Enough Said

Well Did I Save Money?

In January I challenged myself to save money and I have no doubt I did with a few exceptions....

I am a very big diet coke drinker.... I saved about $93.00 not buying my 2 liters a day...

We used to eat out several days a week - For the month of January we stayed home - I saved about $465 - I think this is a low estimate.

I stopped our cable movie channels - We never watched them anyway - Saved $45 per month.

Coupons and shopping at Target saved me on average $15-$20 a grocery shopping trip..

The unexpected expense was our dog Charlie - When I took her into the vet for her yearly shots - She had an ear infection and she was tested for a thyroid problem - They did find a urinary tract infection - so my bill out the door was over $400... The vet wants me to bring her in this month to biopsy a growth on her paw - She will have to go under and that bill would be in excess of $700 and that's with a discount...

My main dinner staple was spaghetti - the kids like it - so whenever the spouse was not home for dinner that was the main meal.. Crock pot whole chicken another favorite - This is great for dinner and lunch for a couple of days.. I tried out a few new recipes - A wonderful BBQ beef crock pot - most definitely will do again - The chicken and rice - FAIL.. - The tuna casserole - Could have been better.. The clam chowder - yummy.. Cream cheese chicken and broccoli was awesome and fed us another dinner and a couple of lunches...

I learned that feeding a family of 4 on $10 a day is not an easy thing to do - but it is doable. I was pretty strict this month - from now on - not as strict - cereal in the morning is not a must... We can change it up a little... And PB & J sandwiches although good could be exchanged for a turkey and cheese on occasion... And I have discovered that Pizza Hut $10 large pizza special is less expense then my own concoction... Making the pizza wasn't cheap - but I do have to say my version was pretty tasty...

All in all - I did save money - I think I will see the benefits in the long run - I will continue to be more thrifty and on occasion and only on occasion will we eat out or I will buy a 2 liter of diet coke... Maybe if it's on sale.....

I did plan to post every day during the month of January - but my business has really gotten busy and in my down time - I'm lying on my belly - chin on the couch arm watching American Idol....

January Challenge Day 25

I just realized that I have saved over $78 this month by not buying diet coke or bottle iced tea...

I truly believe I have saved over $200 thus far this month by not going out to dinner or popping by a fast food joint for a quick soda....

Thought that was pretty cool..........

This recipe lasted us a few days - so yummy - 2 dinners and 3 lunches for two (2) people and the neighbors had a bite too!

Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole

6 Chicken breasts
2-10 oz packages frozen broccoli
2 cups of milk - I used non-fat - tasted good
2- 8 oz packages cream cheese - I used low fat - tasted great
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook the chicken and then break into bite size pieces. Cook broccoli in salted water. Place the broccoli in a 9x13 greased (I used Pam) casserole dish. Heat the milk, cream cheese, salt, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese over low head, stirring till the mixture is smooth. Pour 1 cup of sauce over the broccoli. Add the chicken into the pan and pour the rest of the sauce over it. Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minute.... And enjoy!

Kara my youngest helping me - stir the sauce until it's creamy

Yummy cooked broccoli
Broccoli with sauce

Chicken covering the broccoli
The Finished dish - with croissants

January Challenge Recipe - BBQ Beef Sandwich

This morning my daughter glanced at the calendar and was in complete shock that it was already January 20th - How did that happen???? Wasn't it just a few days ago that I was taking down our Christmas decorations?

The first week of my January challenge I mentioned either on this blog or on my Facebook the days and events are running together and I am completely going nuts that I was making a BBQ Beef Sandwich recipe... I later mentioned it was really yummy and even my picky kids ate leftovers... Many friends asked me for the recipe - so finally - I'm sharing... The picture is from the recipe book - I forgot to take pictures -but mine looked just about the same...

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds) - purchased buy 1 get 1 free -net price less than $4
1/4 cup ketchup
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp liquid smoke (this is what the book recipe called for - I put 1/8 tsp - not fond of smoke)
10 to 12 rolls or buns...

Place beef in Crock-pot - combine ingredients (except the rolls of course), in a medium bowl - pour over meat - Cover; cook on LOW 8-9 hours

Remove beef from Crock-pot and shred with 2 forks.

Combine beef with 1 cup sauce from Crock-pot - and voila!

Tonight I'm making a Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole - left overs for lunch and possibly dinner the next day?

Getting What You Want Out Of Your Credit Card

Last summer - I took my girls on a Mom/Daughters trip to the East coast from California. My airfare and rental cars were covered... I did not have to pay one red cent to fly or drive! You know why? I had earned points using my Chase Reward card and racked up enough points to cover all three of us. It's FREE money!

Not many people know where to look to get a credit card that is best for them. There's a site that takes the leg work out of calling every credit card company out there. CreditCardCity does ALL the work for you. They are an on-line unbiased company that gives you all the information you need to find the card that is just right for you.

CreditCardCity gives you credit card advice on all you need to know about Airline cards -Cash back cards - low interest cards - no interest cards -cards with rewards - gas cards - any kind of card you can think of - it's there. All you need to do is answer a couple of questions on what you are looking for and click the button and there you go - All the cards that fit your criteria pops up. It's so easy.

I think it's great when you can use a credit card to buy your everyday needs and at the end of the month - you have free stuff... My card took me to Washington DC and back. What has your card done for you?