the cutting board. 

       3. Chop thin strips again. 

       4. Turn the tomato and chop perpendicular to your previous strips make tomato chunks. 

Step two: Add chopped onion to the bowl. I like a little more than half the amount of onion as there is tomato. 

Step three: Add chopped or pressed garlic (usually about 2 cloves if I use three roma tomatoes)

Step four: Add chopped cilantro (about 1/4 c. chopped)

Step five: Smoosh the lemon or lime around on the counter to soften it. Squeeze it into the mixture. You can also use lemon or lime juice. Just add a few (2-3) cap fulls.

Step six: Add lots of salt (start with 1 tsp and add more as you taste). You want plenty of salt, but if you put in too much, it is bad, bad news, so start slow). 

Step seven: Add a few twists of crushed black pepper. 

Now, the hardest, (and most important part) is to let it sit in the fridge for awhile (at least 1-2 hours is good, but sometimes I just can't wait...). Taste it again before you serve it. If you are not sure on the taste, you probably need  a little more salt.  

Good luck saving any leftovers. At least that never works for me!

Be sure to check back soon. The next recipe I post will be of our favorite soup that we love to eat with this delicious salsa.

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˚budgeting series-part 1˚ The Dave Ramsey Show

Is it weird that I get a little teary eyed when people call into the Dave Ramsey Radio show and do their debt free scream?

What? You don't know what I am talking about?

Dave Ramsey is the debt free man of the year. He puts on a radio show about how to get out of debt. He even provides baby steps for you to follow. Pretty cool job he has. Want to know more about it? Check it out here.

(And just so you know, I am not getting paid to share this info...just sharing what I listen to sometimes when I am needing a little company at home. Nerdy? Maybe a little.)

A big part of Dave Ramsey's program is budgeting. Ugg...Did I just say that on a blog? Lame. But...how would you like to:

 be filthy rich?
retire in style?
drive any car you want?
buy me a house with cash?
travel to Zambia to visit the giraffes?
donate enough money to save 1000 children?
remodel the house you haven't even purchased yet?
shop without worrying about how the heck you are going to pay for it?

Me! Choose me! (especially for the Zambia and save the children thing)

Budgeting can be fun. Really. I think many of us just have no idea where to start. So, in this little series I am going to show you the process I went through to create and (more importantly) live by a budget. It is kind of a game in this house.

I don't guarantee that this is the best way. It is just what works for us. So, check back every Wednesday for the budgeting series and start budgeting right along with the series.

*Update: click here to see part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, and part 8.

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