Well, here we are, six weeks out, and I realized that while I've expounded on everything from gay marriage to hamburger helper, I haven't actually updated you on our moving budget.
I'm proud to say, I'm well on our way to coming up to the positive! (and no, I'm not using that very special fuzzy math known to politicians near and far).
We've sold several items on ebay, and our profits total over $145 dollars used. Now, if you remember, I had appliances and a new couch to purchase, a deposit to pay on electric service, a moving truck to pay for, and food for the moving party.
We've decreased our expenditures considerably by purchasing used appliances and a set of couches from my brother in law. That takes our out going budget down to a tenth of what it was... yay us! Those totalled $180, the truck is $150 up front, the electic is $200, and I think maybe $150 for food, beer, and soda for the day of.(The food budget is high, but that includes the cost of me possibly ordering pizza for everyone if I'm losing my mind that day.) So the whole budget is -680, I've added $140 in ebay sales, leaving me at -500. I'm sure I can make that up in the five or so yard sales it's going to take to get me through all this stuff!
What do you think? Can we do this?
Showing posts with label eco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eco. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Box mixes: The enemy of frugal cooks every where
I remember the first time I ever cooked.
Ever.
My mother had made her famous meltaway meat. Of this, I still quiver in fear. The lumpy, tasteless mass of protein quivered like jello, the texture resembled canned dog food. I'm not entirely sure what she did to it that made it taste so...tasteless, but I do know it often involved me scrubbing out the crockpot for sometimes days on end, only to have her repeat the mess the moment I had managed to chip the remains from the walls of herceramic petri dish, I mean, crockpot. Ugh.
My moment...she had come down with a "migraine" and needed to lay down. She needed me to "finish off dinner."
I was happier than a pig in, well, you know.
Laying on the counter, a packet of lipton alfredo noodles.
I put on my serious face. This was the big leagues. The moment that everyone tasted MY noodles. Oh, I could hardly wait.
I read the directions, then reread them. I followed them EXACTLY. Measuring the margarine, milk, and water as though my life depended on it.
Did you see my mistake? Because to this day, I don't. I followed the directions on the package, only to have my mother have a panic attack because I used margarine. Evidently, it was optional, (in those days, that was NOT printed on the directions.) and EXPENSIVE
As a (much) older cook, I wonder why we even had those packets. Even on sale they are ridiculously priced for what they are. A little bullion, a couple of seasonings, a four hundred percent mark up. It's scary what people will pay good money for.
On one of my favorite sites there is a certain amount of devotion to a certain meal product hawked by a four fingered hand. There are whole threads devoted to a favorite flavor...and again, I wonder why. Especially when I see "Italian Shells" ranks around the most popular flavors.
Seriously?
Ok, besides the ick factor, (have you READ the ingredients) and the price factor, (upwards of two dollars for barely three portions), Italian Shells? The easiest thing on the the planet, and, possibly the cheapest.
Check out my remake:
pasta
1 lb ground beef or sausage
1/2 lb whole wheat short pasta
2 C premade pasta sauce, or season a 16 oz can of tomato puree to taste.
2 C water
Brown beef or sausage and drain. Add sauce and water, bring to a boil, add the pasta. Return to a boil, simmering for 7 minutes. Do not cover. Let stand five minutes.
At this point, I usually sprinkle some shredded cheese on it and call it a day. However, I have the feeling the cheese sauce makes it for some people, so...
take 1/2 C milk and blend with 1 tsp cornstarch until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic, bring to a boil. Stir in two to four tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle over pasta.
Serve as you would your favorite box mix. Gloat in the fact that it cost less than half the price. Yay, YOU!
Do you have a favorite box mix you'd like a cheaper alternative to? Let me know in the comments!
Ever.
My mother had made her famous meltaway meat. Of this, I still quiver in fear. The lumpy, tasteless mass of protein quivered like jello, the texture resembled canned dog food. I'm not entirely sure what she did to it that made it taste so...tasteless, but I do know it often involved me scrubbing out the crockpot for sometimes days on end, only to have her repeat the mess the moment I had managed to chip the remains from the walls of her
My moment...she had come down with a "migraine" and needed to lay down. She needed me to "finish off dinner."
I was happier than a pig in, well, you know.
Laying on the counter, a packet of lipton alfredo noodles.
I put on my serious face. This was the big leagues. The moment that everyone tasted MY noodles. Oh, I could hardly wait.
I read the directions, then reread them. I followed them EXACTLY. Measuring the margarine, milk, and water as though my life depended on it.
Did you see my mistake? Because to this day, I don't. I followed the directions on the package, only to have my mother have a panic attack because I used margarine. Evidently, it was optional, (in those days, that was NOT printed on the directions.) and EXPENSIVE
As a (much) older cook, I wonder why we even had those packets. Even on sale they are ridiculously priced for what they are. A little bullion, a couple of seasonings, a four hundred percent mark up. It's scary what people will pay good money for.
On one of my favorite sites there is a certain amount of devotion to a certain meal product hawked by a four fingered hand. There are whole threads devoted to a favorite flavor...and again, I wonder why. Especially when I see "Italian Shells" ranks around the most popular flavors.
Seriously?
Ok, besides the ick factor, (have you READ the ingredients) and the price factor, (upwards of two dollars for barely three portions), Italian Shells? The easiest thing on the the planet, and, possibly the cheapest.
Check out my remake:
pasta
1 lb ground beef or sausage
1/2 lb whole wheat short pasta
2 C premade pasta sauce, or season a 16 oz can of tomato puree to taste.
2 C water
Brown beef or sausage and drain. Add sauce and water, bring to a boil, add the pasta. Return to a boil, simmering for 7 minutes. Do not cover. Let stand five minutes.
At this point, I usually sprinkle some shredded cheese on it and call it a day. However, I have the feeling the cheese sauce makes it for some people, so...
take 1/2 C milk and blend with 1 tsp cornstarch until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic, bring to a boil. Stir in two to four tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle over pasta.
Serve as you would your favorite box mix. Gloat in the fact that it cost less than half the price. Yay, YOU!
Do you have a favorite box mix you'd like a cheaper alternative to? Let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Letter to the White House
Dear Mr. President,
I am no one. I don't have any outstanding accomplishments to tell you that I am qualified to judge your work. Come November, 2010, I am but one vote against the corruption long sustained in Washington. Yes, I am angry. Yes, I sent you tea wrappers. Several times. There would have been some lovely tea in them for you to drink, but you're office was kind enough to say they'd refuse the tea, based on the Whitehouse's policy on food for gifts. Thank you for allowing me to make my point and keep the tea.
Unlike most conservatives, I had a moment after the election where I thought change might be good. I thought, perhaps, you might take steps to legalize gay marriage, or step back the patriot act a bit. I thought, maybe, I'm jumping the gun in my dislike of the guy. Maybe he can patch up the holes in NCLB. Maybe a fresh start is what we need.
Well, you did bring change. You had the largest inauguration in the history of the US to celebrate your ascension to the highest position of power in the world. That should have been a warning to the American people, but it wasn't. Then, you served sixty dollar a pound steaks at the expense of taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to afford food at all. It has become apparent that you think the American people have elected you to enjoy a four year party and golf outing.
And yet, you seem to enjoy an odd kind of teflon status. Your predecessor received word of Katrina, while reading a book to grade school children. He paused, finished the book, and went to work. That pause made history. It was several minutes at best, and yet it was proof positive to millions of Americans that George Bush didn't care.
Now, oil is streaming into the gulf of Mexico. The environment that you claimed to care about is flooding with oil. Birds and turtles are dying. Tar balls are washing up on the shores of Texas. Other countries have been offering their help since moments after the story broke. And you went golfing.
Your administration has blocked reporters from photographing the damage faced by fellow Americans, and stopped Lousiana from cleaning oil soaked waters. I don't understand how this is not a bigger deal for you. If your predecessor had done this, PETA would have been protesting the White House in droves. The environmental groups would have been screaming for days. And yet, it appears that American interest in the oil spill is waning. Your rule is working. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
I am writing this, not so much to you, Mr. President, but in the hopes I can remind even a few fellow Americans of your callous lack of regard for the environment you claim to care so much about. As a manager I never would have take a vacation while my restaurant was burning down, and yet that it exactly what you have done, not once, but several times.
This morning, I read that sand is being artificially moved to beaches to appease tourists and cover oil on the beach. Your administration is much more concerned with conceiling the damage than remedying it.
I don't know how you sleep at night. And I don't particularly care. I do hope, that you stop waiting for the EPA to give you a go ahead, admit that you don't know what you are doing, and let one of the other countries step in and fix this mess.
Mr. President, you can point the finger at BP, even though your administration failed to inspect the apparatus several times in the last year, and we will agree with you. However, it is now YOUR JOB to fix this mess. To me, this is your Katrina. You have failed the American people, the environment, and those little turtles you claim to care so much about.
Please, step aside and let someone who knows what they are doing fix this mess. You don't.
Thank you for your time,
Heather
I am no one. I don't have any outstanding accomplishments to tell you that I am qualified to judge your work. Come November, 2010, I am but one vote against the corruption long sustained in Washington. Yes, I am angry. Yes, I sent you tea wrappers. Several times. There would have been some lovely tea in them for you to drink, but you're office was kind enough to say they'd refuse the tea, based on the Whitehouse's policy on food for gifts. Thank you for allowing me to make my point and keep the tea.
Unlike most conservatives, I had a moment after the election where I thought change might be good. I thought, perhaps, you might take steps to legalize gay marriage, or step back the patriot act a bit. I thought, maybe, I'm jumping the gun in my dislike of the guy. Maybe he can patch up the holes in NCLB. Maybe a fresh start is what we need.
Well, you did bring change. You had the largest inauguration in the history of the US to celebrate your ascension to the highest position of power in the world. That should have been a warning to the American people, but it wasn't. Then, you served sixty dollar a pound steaks at the expense of taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to afford food at all. It has become apparent that you think the American people have elected you to enjoy a four year party and golf outing.
And yet, you seem to enjoy an odd kind of teflon status. Your predecessor received word of Katrina, while reading a book to grade school children. He paused, finished the book, and went to work. That pause made history. It was several minutes at best, and yet it was proof positive to millions of Americans that George Bush didn't care.
Now, oil is streaming into the gulf of Mexico. The environment that you claimed to care about is flooding with oil. Birds and turtles are dying. Tar balls are washing up on the shores of Texas. Other countries have been offering their help since moments after the story broke. And you went golfing.
Your administration has blocked reporters from photographing the damage faced by fellow Americans, and stopped Lousiana from cleaning oil soaked waters. I don't understand how this is not a bigger deal for you. If your predecessor had done this, PETA would have been protesting the White House in droves. The environmental groups would have been screaming for days. And yet, it appears that American interest in the oil spill is waning. Your rule is working. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
I am writing this, not so much to you, Mr. President, but in the hopes I can remind even a few fellow Americans of your callous lack of regard for the environment you claim to care so much about. As a manager I never would have take a vacation while my restaurant was burning down, and yet that it exactly what you have done, not once, but several times.
This morning, I read that sand is being artificially moved to beaches to appease tourists and cover oil on the beach. Your administration is much more concerned with conceiling the damage than remedying it.
I don't know how you sleep at night. And I don't particularly care. I do hope, that you stop waiting for the EPA to give you a go ahead, admit that you don't know what you are doing, and let one of the other countries step in and fix this mess.
Mr. President, you can point the finger at BP, even though your administration failed to inspect the apparatus several times in the last year, and we will agree with you. However, it is now YOUR JOB to fix this mess. To me, this is your Katrina. You have failed the American people, the environment, and those little turtles you claim to care so much about.
Please, step aside and let someone who knows what they are doing fix this mess. You don't.
Thank you for your time,
Heather
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Day 2: One box and one bag from each room per day.
Let me tell you, I have been a ball of fire today! I'm not even through my second cup of coffee, and I've gotten a whole SLEW of moving goodness accomplished. Yippee for me! My goal is to pack up one box for a yard sale, and one bag for either trash, freecycle, or donation per room per day. I've completed the goal for two rooms already! Of course, my goal to make money is being severely compromised by the fact that my moving budget is currently -$150. I'm hoping to change that by adding some goodies to craigslist later today. We have a nice brass coat rack I can't see moving, a baby carrier Miss AngelBaby outgrew three minutes after she was born, and an excersaucer that can go on. I'm betting these will fetch far more dough on Craigslist than at the yard sale, so I've got a busy day ahead of me! Wish me money!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Day 1: The Great Adventure Begins
Over the weekend, we made a momentous decision. We are moving! Into our first HOUSE!!!!! I have three months with which to clean up, consolidate, and otherwise compress our lives. We have a lot of crap. Ridiculous amounts. My affinity for the end caps at Target coupled with an inability to resist a great deal has lead to my house turning into the Land That Time Forgot. I also HATE to put things in a landfill that can otherwise be used. Freecycle is my friend, of course, but I also HATE to get rid of something, only to have to reacquire it late.
The result? You can't get into the attic of the tiny "3" bedroom apartment, without climbing a stack of perilously placed Christmas gift, boxes of toys, and bags of clothing I haven't worn since 1998. HMMMM.
So, this begins my adventure. I will chronicle the event of my perilous struggle to remove the crap from this home before it sidles it's way into the next home. While being as ecofriendly (read: frugal) as possible.
I have a list. I have a plan. I hope, at the end of this, I will have managed to make money off this move. Is it impossible? No, I think not.
Do you have any advice for me?
The result? You can't get into the attic of the tiny "3" bedroom apartment, without climbing a stack of perilously placed Christmas gift, boxes of toys, and bags of clothing I haven't worn since 1998. HMMMM.
So, this begins my adventure. I will chronicle the event of my perilous struggle to remove the crap from this home before it sidles it's way into the next home. While being as ecofriendly (read: frugal) as possible.
I have a list. I have a plan. I hope, at the end of this, I will have managed to make money off this move. Is it impossible? No, I think not.
Do you have any advice for me?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)