The Peanut Butter Sandwich Matrix

My kids would happily eat PB&J for every meal if I let them, and because it is inexpensive, healthy, and tasty, we do have peanut butter sandwiches several times a week. We’re not alone in our love of the peanut butter – there is even a restaurant in New York City called Peanut Butter & [...]

Read Full Post »

Desktop gets tidy

I had this wooden IKEA organizer in the living room, but had moved its stuff to another container so it sat empty. Now it’s being put to good use, holding pens and erasers, staples and tape refills, index cards, scissors and rulers, and kids craft supplies like crayons and markers, child-friendly scissors, glue sticks, and [...]

Read Full Post »

Getting the most bang for my clothes shopping buck

I need some new clothes. I’m down to just a few shirts, and most are showing their age and proximity to small children – stained, wholly, pilly, or generally stretched out from a baby who pulls at my shirts for nursing access. I budgeted $100 for clothes this month, the first time I’ve bought any [...]

Read Full Post »

The Budget Kit: Review and Giveaway

A few years ago, I discovered the book “The Budget Kit” by Judy Lawrence in a used bookstore. I swooped it up and am using it as a fantastic resource in putting our financial house in order. It seemed natural that I would share the book with you guys, and in planning to review it [...]

Read Full Post »

Making Money from Home: What’s working

I’ve been keeping busy with money making ventures, some more lucrative than others, and am excited to report that I’m back on track to meet my goals once I receive the payments! I wanted to post an update on what I’ve done so far to make extra money. I’m open to more legitimate, legal options [...]

Read Full Post »

Eating out on a budget

We like to occasionally go out to eat, but of course I don’t want to pay full price. I stumbled upon restaurant.com and now we don’t go out to eat without checking there first! Restaurant.com offers $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10, but the savings don’t stop there. They routinely offer discounts up [...]

Read Full Post »

Hot Stock Tips… Chicken Stock, that is

On Monday, I posted about using one chicken to make four meals for four. I cook the chicken in the pressure cooker, and use the cooking liquid and bones to make a rich, flavorful stock, perfect for chicken soup. Here’s my method: 1. After removing meat from the bones, use a heavy knife to cut [...]

Read Full Post »

The 10% Rule

Do you lather, rinse, and repeat when washing your hair? Or is one lather plenty? If you are like me, once is enough, and the repeat, an ad agency’s idea to increase sales, is simply a waste of product. How much are you wasting by using too much, even when following the recommended amount on [...]

Read Full Post »

Brave Skills

Peanut, our 4 year old boy, took swimming lessons over the summer. We have a pond in our back yard, and although he knows that he isn’t to go out there without an adult, knowing how to swim is a necessity should he ever slip outside while my back is turned. But swimming was scary. [...]

Read Full Post »

Getting Cozy with my Credit Report

As I mentioned in the initial post on this blog, I’ve been living off the credit map for several years. We have no mortgage and rent from a private party, so those aren’t listed. I have no credit cards. Until buying a new-to-us car in November, I had no debt at all; the car will [...]

Read Full Post »