Family Finance Meetings

Some of us love to shout the F-word, while others softly gripe and stare at their shoes: FINANCES.

A few interesting facts I've learned along the way to personal finance enlightenment!

1. Financial difficulties are the number one reason marriages end in divorce.  Wasn't it The Beatles that told us love is all you need?  Apparently, you also need a handle on finances as a family.  

2. The average American family owes $7,000 in credit card debt.  If we focus on families in debt, they owe an average of $15,000.

3. The estimated magic income number that allows us to feel warm and cozy about our finances? $75,000 annually.

4.  If you are currently 30 with a newborn child, the cost of a 4-year college degree at age 18 will be $442,000.

5. An emergency fund should contain 3-6 months of living expenses, but the average savings account holds a little over $2,000.

Are you feeling depressed?  Don't be!  This is just a kick start to get you thinking about where you are in the world of finances.  

During Carrie and my first family finance meeting, we had to stop due to the sheer frustration and exhaustion of talking about finances.  It is a very hard conversation!  I scoured the internet for a financial meeting template and came up short.  There was nothing out there! Well how are we supposed to have a meeting when we don't know what we are doing?

Here is a small guide I came up with to organize our financial discussions and may be helpful if you and your family are not having routine conversations about money.

Step 1: Track everything.  We signed up for Mint.com.  This gives you an easy way to see how money comes in and out without all the long-hand.

Step 2: Set a specific time for your meeting.  We decided on monthly meetings.  We review the previous month and look ahead to the upcoming month.  If you are in a dire situation with your finances, a weekly review is in order.

Step 3: Set goals, both long term and short term.  Where would you like to improve?  This helps the whole family steer towards the same end point.

Here is a spreadsheet to review your finances in detail if you enjoy the nitty gritty.

"Personal Monthly Budget" Available on Google Drive Templates by Vortex42.com

If you just ran in fear of Excel spreadsheets, here is a simplified version from The Peaceful Mom.

I created a template for our monthly family meetings, which is also available for download HERE.  If you have multiple savings accounts or would like to include retirement accounts, please add those as well.

Do you hold routine financial meetings with your family?  Do you involve your children?  What tips do you have for others?

Crock Pot Chicken Stock

I mentioned my chicken stock in the post $30 Grocery Week, but I thought it would be helpful to show how it's made!  It can be stored in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for months.  I use it so quickly it barely lasts a week, so I can't say how long it would last in the freezer.  If you have a pressure canner, you can can (hehe) for extended shelf life.  Because chicken stock is a low-acid item, it cannot be canned using the traditional boiling method for canning.  Homemade chicken stock is the secret to elevating your cooking.  It somehow magically transforms your food and makes a large impact in place of store bought stock.  My stock recipe is inspired by Ina Garten's Delicious Chicken Stock.  Those of you who have made stock may be thinking you need the meat to obtain good flavor, but I assure you this is very full flavored! I have also baked split chicken breasts, removed the skin and meat, and immediately thrown them in the crock pot for stock as well. Substitute for turkey..whatever you have on hand usually works.

Coarsely chop all your vegetables.

Everything in the pot but the chicken and water.

Throw the ol' frozen bird right on top and pour water over until vegetables are covered (about 2-3 inches below the lip of the crock pot).  Don't worry if your lid does not fit.  You can see mine is well above the lid level.  My lid fit over about an hour into the cooking time.  

Once chilled, skim off the fat.

This batch yields 7 cups of stock!

Crock Pot Chicken Stock

Ingredients
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat and skin removed
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 sprigs Thyme
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Water


Directions
Place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme in bottom of crock pot. Place rotisserie chicken on top of vegetables.  Fill with water until covered.  Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.  Let cool, then strain using a fine mesh strainer.  Place in container and refrigerate.  Once cool, skim yellow fat off top.  Enjoy!


Do you have a good stock recipe? What do you like to cook in your crock pot?

Southern Trash Talk

I'm southern, born and bred.  Some from the deep south may disagree with that statement, but when we are technically speaking, I am indeed below the Mason Dixon line.....and I have a southern accent....especially when conversing with my mother.

Well being southern with plenty of time on my hands due to the recent inclement weather, I would like to give you the Southern Talk Meme Series.  Enjoy!  Feel free to add your suggestion and I will happily Meme-ify it!

I apologize for any southerns that live in states not included on my southern states map or for true southerns regretting me including Florida.

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Clean Eating: The Basics

I have been interested in the clean eating phenomenon recently.  It appears to have a different meaning to many, but this will be my interpretation.  

The Concept: Eating whole foods that are as close to their natural state.  Minimal processed foods. Lots of vegetables.

Look at your plate for each meal. Your goal ratio should be 25% Protein, 50% Vegetable, 25% Carbohydrate.  For my mathematically challenged, here's a picture.

If you are American, your ratio is probably starting out 50% carbohydrate, 45%protein, 5%vegetable/fruit.  Even bodybuilders don't need that many carbs so unless you have a rare metabolic disease, you may proceed.  If you have problems with portion control, download MyFitnessPal.  It will calculate calories you require to lose or maintain weight on a daily basis.

Fruit and Vegetables should be raw.  If not raw, then steamed.  If not steamed, then baked.  

Let me just stop here and say I eat like this currently 30% of the time.  This should not be done in rapid succession as you are likely to get frustrated and eat a dozen donuts in a frustrated rage.  Make changes slowly.  Each grocery trip should be an opportunity to swap old habits for healthy ones.

Back to processed foods..... Some people like to refer to this as the 5-ingredient rule.  If a product has more than 5 ingredients listed, it is likely to contain preservatives and additives.  Clean eating requires minimal processing, so that basically excludes any food with additives, but not processed food as a whole.  Let's take bread for example:

Nature's Valley Whitewheat

Ingredients: Wheat Flour Enriched Unbleached (Flour, Barley Malted Flour, Niacin, Iron Reduced, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (Vitamin aB)) , Water, Sugar, Fiber(Soy Fiber and/or Cottonseed Fiber) , Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Contains 2% or less of the Following: ( (Calcium Sulphate (Sulfate), Calcium Carbonate, Vegetable(s) Oil [Soybean(s) Oil Or Canola Oil] , Salt, Soy Flour, Dough Conditioner(s) [Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, Monoglyceride, Calcium Iodate, Ethoxylated Mono-And Diglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Datem, Azodicarbonamide] , Wheat Flour Cultured, Guar Gum, Vinegar, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Monocalcium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulfate, Soy Lecithin)

Food For Life Ezekiel Bread

Ingredients: Organic Sprouted Wheat, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Filtered Water, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten, Sea Salt.



Now, this match up is a little unfair as we are comparing an expensive, organic product to a cheaper, readily available product.  The main concept is read your labels.  If you can't understand it, you don't need to eat it.  Whole wheat bread has less vitamin and mineral additives as it is naturally rich.  It does not need enhancement to make the nutrient value look appealing.


The approach for beginners:

Start with the easiest meal for you to change.  Mine was breakfast.  I was eating cereal with milk at 7am and by 9am I was starving.  I applied the clean eating rules to my breakfast and now it looks like this:

Pepper and Onion 2 Egg Omlette, Toast with Jam, Red Grapes

My next approach will be lunch.  I pack my lunch most days, so making meals ahead of time is key.  If you would like ideas, google image search "meal prep sunday" (monday works too).  This will give you a bevy of ideas to start.  This is a concept used by anyone who lifts weights on a regular basis, but it is applicable to everyone.

To get started, download my printable Clean Eating Shopping Guide.  Post questions and comments!

My list is simple.  If you would like options, try this list or this list.
Recipe ideas can be found at Clean Eating Mag.
Not sure about a product? Look at the rating, ingredients, and nutrition label at Food Facts.

Read your labels!  Here are some guiding principles and marketing scams.

No Sugar Added VS Unsweetened VS Sugar-Free

-No Sugar Added: This is a good thing.  It means the product only includes its natural sugars (Applesauce)  

-Sugar-Free: Means something else.  If a product is Sugar-Free, it has likely been sweetened with the artificial sweetener, aspartame (Sweet and Low or similar).

-Unsweetened: Also good!  

No Salt Added VS Low Sodium VS Salt-Free/Sodium-Free

-No Salt Added: Read the label.  Your daily salt intake should be 2,300mg MAX.  This product likely contains salt, but they have not added additional salt for flavor.

-Low Sodium: Usually good.  Again, check the ingredients as additives are sometimes added for flavor in low-sodium products.

-Salt Free/Sodium Free: This is best if it is a naturally occurring salt free food, but it is helpful in the spices aisle to choose the best pre-mixed spice blends.  Mrs. Dash is a salt-free line of spices.

Fat Free VS Low-Fat VS Reduced Fat VS Light

-Fat-Free: Usually good.  These items tend to be naturally fat-free.     

-Low-Fat: Use caution.  This means 3g of fat or less, which is good.  But remember our 5-ingredient rule of thumb.  If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, put it back.

-Reduced Fat: This is a (25%) light version of the original, which is good if the original is ok.

-Light: Again, a light version of the original, but 50% more so.  But do not be deceived.  I compared Hellman's Mayonnaise with Hellman's Light Mayonnaise and they just swapped around the first two ingredients (Original: Soybean oil, water   Light: Water, soybean oil).  You just paid for more water. 

Organic VS Preservative-Free VS Natural

-Organic: Great! Unless its cookies as they do make organic cookies.

-Preservative/Additive/BPA Free: Awesome!

-Natural: Scam.  This is not a regulated term therefore gives you no information about the product.

Fall in Kentucky

While Mary is busy saving money for us I am busy trying not to spend money. Instead of lavish trips, we have been exploring our new state of Kentucky.

Horse Capital of the World 

Dried Corn Fields

We spent the day at Evan's Orchard in Georgetown, KY. Mary was thrilled to pick her very own Figi apples that went on to become a delicious homemade apple pie.

Evans Orchard: Georgetown, KY

Finnegan was even more thrilled to join in on the fun. He's also been suffering from budget cuts. Instead of expensive daycare romps, we take him on adventures with us.

In addition to taking our pumpkin, Finnegan, home we took another home.

And, turned it into this...

Count Cletus

The $30 Grocery Week

Wait...$30?  For the whole week of groceries?  Yep, it's called stripping down to the bare essentials for the week.  Maybe you are saving for a pair of shoes.  Maybe you can't find the money for the electric bill.  Carrie and I were planning to spend extra money on booze (typical) and plan for company coming in town (YAH!!), so we needed a couple extra bucks.  Here is what a day looks like on a $30 grocery week:


Breakfast:
Coffee with Creamer
Two eggs scrambled
Apple or Banana

Lunch:
Seasoned Chicken Breast
Half a Sweet Potato
Carrots and Celery

Dinner:
Potato and Broccoli Soup


No, we aren't skipping meals and we are not starving to death.  Here's how it worked out.

Last week I realized I had enough food in the fridge and freezer to skip a week at the grocery store.  Since I have learned to save a buck on groceries, I also learned that it is ok to have condiments as the only item in the fridge by the time you get around to the grocery store.  Keeping your fridge organized and a little bare lets you know what is on hand, therefore you do not throw out food or let anything spoil.

Carrie ended up having some students over for a class assignment so she made a grocery run for beer, vegetarian chili, and cornbread.  She spent $40.  I pulled out some frozen cookie dough I saved from making cookies two weeks ago.  I went to the grocery store yesterday with the intention of spending as little as possible, which totaled $31. So, here is the breakdown of the last four weeks.

Week 1: $62.08
Week 2: $89.16
Week 3: $40
Week 4: $31.54
Monthly Total = $222.78
Budget = $300

So, I essentially squeezed $77 out of our grocery budget to spend on other priorities.  I skipped a week because of the freezer dinners and cutting down to the bare essentials for one week out of four.

My inspiration for the $30 grocery week can be found here at PeacefulMom.

Here's what the week's plan looks like:

Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Potato and Broccoli Soup
Saturday: Leftover Soup
Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie (Homemade Freezer Meal)
Monday: Burgers (Homemade Freezer Meal) with Zucchini
Tuesday: Spagetti and Meatballs (Meatballs are Freezer Item) with Salad
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner


Also, spending some extra time searching for the best deal at the grocery store can save you a lot of money.  I had potatoes on the list for potato soup.  After browsing all my options for potatoes looking for the best deal, I realized the 10 pound bag and the 5 pound bag were both $3.29.  SO WAIT.  I can get DOUBLE the amount of potatoes for the same price?  Yes, 10 pounds of potatoes is a lot but potatoes last forever when kept in a dark, dry place.  Great!

Here is my list of groceries:
Potatoes (10 lbs)
Sweet Potatoes (2)
Carrots (2 lbs)
Celery
Zucchini
Bananas
Bag of Apples
Dozen Eggs
Chicken Breasts (3)
One packet Herb Seasoning
Milk
Bread
Strawberry Jelly
Spagetti

I will have enough Potato Soup to make one freezer item this week.



Here is a cheap option for dinner that can make one big pot pie or two smaller pot pies.  These also freeze well! If you buy a rotisserie chicken like I did, you can repurpose the carcass after cutting off the meat to make your own chicken stock.

What are your recipes that freeze well?

Pioneer Woman Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrot
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
• 3 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth, Plus More If Needed
•  Splash Of White Wine (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
•  Chopped Fresh Thyme To Taste
• 1/4 cup Half-and-half Or Cream
• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
• 1 whole Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Water

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chicken or turkey and then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir it until it’s all combined with the turkey and vegetables. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine if using) and stir it around and let it cook and thicken.

Once it starts to thicken add the turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Add the half-and-half or cream, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat.

Pour the filling into a 2-quart baking dish. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface and lay it over the top of the dish. Press the dough so that the edges stick to the outside of the pan. Use a knife to cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough.

Mix together the egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (You will have some egg wash left over.)

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. To prevent the crust from getting too brown, you might want to cover it lightly with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time.

Serve up servings by the (big ol’) spoonful!

Here is my recipe for pie crust.  You can use half for the pot pie and freeze the other half to use another time.  Also, this is a cheap option because these items are always in my pantry.

Pie Crust

Source Unknown

1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Cold

3 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/3 cup Shortening

6-8 tablespoons Ice Water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor.  Add diced butter and shortening.  Pulse until pea-sized.  Run processor and pour in ice water until dough forms a ball.  Remove and roll into ball.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Makes top and bottom. 

Sausage, Peppers, and Yogurt...But Not Together

I forgot to mention one VERY KEY part of how I stay near my budget at the grocery store.  I calculate my average as I add items to the cart.  Rounding up to the nearest dollar for each item guarantees you won't underestimate.  The one week I was with Carrie and didn't pay attention to the total cost of our cart....we were over $100!!!  If you have kids with you, make a tally on your list every $10 or so to keep your average while you multitask.  I also save the maybe items (Beer, Ice Cream) for last in case my items are more expensive than I thought and extras need to be scratched.

This week I knew I would be in a pickle because I needed Tide Detergent, which was going to eat $15 off my food budget (remember we don't have extra money set aside for pantry or household items).  Here was the plan for the week.

Monday-Curried Carrot Soup (Rolled over from last week)
Tuesday- Leftovers
Wednesday-Out
Thursday-Sausage and Peppers on Hoagie Roll
Friday-Burgers and Salad
Saturday-Baked Potato Bar
Sunday-Crock Pot Cheesy Tortellini

What I Spent..............$89.16

What I Saved........$18.37

Percent Savings.....17% ( yeah baby!)

Before you scream at me for going over my $75 budget for the week, remember I spent $62 last week which means I am over budget by $1.  This week I tried to get a coupon for every possible item I could.  This meant going the extra mile to the manufacturer websites to find coupons.  I was able to get 55 cents of my International Delight creamer just for signing up on their website.  I also had to buy halloween candy for the mountain of children that will arrive Thursday night (CHECK YOUR SUNDAY PAPER FOR COUPONS FOR CANDY!)

I had to sacrifice some items I planned to get to keep in the budget, which included reynolds wrap, hoagie rolls, and beer (dang....guess its bourbon on the rocks this week).

Notice that my freezer meals are homemade.  I prefer to make my own food and freeze instead of buying ready made.  Eating on a budget doesn't mean it needs to be unhealthy.  You can shave some money off your meals just by replacing meat with canned or dried beans.  Vegetarian meals once or twice a week are less costly than meat.

Where are you spending when you could be saving??  Let's take a look at an item that I now refuse to buy without coupons.

Yoplait 100 calorie Greek Yogurt

This yogurt is my go to for several reasons.  I can get a coupon on Coupons.Com  for $1.00 off 5.  If I use two coupons combined with the Kroger $10 for 10, each yogurt is 80 cents!  Score!

Lets also look at sugar content.

Yoplait: 9g a serving

Chobani: 19g a serving

Breyer's Ice Cream: 14g a serving

I have nothing against Chobani, but I did stop eating it once I realized the sugar content.  Yoplait contains natural sugar and sucralose (Splenda) so it is a toss up between artificial sweetener or sugar content.    I am still on the hunt for a better option that will not break the bank if you have a favorite!

I would love to hear more stories about how you save at the grocery store!  Or how you save anywhere!

Here is a money saving recipe for you this week!

Pat's Smoked Sausage and Pepper Sandwich

Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into quarters then lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beer
1/2 cup Neely's BBQ sauce
4 fresh hoagie rolls
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve.

Add onions and peppers to the skillet and saute until tender and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, beer, and BBQ sauce. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sausages back to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick, about 10 minutes.

Slice the bread open, put on sheet tray, and toast in the oven while the sausage is simmering. Remove the bread from the oven and fill with the sausages and peppers.

Transfer to serving dishes and serve.

Cost:  $7.94 for 4 Servings

(I omit the tomato paste and will be omitting the rolls this week and substituting rice as that is what is in the pantry!)

FREEZER ALERT!!!!

Cut extra peppers, onions, and sausage and throw into a bag uncooked with marinara sauce.  When you need an easy meal, pop into your slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low, then blend in batches for a sausage pepper soup.  Delicious!