analysis paralysis! Which means you may stick with the old paint rather than make a costly mistake. Well, for my fear-laden friends — what do we do? I recently lived this and didn’t want to waste more time. Years ago, I had painted the main level and a few other important walls a nice shade of “biscuit, which took me months to agonize over, and the kitchen was white with a chair rail and taupe down below.
Now, it was time to paint again and for some rooms that builder antique white really needed to go! So I thought — let’s make it simple and pick white! Do you know how many shades of white there are?! A LOT!!
Anyway, so I tried to just look at samples in the house and out on the deck in the sunlight– it wasn’t helping. Then I decided to use the online tools to see the white in rooms. That didn’t help enough – ugh. I knew that you need to know where your light comes in — from the East, West, North or South. With my town house, I have East/West facing light. Believe it or not you can google paint colors for East/West facing homes which led me to some interior designer blogs which were very helpful.
So I selected one color of the two that I had narrowed down. Then I started to rethink the two colors (from two different designer’s blogs) plus my contractor had recently painted another house a different color. So I called and asked him if he could do samples of the two and he added in the third without telling me which was which. He then sent me a video of them all three on the same wall. It was great because I was able to see the color in the house in the daytime and again later at night. I selected the color that was my original selection! It turns out it was the one selected by several other folks. Trust your gut but verify!
The color I selected was for walls and trim. We went with “ceiling” white for all of the ceilings and it really brightened the house. The contractor fix all the cracks and years of settling and stripped away the old wallpaper in the powder room. And it is amazing what a fresh coat of paint does to a home. This paint in my house does have some barely there gray under tones. I am good with that since I chose gray carpet and some gray marble like Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVP).
I chose Sherwin Williams Pure White (SW 7005). https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/color-family/white-paint-colors/sw7005-pure-white
I am not being paid or sponsored for the mention of any paints, blogs or designers. These comments are from personal experiences in renovating my property.
Yes, I took her down the deck steps and about 5 feet into the backyard. Set her down and she just froze! And not the “eww the grass is wet” freeze. This was different and then I wanted to walk but something about how stiff she was had me stop and think maybe I should go stand behind her and put on the flash light. It was super dark without much light from the neighbors. I move two feet to the right — right behind her. Put on my phone flashlight — OMG! Right in front of me was a huge fully formed, and impressive I might add, spiderweb. Complete with the giant spider!!! I could have walked face first into that!
Spider in Her impressive Web!
So, even a “Princess” dog can save your life — ok, this maybe a bit dramatic. I figure if I had walked into that in the dark and there was a spider — I would have freaked out and had a heart attack and died! So yes, she can be worth her weight and mine too! Needless to say, dogs really are human’s best friends!
As evidenced from my infrequent posts, I have been a bit uninspired for the last year or so. Therefore, I feel like I need to reintroduce myself and my blog. I am hoping to share ideas, knowledge and just some camaraderie. I do like to cook and bake — baking is really more of my thing. I will try recipes, especially some of the older (mom/grandma, favorite) recipes and share my results. Also, I am still experimenting to find a “healthy” cake recipe! I like to try new restaurants so
a review or two may appear. I also have a dog, a 20 lb Sichon* (Bichon Frise mixed with Shih Tzu). I may share some tips to save time/money and just to make life a bit easier. If you can share some good food with your family and friends, life is always better and that is a very comfortable place to be.
*I don’t receive any monetary compensation from sharing this link.
And, now, my dog has of all things, allergies. She has these persistent ear infections. Now I have to learn about feeding my dog to reduce the ear infections. Beef, Wheat and Dairy are the most common allergens for dogs. And my dog is very motivated by food and in addition, she expects to get some of mine! This is hard as dogs expect to eat with the pack and while they acknowledge the leader of the pack eats first. They expect the leader to share some of the food with them — a tidbit or two at least. Okay, maybe it’s just my dog that expects me to share. How did the diet go?
The beef was easy to cut out as it is not my pup’s fave. Although she enjoyed it when I warmed it up with some water to make a broth to flavor her kibble. The dairy has been a bit harder as she likes a taste of ice cream or whipped cream when I have ice cream. That said, it hasn’t hurt me to cut out the ice cream but I do miss it. Now I am watching to see if she is shaking her head or chewing her paws whenever she eats. I purchased the new sensitive skin kibble and will have to begin that transition. It’s usually best to slowly add in the new kibble 90/10 until you ease the dog over. Also gives you time to see if they adjust.
I also have to need to change over her heart and flea meds to rule out an allergy to chews. This is proving to be a bit of an exercise. However, given that if the ear infections don’t calm down, she can go deaf. She is only six years old so I have to take this very serious.
So to give an update on the precious princess, things are better! The major change is the flea meds. This one is important. Using topical Revolution (Selamectin) instead of the NextGard chews has reduced the hot, flared ears. And I will say this version of the topical is way better than one of the older brands. The liquid dose of Revolution for her is so much less in quantity, you can smell a bit of the alcohol and then it disappears. No sticky, oily streak — so much better for everyone. Using the HeartGard even though it is oral chew seems to be fine. It contains ivermectin and pyrantel. The ivermectin works to prevent heartworm disease by allowing the immune system to recognize and inactivate heartworm larvae before they can develop into adults. The pyrantel in HEARTGARD Plus chews treats and controls hookworms and roundworms.
As for the dietary changes, the sensitive skin kibble did not agree with her — once we got more than half-way of the ratio of the new kibble to old — she wouldn’t eat it. Also, it changed her poop — not enough fiber? So I switched back to her regular kibble.
I cut out beef and this has made a some difference. – although steak seems to be better than ground beef. I did try to use ground turkey and it seems to be ok but she does not love it. So far the biggest difference in changing her food has been to remove the dairy. Any bit of dairy will flare the ears. So no “pup cups” and no ice cream nor licking the yogurt containers. So she does seem to be missing the dairy treats as do I. Overall, it’s best for both of us to not have it for our bedtime snack. That said, sometimes while I am out, I get ice cream without her — Shhh…don’t tell her. Although I feel like she somehow knows!
I am not being paid or sponsored for the mention of Heartgard or Revolution. These comments are from personal experiences with my pet. That said, please note the oral flea chews do NOT kill the fleas until the fleas have actually bitten your pet and your pet can get other diseases from the bites such as a potential anaplasmosis infection. The Topical flea treatments and flea collars helps to repel and/or kill the actual fleas.
Cook Once, Eat Twice – part 2
Well Summer is working its way to Fall – leaves are already starting to turn! Kids are going back to school and soon it will be the ol’ refrain: “What’s for dinner?!” Last post, I covered making a quick spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce). This post, I will share the secret (ok, it’s not a secret) but I will share one of my quick dinners. Easy Ravioli Lasagna! I think I first learned about this on the show “The Chew” where Mario Batali tested the recipe to see if it worked and was it any good. So, was it ….
To his surprise, he said it was surprisingly good! If you are looking for something you can put together and throw in the oven – this may fit into your dinner rotation. I like it because you can change it up based on what you have on hand. All you need is Marinara or other pasta sauce, pre-made fresh or frozen raviolis, shredded mozzarella cheese and desired spices. You just really need to know the formula and then, you can make it the way you like.
I will go over the easiest version first.
Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees and gather your 9×13 baking/casserole dish and ingredients. Decide which “flavor” you wish to make — Frozen raviolis it will take longer to bake.
While the oven is preheating, place some of the jarred or pre-made sauce in the bottom of the dish. Really you are just trying to get the bottom covered so spread evenly. Open the package of cheese raviolis and lay them in a single layer across the bottom. Add sauce mostly on the raviolis and ensure they are covered. If you like a zesty flavor, sprinkle some oregano over the sauce on this layer and you can even add a bit of garlic power too. Now, sprinkle shredded cheese over this layer. If you have more raviolis, lay them in another layer, if possible try to place where there are ‘gaps’ so it will cook more even. Now cover with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle generously with cheese for the top. I like to sprinkle a bit more oregano over the top.
So this is super simple! Not quite as easy as ordering pizza but it may be healthier. And, to help win over the picky kids, you can make this using more of the ‘pizza’ flavors. I have made this with cheese raviolis, marinara sauce and to amp up the flavor, added diced green peppers and pepperoni. I use turkey pepperoni to lower the fat and feel like I am being healthier.
Tonight, I tried two kinds of raviolis: cheese and sausage along with cheese and spinach. They were in the freezer and I wanted to reduce the sodium in the dish. So, I heated (to bubbling) the green peppers in some olive oil, added the no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, and the sauce to get it going. I also added the extra spices here to include a bit of black and cayenne pepper. Using the heated sauce will help thaw the frozen raviolis and jump start the baking.
Bake in the middle rack — it should take about 30-45 minutes to get hot and bubbly. If the raviolis are frozen, it may take longer to ensure the middle is heated to the proper safe temperature.
While this is baking, prep a nice salad or some bread for garlic toast. Or, since this dish just needs to be turned around half-way through baking, you can run down and throw a load of laundry in or move it to the dryer. Or do your homework!
If you don’t have any garlic bread but you do have any left over hamburger or hot dog buns from a cookout, don’t let them go to waste. You can butter them and sprinkle with garlic powder and garlic salt. Toast them up on the top rack of the oven the last 10 minutes of “lasagna” baking time.
Let the “lasagna” cool off a few minutes to setup before you cut into it. Two reasons — one so it does cut easier into servings and two, so doesn’t sear the tongue!! The sauce and cheese can be like molten lava!
This is a great dish to have some leftovers or feed a family. It’s easy enough the kids can help put it together which may get them more excited about dinner. The dish can be a bit heavy and hot so probably best for the adults/teenagers to handle putting in/taking it out of the oven. What a great way to get kids involved in making dinner. So with some creativity (or not) this can be an easy, satisfying meal to make and serve. Coming home to having left overs that heat up in the microwave, can make for an easy, quick meal and that is a comforting place to be.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Batali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chew
Have you ever had one of those days or months where it is hard to get motivated? I am not sure what happened because I tried to write a post for the Super Bowl (“Souper” Bowl) but then I didn’t feel like making soup! Then it was tax time! While I can do my taxes, I had a hard time pulling all of the stuff together, much less actually using the tax software to complete them. Some of this was due to the time change, I really. hate Spring forward. Not to mention, Spring hitting very hard – green pollen covering the deck, the cars, me and the dog after taking her for a walk. My allergies flared terribly and I had no idea when I started watching that there are 17 seasons of Heartland! So I apologize to my loyal followers — do I have any loyal followers – besides the spammers?? So while all those things were just distractions, I woke up this morning thinking about writing this post. It’s almost Mother’s Day so let’s think about how to make your Mom’s or your wife’s, or any special lady’s, day a little better. One of the best ways is
to cook a meal and most importantly to clean up afterwards! This is one of those win/win gifts as everyone needs to eat! And, with some planning and careful shopping, you can “cook once and eat twice!” The wise old adage, “measure twice and cut once,” refers to being precise as it’s better to spend an extra minute measuring again before cutting since the cut is permanent. Wood is expensive, and nowadays, groceries can be expensive. Let’s talk about meal planning because I know when I have set out to make some new recipes that use different spices, etc., it feels like it costs way more! And I have heard folks say that French cooking can be very expensive but it doesn’t have to be. A lot of what makes cooking expensive is trying to buy ingredients that are not “in season,” meaning they aren’t growing/ready for harvesting. To get them, they have to be imported from another area or even another country which pushes up the price.
Cooking with the ‘in season” foods can save you money and also help keep your dinners fresh! I was talking with a coworker last week about eating (no surprise) and she was excited because it’s almost “asparagus season.” I happen to love FRESH asparagus – canned or even frozen is not the same. Fresh young, tender asparagus is really good. So if you are not a fan, could be you have not had the best asparagus or maybe never had bacon-wrapped asparagus – it’s a real thing! A Thai restaurant near my house makes this wonderful Asparagus Stir-Fry and I get it with chicken and extra spring rolls! So enough about asparagus – you get the picture.
When cooking for a special occasion it really helps to create a menu that focuses on your special person’s tastes as well as the seasonal vegetables and fruits. Of course, you usually can’t go wrong with roasted chicken and a nice garden salad. Adding a special appetizer and/or a favorite dessert, setting the table with a nice tablecloth and fresh flowers makes the meal more of an event.
Think about breakfast as well. A nice warm coffee cake with hot, fresh coffee to start the day. Maybe serve with some fresh, seasonal fruit. One year, after a visit to the doctor, my mom said the doctor told her that she needed to watch her cholesterol– the woman loved her sausage! So, I suggested that she eat some fruit with her breakfast and she responded “fruit?! for breakfast?!” I was like … you used to eat cantaloupe and a lot of folks eat that for breakfast and she glared at me. So serve fruit at your own peril!
Along that line, think about eating healthier and reducing the sodium intake. For simple dinners – choose a pasta sauce with lower sodium or even better no salt and low/no sugar – check the back label and compare to ensure the brand actually is lower salt. It’s really easy to use prepared pasta sauce for a simple pasta dish or even jazzed up with some ground beef and extra spices. While it may not be intuitive, adding ingredients can “reduce” the sodium. Adding no salt added, stewed tomatoes can “freshen” the premade sauce and reduces the sodium and adds potassium. Ensure you choose tomatoes that are steam-peeled without chemicals. It isn’t really “reducing” but rather diluting the sodium. This is a really important concept as most of the time, excess sodium can cause health issues, but by adding potassium rich veggies to the sauce, it can also help balance the sodium. Cutting carrots into the “dimes” or even chopping such that they cook down, adds more nutrition and may get kids to eat more vegetables. Adding an “MJ” version of a mirepoix (onions, green peppers and optionally add carrots vice celery) to prepared pasta sauce along with some browned hamburger makes a quick bolognese.
Here are ways where you can use the “cook once and eat twice” methodology:
1- Brown Hamburger 1-2 pounds along with the MJ Mirepoix. Drain the fat, add a can of the aforementioned stewed tomatoes, the jarred pasta sauce (I like the Barilla Marinara). If you are making 2 lbs of hamburger, go with two jars of sauce and 1-2 cans of tomatoes. Bring it together and simmer until for 10-30 minutes – portion out what is needed for the current meal. If you want, you can freeze the rest of the sauce in individual servings. Portion out the noodles and cover completely with the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and seal the container. Or put just the sauce in a freezer bag or freezer container, and mark with the date and freeze. I am always happy when I get home late and find a some home-made spaghetti dinner that I just need to microwave. This version of the frozen dinner is so much healthier than the store-bought.
2 – I often like to brown the hamburger like the above adding in the green peppers (carrots are optional). Cook until the veggies are soft – drain the fat, sometimes I add in tomatoes here. Save some hamburger to finish cooking your current meal. Portion out the rest of the meat for later to have a jump start on making Tacos, Chili or another pot of spaghetti. You can even add the cooked meat to Mac-n-cheese to make a cheesy hamburger pasta dish, a homemade hamburger helper. Just add in some extra shredded cheese and a bit of milk or cream to blend.
This is a good way to handle buying hamburger in 5 lbs – when it’s often cheaper. Spend an hour or two to brown some of the meat for dinners and portion out some of the meat into hamburger patties and perhaps, a meatloaf. The burger patties can be wrapped individually in wax paper and frozen – take out 1 or 2 at a time or cook all for use for a quick dinner. Even better if you have time to grill. The goal is to do the prep ahead of time and this way the hamburger will be in an easier state to freeze and use later. Especially important these days with everyone’s busy schedules.
Of course, if you would like to lighten up, ground chicken or turkey can be a great substitute for the hamburger. If kids or adults are picky, using the ground meat in the pasta sauce or tacos with the great seasonings may help with the transition. Also, while I am not a huge fan of Quinoa, I like it in tacos! Rinse the Quinoa before cooking it … rinse it several times and pick out anything that doesn’t belong. then cook per the package, don’t over cook since it will cook a bit more when mixed in. Brown the ground meat, add taco seasoning and add extra seasonings and a bit more water. I always use more liquid than the package says. Add 1/2 -1 cup of cooked quinoa. Maybe try 1/2 cup to 1lb of meat at first and then work up to 1 cup. Quinoa is lighter and texture-wise seems to blend well with taco meat. I would not add it to pasta sauce unless you really like the taste – I tried it and I didn’t enjoy it.
Another healthy tip to lighten things up, is add around a 1/2 cup quick cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs when making meatloaf. It helps keep it moist and adds extra fiber which is always a good thing. And since you are adding all the seasonings to include: mustard, eggs, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper — you won’t taste it. Of course, if you have a family favorite meatloaf, perhaps you can’t change it up without folks complaining, but that is ok. I even make “meatloaf” burgers on the grill. They stay more moist on the grill no matter your skill level and it’s helps stretch your money and helps your heart! See the links at the bottom of this post for more information.
While much of this article is about stretching your time and food budget, this is a good way to save money. This savings can help you splurge for other things. So with Mother’s Day coming, think about how best to celebrate the wonderful “Moms” in your life. Whether it is taking them out to eat or a special home-cooked meal or cookout, bringing flowers or just letting her sleep in, I am sure they will be grateful. And if you can help to keep them happy and healthy, life will be more comfortable!
The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically one or two parts onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.
A Sofrito is used more in Puerto Rico and latin countries. It varies by region but can start with the MJ poix and add tomatoes and garlic and spicier peppers. Actually, see the link below for a basic recipe.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/basic-sofrito-recipe-2138283
https://www.allrecipes.com/bacon-wrapped-asparagus-6572419
https://www.livestrong.com/article/250246-the-psychological-effects-of-low-potassium/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/530885-the-effect-of-magnesium-on-sodium-potassium-balance/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/bell-peppers#benefits
I loved the indoor mall full of local vetted craftsmen. We walked down to the Long Wharf Pier and saw the “Boston Harbor.” Very modern now with jets taking off from Logan Airport just across the Harbor. While I am saying I enjoyed this walking tour, my body that is accustomed to the mostly desk sitting did not. So a detour for Advil was required along with a festive and hot Peppermint Mocha to warm us up. I can’t help thinking that “wow, I need to be training for old age!”
Now, with the New Year here I can’t put off that doctor’s quiet admonition, he wrote on the paper that you take up to the desk and hand them to check out, “diet and exercise.” After several knee injuries, an ankle sprain and foot fracture I may have gained a pound or 10. So, I know he is not wrong and, in the past, I have successfully achieved a healthy weight. However, in the past it may have been running (now out of the question), extreme calorie restriction (not healthy) or both — ended up sick. Therefore, I started researching to see if there was anything new and healthy to try. And there are some new schools of thought to approaching lifestyle changes but they still require will-power. I have heard that if you make something into a game, it is always more fun. While this may not become your favorite game, it may help you “up your game!” What game you say?
I think most folks are aware of the Jenga game of stacking little blocks and then pulling out blocks randomly to add to the top — all the while trying not to have it collapse into a heap. Did you know the root of the word Jenga is from a Swahili word, kujenga, which means “to build.”
Recently, I have been reading about “Habit Stacking” where you take a habit you already have — a healthy habit and then stack a new healthy habit onto it to “build” your healthy routine. Which also reminded me of Jenga … especially if you are trying to remove a bad habit and replace with a good habit on top of other good habits. I couldn’t help but think about how this can be a metaphor for our diet and exercise habits. Actually, most studies show that diet can have more impact than exercise on your weight.
Remember the old food pyramid? The USDA has redesigned the food pyramid to be “My Plate.” to aid in building a healthy diet. When looking at your diet, it’s not just about the calories but also the nutrient content. You may also hear folks talking about the “Macros” which is short for macronutrients. Macronutrients is a term used to describe the carbohydrates, fat and protein your body needs. And, not sure about you, but I am very sensitive to sodium so I am always looking to achieve a balance of the electrolytes. What I have found is, it’s not just about the liquid electrolytes but balancing the sodium and potassium content in your solid food can really improve your blood pressure. This is now starting to get complicated! And, it can be a bit overwhelming at first.
So we need a way to make this more of a game. Food Tower! is what I am going to call this New Year’s eat healthy game. I really would love to call it Food Jenga! but Jenga is actually trademarked! In our Food Tower game, and in keeping with the aforementioned habit stacking, we can break this down to pulling out a block and replacing it with a healthy block. Habit Stacking, like in Jenga and your electrolytes, balance is key!
Good eating habits can also go along with saving money. Even though everyone has been complaining about the prices of groceries, there are things you can do. Tiny good habits can stretch your groceries, improve your health and save you money 
The roasted turkey was actually enough for two people for several meals. So even though it may have looked expensive (approx. $19), the whole meal above cost about $35 to buy the ingredients (minus the wine). So per person per meal brought it down to less than $10 per person which honestly is less than 4 people eating at a fast food restaurant and arguably more healthy. Cooking a turkey breast on a Sunday would provide a lovely meal and then the meat can be sliced for sandwiches for lunches.
Cooking fresh and/or frozen veggies (without sauces) are naturally low in sodium and low in calories. Also, even if you have no time and you make the frozen pasta meals, throwing in a handful of frozen veggies can stretch the meal, add potassium and fiber. Frozen peas also add zero cholesterol plant-based, protein. Keep bags of peas, corn or your favorite veg, in your freezer to add extra veggies in to your diet. Also, if you have a pup, you can help with your pup’s diet — steam some peas and before you add butter or seasonings, scoop a tablespoon or two out to cool. Mix in with your pup’s dinner to provide some extra low-fat nutrition.
One of the keys to changing your habits is to realize it takes on average 3 weeks for something to become a habit. Therefore, it can be best to slowly add in or otherwise stack the new habits. Perhaps, create a plan to swap out one bad habit for a good habit each month, using the habit-stacking idea. So think about what new habits that you can do to replace a bad habit or add in to improve your health, wallet and over all life. Small changes that you stick with will be easier and lead to a much healthier life which is a very comfortable place to be.
Where did the summer go? Like a beautiful butterfly it flitted away …. and this year we have had a fall with lots of colorful leaves and blue skies. One thing I love about living in the North East is the seasons — well, winter is not always white but, it is usually more than cold enough for me!
Thanksgiving is only a few days away and I, along with everyone else, have been making multiple trips to the store. My church has been organizing baskets for meals for the community for those in need. This year my grown son is home visiting and helped me shop and it was so nice to have him to navigate the store with the cart! So while I am trying to finish shopping for our meal and asking my son what would he like for sides, I was trying to shop for family I know not. So I picked a lot of the same things I would for me and I wondered…. do they have a child who says “they like apple pie and pumpkin about the same so either is fine?” So which one to make….
I really only like pumpkin things for Thanksgiving … shhhh. So in the basket went pumpkin pie fixings — we aren’t supposed to put in perishable items and pumpkin calls for evaporated milk and there is now a version that calls for condensed milk too so I grabbed one for them. At my home, we are going for the classic. Isn’t this the time for the classic, traditional family favorites? I hope the family that receives our basket enjoys the food selection to include some Mac-N-Cheese! I added that in due to a friend’s suggestion. While it was not a regular on our holiday table (my southern mom made candied yams), I do know many people who require it and it has to be from a trusted family cook! What are some of your family favorites?
I have been enjoying asking people what are they making for their big meal. So many surprising answers for a holiday that has a ‘standard’ Turkey menu? I love how families have often created their own holiday traditions, sometimes deliberate and sometimes not. I love the laid back, take all day to cook the meal and smelling all the goodness all day long! Often we have only a light breakfast followed by snacking only so we can best enjoy the seasonal feast. When it is only me and my son, I do often make things “lighter” and this year I was able to get the “lighter” version of the turkey. Yes, I got a turkey breast and it is mostly all the white meat … no Henry the VIIIth turkey legs and only 6.26 lbs.
My friends were discussing prices per pound and fresh or frozen for their turkey and I have to admit … I went for the one that would fit in my freezer. What?! Am I the only one that has to worry about freezer space.
Isn’t that part of the planning and strategic shopping so that we can have all of the ingredients at the right time. My Merry MJ Holiday Dinner post talks about how to plan your cooking and how to make some quick and easy versions for when you don’t want the whole day in the kitchen. Or if you want the “experience” without the mega-leftovers.
So, how to use the leftovers? My son loves turkey and will eat turkey sandwiches throughout the year. Folks may have forgotten in our rush to hurry through the holidays, that a long time ago, people used to make big Sunday dinners throughout the year. Maybe your grandparents did too. Part of saving money and eating healthy is meal planning and using leftovers. Before pre-packaged lunch meat and meal prepping were a ‘thing,” folks did meal prep by cooking a large roast beef or chicken or turkey on a Sunday. This was often used for sandwiches and lunches and quick dinners during the week. I know this is not the time of year to think about saving money or eating healthy — that is for after Christmas!
I love to talk about food and Christmas, dare I speak so early about that holiday? Last year, I tried to make a “Roast Beast” or rather a Beef Wellington — ala Italian style, Giada’s Italian Beef Wellington. I should say I did make a Beef Wellington with sun-dried tomato pesto and prosciutto and it was delicious. Perhaps a bit over done for my son as I tried to ensure it wouldn’t be too rare for me. My son still loved it!
I have now learned that some people make individual ‘wellies’ and I think that might even be better as I would like more puff pastry on mine! This year, I have seen someone posting a crown rib roast on Facebook and it looks magnificent. I am now thinking that could be my next cooking extravaganza! Some people want to climb mountains and I tackle intermediate to hard cooking challenges. One day, I will also try to bake some Macarons all from the comfort of my own home! However you choose to celebrate the holiday, whether at home with a family feast or visiting faraway places, may you have a delicious meal to make it a comfortable place to be.
Summer is vacation time for many people, especially, folks with kids! While out walking my dog, I ran into one of my younger neighbors walking her pup. We somehow started talking about vacations and my neighbor asked me these questions: How do you plan for a vacation? How do you start? How do you budget for that? While I didn’t have a ready answer then, these questions have been on my mind. Maybe, planning a vacation is an easy task for some, however, others may have a harder time. How do you know where to go or how much you can afford?
If you are lucky and have friends who live at the beach with a free guest room, this might be an easier task. Or… if you like to camp and have all the stuff, there is probably a campground not that far. But, what if you have that wandering feeling and want to go to some far and exotic place … Las Vegas, Paris, Istanbul, or Greece!
I remember when I was much younger and a coworker invited us girls over for a cook-out – bring your own ‘raw’ meat and she would grill and provide everything else. She had a nice house all by herself and I was amazed! I knew she was an accountant/CPA meaning good with money. But still… it made an impression on me. She mentioned savings and said we each needed an emergency fund. I wanted to have a nice house and so the next day I started saving $30 per pay period and let me tell you, this was not easy in the 80’s with a 17% interest rate on my car loan!
“So how will this help me with my vacation planning?” Knowing that you have a savings account with a good balance for emergencies will help you feel more comfortable taking a vacation. Perhaps, start a specific vacation savings account to put aside for vacations and have funds from each pay check automatically sent to the account. Yay! You are saving for your vacation. And, if you were already saving – how much more should you save specifically for this vacation?
How much will be enough? If you would like to take a European vacation to Paris, first look to see the best time of year to visit Paris. Paris in the Spring… sounds very lovely to me! And, one day I will visit Paris! The most popular time to visit vacation spots will also be the most expensive, due to the economic concept of “Supply and Demand.” However, that doesn’t mean don’t do it! Just need to do some research on hotel prices and airfare. And here is a big secret … sometimes international airfare can fluctuate a LOT, so check the prices. Perhaps, you can get the best deals if you can vacation “some other time!” A few years ago, three of my friends and I went to Greece in mid-September and found way better airfare prices than in the summer. I have also found the best airfare mid-November around Veteran’s Day. If you can be flexible, you can afford to go on an exotic trip!
Planning the trip took some research and asking my friends to each pick one island they wished to see. Then we knew we wanted to go that year and we were planning during early summer. That said, the airfare and hotels were more available in September. We checked the weather and squeezed in 9 days (11 with the 2 travel days and time changes) before the “bad” weather was going to hit. In Greece this makes a big difference in being able to move between islands. Due to time constraints, we narrowed it down to Athens, Rodos (Island of Rhodes), and Santorini (very popular).
We traveled Turkish Airlines via Istanbul with a quick plane change on the way to Athens. We had a few days in Athens (Acropolis!) and then we took a small hop to Rodos for a few days. In Rodos – such a fun place with a UNESCO Walled City (sprawling and beautiful old castle) and then to Santorini — the history and the views!! I will say this was a wonderful trip and I loved being in Greece. I would definitely go back. And to cap off our trip, we (I) made a small oversight booking on our return flight and had a 22 hr. layover in Istanbul! Our planning party had a bit of wine flowing before dinner ….. Anyway, I found this when I plugged our itinerary into a spreadsheet and made sure all of dates/times for flights, hotels, tours and excursions, and taxis/cars to/from the hotels and the airports were in sync. Well, it was going to cost a LOT to change the flights. Thankfully, we found a nice hotel in Istanbul with a rooftop restaurant and a VIEW that was amazing and the food was safe and delicious. Crisis averted! We all made it home safe and sound with a quite a few mementos.
While I ordered the transportation on the smaller islands, I thought Athens would have ‘larger and more available transportation’. Well, I learned that you have to order the transportation for 4 women and luggage to ensure you have a large enough vehicle to get to the hotels. It was fine, but took 2 cars!
Also, pack a bathing suit! We thought we only had “harbor” views in Athens and we did but also, across the street was beach access and we were able to swim. So have a suit and the water will come!
By selecting our hotel just a bit away from downtown Athens, we saved quite a bit of money. We also selected hotels with breakfast bars. This way, we could always get coffee and food without leaving the hotel and no need for a lot of translations early in the morning. That said, most employees spoke English. We did have to do an excursion to the bank to get money converted but we managed. We also managed the train/trams to get to downtown for a walking food tour. Once downtown, after walking up/down the Main Street, we finally found the starting point for the tour. It was worth it.
So … all of this was said, because you have to do some research and see what you would like to do. Having our breakfast covered every day as part of the hotel costs, was delicious and budget friendly. The breakfast bars had a mix of both the usual items and some of their specialties. It also allowed the earlier risers to go downstairs and grab a table and have their coffee while the rest made it downstairs.
Pre-booking excursions that picked us up at the hotel also made it easier to get around without getting lost and included the transportation costs. Therefore, when planning a vacation: decide on the goal of the vacation, e.g. touring new places or just relaxing. Even if it is a touring vacation, plan some downtime or a down day to relax and enjoy the location.
Decide what excursions you would like to do — do you want to visit the place where Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand (like me!) or see the Grand Canyon or just find a new beach to get a tan and some good food?
How many days will it take you to see what you would like? Or how many days can you get off work? That was part of our constraints. We basically had a week with two weekends plus I needed a day to finish laundry, pack (I hate it!), and get the dog to the kennel. Speaking of the kennel — that is another cost to factor in. I found out my kennel now charges higher rates in the summer!
We did all the planning and then split some of the charges on two of our credit cards and the others paid us. The spreadsheet helped with tracking the costs. If you do your research you can have a draft budget to help you decide what you would like to do. You can automate your savings so you know you have $XX amount of money every year for your trip and that can help guide you. There are a lot of different strategies. For me, it often depends on when I can take off work — and have I injured an important body part like an ankle (the dog tripped me) or a knee… which can limit which type of vacation. Beach is more restorative for a knee injury that is almost healed. That’s another story.
How long has it been since you went away? Now, you want …wait… you NEED a vacation! Some people just wing it and that is a strategy too, but just a bit of research and planning might save you a lot of money and bring you a much more comfortable vacation!
With school graduations happening everywhere, it’s not hard to reminisce about my own graduation. While some kids knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, many of us were still trying to sort things out. I remember thinking, how am I supposed to decide what I want to be when I grow up and select a college major and career trajectory for the rest of my life? I had barely been anywhere that didn’t involve visiting family or the place with the Big Mouse and his friends.
Unfortunately, just getting a college degree doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after, especially if that degree comes at a very high price in the form of student loans. So many people talk about living paycheck to paycheck and usually this is good in the sense that it means they have a job. However, it is not good as this also means the cash flowing in is usually already going out to pay bills, if there is even enough to cover the bills.
Cash flow is very important as it can be the difference in families keeping the lights on, feeding their children, and even keeping a roof over their heads.
Literally, a positive cash flow can mean someone does not end up moving in with family, sofa surfing, or worse, homeless. Ironically, this term – Cash Flow – is usually only discussed in the business realm even though it applies to personal finance as well. Lately, you may hear the term “income streams.” This refers to the various forms of cash flow. It’s trendy to discuss part-time jobs as ‘gigs’ and you can have several “side hustles” for income streams. This is another way to say having several jobs part-time, or otherwise, to keep the cash flowing in.
That all said, even having several income streams may not be enough to keep a positive cash flow. There are people who make six figures and still may be living paycheck to paycheck. If making a high salary or having several jobs is not enough to keep a positive cash flow, what else is needed?
Good Habits! Plenty of articles provide tons of financial advice so sorting out what is best or where do you start can be overwhelming. I have had friends tell me “I am not good with money!” Not being good with money is not a life sentence. It does require a change to live differently which is easier said than done. However, it CAN be done – baby steps! One of the first steps is to look at all of your bills and your income. Do you have any cash left after paying the bills? This is the hardest part: identifying where the problem lies, be it too many bills/not enough cash, shopping too much, or just not saving money!
Usually, it is a combination of multiple factors. And it can be ‘all or nothing’ thinking – meaning, if you can’t save a lot of money, it’s not worth trying. Step one is setting up an emergency/savings account – even if means saving only $5 per paycheck. Even $5 per paycheck is starting a good habit! Yes, even if you don’t think you can do this – you can!!
Next is to identify: are you spending too much on things that you could cut back on or change? Yes, most will say, cut out that “fancy” coffee and you know, if you have a daily Café Mocha habit – making coffee at home could help give you the $5 to start your automatic savings for your emergency fund. If things are not that easy for you, it may be time to look at what larger bills can be cut and/or do you need to find another income stream. Shoot, even if you are covering your bills – did you know (if you have Verizon), you can go to their website and it will review your usage and recommend the best (cheapest) plan! I have done this several times.
When I was in my early 20’s and first working, sharing an apartment with roommates and still trying to finish a degree, I was super busy. Buying lunch out every day was expensive, yet I also didn’t have a lot of time either. I admit for a few months, I made and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yes, on the days that I had evening classes, I made 3 peanut butter sandwiches (PB&Js) – one for each meal! I only had to purchase a drink. Before you feel too sorry for me, I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I only had to do this for a few months until I got a raise at work!
I bring this up to say that while it may sound painful, you need a short-term and a long-term plan to improve your finances. As much as I like PB&Js, even I couldn’t keep up that habit more than a semester or two. When my old car “left” me, I bought my new car and then, one of the roommates moved out! Instead of only paying 1/3 of the rent and utilities, I was paying half. Eek! I realized I had only enough money to cover some bills and none left for the car insurance, gas, and food money! Not even the PB&Js! Thank God for waitressing jobs – I was able to work a few nights per week. One of the great things about waitressing is – TIPS! I usually made enough to put gas in my car for the week, provide cash for lunch and some groceries, and while the paychecks were small, I was able to start a savings account and use that money to cover the car insurance. Also, guess what I love more than a PB&J – pizza! Working at a pizza place also provided a free meal on the nights I worked. Again, I only had to work the extra job until the next raise at my day job.
Depending on where you are in your financial situation, it may be harder than a few PB&Js along with an ‘extra gig’ here or there. However, a problem once identified is a problem that can be solved! Looking at your finances, you may need to put multiple strategies into action like the Debt Snowball method. It may take changing jobs to get that ‘raise’ at work to get the income stream positive. That said, starting – even with only saving $5 – can be the first step! And while it may feel impossible, dream about your future and where you would like to be financially. Keeping that vision can help you start and keep those good habits and that will lead you to a more comfortable life.
*Kaela’s Cookies – Falls Church, VA (@Kaelas.Cookies)