Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Budgeting is healthy but it hurts at the beginning!

I have been spending a lot of time looking at past expenses, averaging, projecting and writing out a monthly budget plan which will allow me to "make my dreams come true" or so I hope!  Mostly I'm trying to work in my medicines and other items that are never the same cost.  But, although grueling to sit down and spend hours pouring over financial documents, hopefully I will sleep better at night.
The book I am following is The Cheapest Family in America. and it is the best budgeting/financial book I have ever read.
In order to keep my strength up while going through this financial exercise I did some cooking and baking.....I made 15 bean soup which comes in a bag with the beans and a recipe and a flavor packet.  You can add ham or sausage and I did add ham I had in my freezer.   It is yummy,hearty and healthy too.
I soaked the beans overnight..............

perfect for these cold nights we've been having...........
I made some beer bread to go with it......
I also baked some gingersnaps form this recipe
This is their picture too compliments of Saveur...I did not have dark brown sugar or tubinado sugar to dust on top...I just dipped a glass in sugar and pressed the cookies flat....making 2 steps into 1.  Mine aren't as pretty but they taste great!  It makes 6 dozen so I froze several packages of dough so I can make a small batch whenever I feel like it. 
I figure if you're going to work on some "grueling task" you need something to look forward to!
Happy Trails!



18 comments:

  1. Everything looks really delicious

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    1. Thank you, Melody! Glad to see you back blogging again!

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  2. Replies
    1. Cucki, I just wrote on your Stitching Cove...I had no idea you had been in an accident....I pray all is going well and you are healing. Again, I had no idea...I'm so sorry. Hugs..Sam

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  3. Budgeting isn't a fun task, but it's necessary. My hubby and I taught the Dave Ramsey course for many years at our church. We still try to use his ideas wherever we can. Everything looks delicious there. Especially the beer bread! Blessings, Betsy

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    1. Great! Now I know who to turn too! LOL! I have some of his material too and he is good. The Economides taught in there church for free until they got famous and busy and then showed others too. Good for you guys!

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  4. Yummy food makes everything a bit better--even budgeting. I sure hope you are able to make your dream come true this year!
    xoxoxo

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    1. Me too, Kim! My biggest problem is getting rid of "stuff" right now.

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  5. The neighbors gave us one of those 15 bean bags, we have not tried it yet, I think I will add sausage to mine when I make it. Your beer bread must have tasted good. I hate budgets...but they are necessary. I found staggering big bills like property taxes, car insurances and furnace fills really helped:)

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    1. I think the sausage would be great in that soup. I just happened to have leftover ham. It's the darn expensive meds and donut hole and then the deductibles that get me crazy. It makes it hard to allocate funds and then there are only so many funds too! LOL!

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  6. I swear by a budget. When we were a struggling young family with five children, it was the only way we kept going. Now our budget includes the essentials and we are pretty bad about using the extra for extras. I used to have a chart in a notebook, now I have a file in my computer. It has a top section with all the regular monthly bills, a space for amount, amount paid and date paid and balance. The next section is changing items - I list dr bills, subscriptions, prescriptions, etc. The bottom is savings, etc. I think it really helps when you are young, when you see that balance column going down. It did (and does) with me. Now that we are retirement planning - budgeting is more important than ever!

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    1. I had plenty of money and was heading very securely towards retirement until I got sick and also my investments took big hits...it wasn't pretty and many of my retirement plans bit the dust. But I am still more fortunate than many. I learned there is no such thing as financial security but I can just imagine how bad it would have been had I not been prepared. I am happy and as healthy as one can be with several chronic illnesses hanging over my head! LOL!

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  7. Good for you for doing all the hard work of making a budget. I've been trying with some software my son recommended, but I'm more at the entering what I spend stage than actually figuring out what I can/should spend. It's tough! The soup and bread look so good.

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    1. I was never a spender and more of a saver but the meds have got me having to figure things out a year in advance. I don't want to dip into my retirement money too often or too fast....if I only knew how long I was going to live it sure would make it easier! LOL!

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  8. It's good to make a plan when you have goals you want to meet....or if you like to eat! haha! Everything costs so much more every year, doesn't it? Your bread sure looks yummy! Hugs, Diane

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    1. Yes, things are pricey...especially the things one needs like meds and food. Even my "girls" are a luxury anymore. There won't be any more pets in my future as it gets expensive to take good care of them....like having kids! LOL!
      EX: I went to the vet the other day and all of a sudden they're tacking $40.00 onto the bill for "office call"....no warning. It seems everyone is raising their prices on everything. Pest control is outrageous and yet down here you need it. Oh well, I'm still luckier than so many people that have no savings or retirement.
      The bread was not the best I've made....I lost my recipe so I'll have to keep searching for a good one. I'm finding Pinterest recipes are not always what they're cracked up to be. I will be going back to AllRecipes.com which reviews the recipes. Hugs to you....Sam

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