Month: August 2013


Aug
2013

Frugal Friday: 4 {Very} Basic Meal Planning Tips ~ A Beginner’s Guide

categories: budget, financial freedom, frugal, meal planning

We have been living on one income for a little over one year, and it has been a challenge.  Last week I shared tips on how to set your monthly grocery budget.  You can read more about our budget here and our journey to financial freedom here.  One of the most difficult areas for us is our grocery budget.  There are three of us eating actual food right now, as the Pearl Girl is strictly on the mama milk.

Our monthly food budget is $350.  We take out that much in cash at the beginning of each month and try our best to stay under that amount.  In order to make this happen, we have to meal plan like champs.  Why is meal planning so important when you are on a tight budget?  Having a plan helps me prepare in advance and not end up trying to scramble to throw a dinner together at 5:30.  It helps me to choose budget friendly meals and not end up running for take out because we forgot dinner comes at the same time every day.

I tried using a paid meal planning service (that I won’t name) for free for a blog review, but it wasn’t a good fit for us.  I decided not to write the review because the reason it wasn’t a good fit wasn’t their fault.  The recipes were great, but I am married to a pretty picky eater and mother to a toddler who has very specific preferences.  Let’s just say a meal plan for normal people didn’t work out.  Meal planning isn’t rocket science, but it does take intentional decision making and the willingness to plan ahead.  If this Queen of Procrastination can do it, you can, too.  Here are my very basic meal planning tips to help you on your way.

1) Set Your Grocery Budget – Read more about how to do it in this post.

2) Grab a calendar and start filling in dinners.  Start with your family’s favorites.  Use a month long calendar and fill in as many slots as you can with meals you know how to prepare.

3) Fill in the rest of your meals.  Call your mom and ask for the recipe for a childhood favorite.  Look on Pinterest, Tasty Kitchen, and other recipe sites, but don’t get bogged down and overwhelmed.  Text your friend for her favorite recipes.  Once you have enough filled in for one week you’re off to a great start.  You don’t have to cook like Julia Child every night, but it is fun to mix it up by adding in new things once a week or so.  Add in a vegetarian meal once a week to save money on meat and reduce your environmental impact.

4) Start your list, one week at a time.  Go through each dinner and check to see if you have what you need, then add any missing items to your grocery list.  Next, add in basics for breakfast and lunch.  We keep these items on hand every week: homemade oatmeal, frozen whole grain waffles, English muffins, cream cheese, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, cereal, eggs, bacon, peanut butter, fruit preserves, honey, cheese, deli meat, and baked chips.

That’s it! You have a meal plan.  I like to plan ahead for the whole month but only shop one week at a time.  I call it a victory when I only have to grocery shop once per week.  Be on the lookout for more meal planning posts coming soon.  Thanks for reading!


Aug
2013

Toddler Meal Battles and Sneaky Veggie Smoothies

categories: parenting, recipes, toddlers
We used to brag about what a great eater the Bear was, how he would eat anything, loved veggies, and wasn’t picky at all.  When he hit 18 months, everything changed.  All of a sudden he started drinking cow milk when previously he wouldn’t touch it and started refusing foods.  We continue to put all the healthy vegetables we eat in front of him at every meal, but he refuses them most of the time.  So frustrating! Desperate to get vegetables in to the boy, I’ve turned to sneaking them in to smoothies and baked goods.  Just like his mama, Bear will eat just about anything disguised as juice or a muffin.  I learned the smoothie trick from my dear friend Betsy, whose children are always slugging down a cup of veggie smoothie.  I’ve experimented extensively to find a recipe that maximizes the amount of vegetables while still tasting great.  It is a fine line, let me tell you.  I don’t have a fancy blender, but it gets the job done.  My recipe doesn’t add sugar or honey, but the Bear describes it as “dewishous”.  Perfect.  You could definitely add honey, but I’m not trying to clean that junk out of my blender on the regs.  Here we go…
Sneaky Veggie Smoothie Recipe:
2 cups water
2 cups (ish) baby spinach
2 cups full sized carrots, chopped to finger sized pieces if your blender isn’t fancy
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups frozen fruit of your choice
2 tablespoons flax seed
For the fruit I use blueberries every time, but vary the other fruit.  I’ve used peaches, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc, and they all work.
Directions:
Add water and spinach.  Blend well.
Add carrots.  Blend well.
Add remaining ingredients.  Blend, then liquefy.  Enjoy.
If you have a fancy pants blender, you can probably just throw everything in.  I have to go slowly as to not make my machine angry.  If your toddler battles you at meal time, give them “juice” in a cool straw cup and call it a win.  The Bear asks for his special Bear juice all the time.  Little does he know he is getting great nutrition and making mama’s heart happy.
How do you win meal time battles with your kids?
I’d love to hear your tips in the comments section or by email.

 

 

Aug
2013

#ad Budget Friendly Meal Planning and Giving Back with Tyson Hunger Heroes Champions for Kids Project

categories: meal planning

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Tyson Hunger Heroes Champions for Kids Project at my local Sam’s Club.  Right here in Texas 27% of children live in poverty and with food insecurity.  Do you know the statistics for your area?  During the month of August, for every bag of chicken nuggets purchased Tyson will donate one meal (4 oz) of protein to kids in need right here in the US.  Read more about how to become a Hunger Hero here.  Including Tyson Chicken Nuggets in your meal plan this month not only helps you provide a quick and easy protein for your family, but also helps another family feed their children.  You can see more from my Sam’s shopping trip here.  If you would like to try the chicken nuggets in person, you can attend a demonstration at your local Sam’s Club from 11-2 on August 29th, 30th, and 31st.

Find Tyson Chicken Nuggets at your local Sam’s Club.

Tyson Chicken Nuggets come in a 5 lb bag for less than $10 (here in Texas), and each bag contains 25 servings.  Our family needs 3 servings per meal, so that means we will get 8 meals out of one bag of nuggets.  That adds up to $1.25 per meal for our protein, which is definitely budget friendly.  A family of four would get 6 meals out of one bag of chicken nuggets.  The bags are resealable, so you can take out only what you need for that meal and bake them quickly while saving the rest for later.

Green Salad with Chopped Chicken Nuggets, Shredded Cheese, and Carrots

If you are interested in helping the Hunger Heroes Champions for Kids Project, head to your local Sam’s Club and pick up a bag of Tyson Chicken Nuggets.

Kid Friendly Dinner Options


Here are a few meal plan ideas for you to use:
1) Nuggets + Roasted Carrot Fries + Macaroni and Cheese
2) Green Salad with Chopped Chicken Nuggets, Cheddar Cheese, Tomatoes, and Light Ranch Dressing
3) Nuggets + Green Beans + Brown Rice
4) Whole Wheat Bun with Nuggets, Melted Swiss Cheese, and a Ham Slice + Roasted Sweet Potato Fries + Green Salad

The Bear loved his dinner.
What’s on your meal plan this week?  

Be sure to check out my fellow Hunger Heroes below and get more great ideas for feeding your family and giving back at the same time.  Follow the Champions for Kids project on Facebook and Twitter.


Aug
2013

Frugal Friday: How to Set Your Monthly Grocery Budget {And Stick to It}

categories: budget, financial freedom, frugal, meal planning
For the past four years, we have followed the Dave Ramsey financial peace plan.  A huge part of this plan is writing down and sticking to a monthly budget.  We tell every dollar where to go, including what we spend on food.  Setting and sticking to a budget is the number one thing you can do to become debt free and find financial freedom.  If you are bogged down by your finances, know that freedom is possible.  We are living proof.  You can read more about our financial story here.  Both of us were once deep in debt and we have now been debt free for almost 4 years.  Today I’m sharing how we set our monthly grocery budget, and a few tips that help us stick to it.  
1) Track your spending.
Before you set your grocery budget, it will be helpful to track your food spending for one month.  Keep you receipts and add up your totals at the end of the month.  Was this a typical month or was your budget off kilter because of guests visiting, birthday parties, etc?  Add or subtract to accommodate those factors.  This will give you a ball park figure to add to your total budget.
2) Create your larger monthly budget.
Your grocery budget is a part of your larger monthly budget.  There are a multitude of budgeting tools out there.  We prefer Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover budget tool.  It takes you through setting up a budget step by step.  If you want to do it on your own, simply write down your total monthly income and start subtracting your expenses.  Account for your tithe or giving, rent or mortgage, utilities, and then groceries, and any debts.  After the essentials you will see what you have left to spend on the non-essentials like dining out, gifts, travel, etc.  You will probably need to tweak the numbers a few time to get everything just right.  Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a few months to get it right.  
3) Take your grocery number set in your larger budget and divide it up.
How much do you usually spend on meat?  We buy meat only when it is on sale and freeze it in individual baggies or in freezer meals.  We also eat at least one vegetarian meal every week to reduce our spending and our environmental impact.  What are your budget busters? Alcohol, fancy cheese, brand name foods, seasonal items… Each week you will want to make sure your basics are covered before you buy a bottle of wine or (in my case) a fancy cheese.  Goat cheese is my love language, y’all.  If you are a soda drinker, wait until they are on sale and stock up.  One month we busted our grocery budget buying Christmas candy.  I’m so not kidding.  
4) Meal Plan 
Write down your dinners for the week and stick to the plan.  I’ll share more about how we plan our meals next week, but know that without a plan it is easy to lose track of your spending.  Some folks use coupons to help them plan, but I have more luck shopping at Aldi.  When we started shopping there it cut our budget by almost 40%.  Seriously.  They aren’t a sponsor of this blog (but the totally should be), we just love the store.  We gave up name brands almost entirely.  There are a few products that truly are better with name brands, so we look for coupons for those favorites.  
5) Use cash envelopes.
Take out the entire monthly grocery budget in cash at the beginning of each month.  Put it in your grocery envelope and take it with you every time you go to the grocery store.  If you run out before the end of the month, try your best to use what you already have on hand and get creative.  Using cash will help you immensely as you try to stick to your budget.  
How do you keep your grocery spending on track? 


Aug
2013

Love Letter to Blog Readers Everywhere {Especially Mine}

categories: blogging

Dear Blog Readers Around the World,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to read what we, the bloggers, write.  I’m not sure if you know how important you are to people like me so I’m taking a minute to make sure you do.  Without you, everything we write would fall in to empty space and never be heard.  Every time you click on a blog post you are listening to someone’s voice.  We appreciate it.  Thank you.

Many bloggers write to tell a story, to share their lives, to help others, to reach out.  I hope to do all of those things here in this space.  Without you, it all falls flat.  Thank you for reading my stories, and those of my fellow bloggers.  Thank you for listening.  Thank you for letting us share way too much about our lives because we need to vent, long to share, are desperate to open up.  Thank you for responding, for leaving comments, for sending emails.  I love hearing from each one of you, as do my fellow bloggers.

Like many others in this arena, I try to make a little extra money through this site to help support my family.  Without you, that doesn’t happen.  Every time you click on a blog post you give a page view, which helps that blogger widen their influence.  As influence widens, opportunities to make money materialize.  Thank you for making it possible for us to live on one traditional income (Jed’s job) by supplementing it with blog income. Every time you click on an ad, read a post, enter a giveaway, or leave a comment, you are helping a blogger provide for their family.  When you take the time to share a post you love on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter, it helps that blogger tremendously.  Did you know that?  You being here, on my site, matters to my family.  Thank you.  Seriously, thank you.

I am forever grateful and humbled that someone would take the time to read what I write, much less that I would be able to supplement our income through this little space on the web.  Thank you for making it possible.
With Love,
Becca


Aug
2013

Family Travel: Enjoying the Road with a Baby and a Toddler

categories: baby, family, toddlers, travel
Who’s ready for a road trip? This girl.
Last summer we traveled for ten weeks and it was glorious.  The Bear was a one year old toddling machine and the Pearl Girl was just a glimmer in my eye.  We hiked all over Colorado and New Mexico and loved every minute of it.  This year our budget kept our adventures more limited, and we have a new baby.  Even these circumstances couldn’t keep us contained for long.  My amazing parents rented a beach house for the entire family (I’m the oldest of four) in Navarre Beach, Florida.  We miraculously made it work with our budget, mostly due to money coming in from this blog.  Let me pause here to say thank you.  Seriously, thank you.  I love telling stories in my little corner of the web, and every time you visit it helps support our little family.  I’m not sure if you know that it actually makes a difference in our budget, but it does.  It really does.  Thank you.
The Pearl Girl was ready to roll.  She did so well 98% of the time.  She has a gypsy soul like her mama, I can already tell.  The number one key I’ve found for traveling with kids is well timed pit stops.  We try to make our stops count and do the big three every time (gas/food/bathroom) as well as run time for the Bear and leg stretch time for the Pearl.
A mall in a teeny tiny town in far east Texas provided serious energy burn off for the Bear.  He sprinted up and down the mall as I nursed the Pearl on a nearby bench and Jed chased him.
Enjoy the ride.  We had the Bear searching for gators in every mile of Louisiana swamp we drove past.  There is beauty in almost every landscape
We packed a backpack full of books and toys for both kids, and pulled them out whenever the natives got restless.  We sang songs and did a puppet show and when all else failed we put in a DVD.  For the first time we used separate headphones for the Bear with mixed success.  He didn’t really like wearing them for long, but did use them long enough for Jed and I to enjoy a few Dave Ramsey podcasts.
We had planned to stay in a hotel on the way, but were blessed with the hospitality of a friend’s parents in Lafayette, Louisiana along the way.  Zeke and Becky Ducote welcomed us in to their home with open arms on the way out AND back, and we are forever grateful.  They loved on our kids, fed us, and gave us beautiful beds to sleep in.  If you can ask to stay with friends or friends of friends, I highly recommend it.  You will always be more comfortable than a hotel and you never know how you might be blessed by the visit.
This is the Ducote Family’s backyard.  Isn’t it beautiful?! It backs up to the Vermillion River.

Isn’t this front porch the dreamiest?  I could just live there.

How do you keep you sanity when traveling with kids?  Tell me in the comments section.

Follow Becca’s board Family Travel on Pinterest.


Aug
2013

Family Snacking at Home and on the Road + My Black Bean Hummus Recipe

categories: recipes, travel

We are a road tripping family as you may have noticed, and we take our snacking very seriously both at home and on the road.  We recently had the opportunity to try Green Giant‘s Roasted Veggie Garden Ranch Tortilla Chips and Sweet Potato Barbecue Chips, and we loved them both.  I can say that they are officially “picky toddler”  AND “picky husband” approved.  We tried them at home with lunch first, then took them on our southern beach road trip where they were enjoyed by all.   
The chips are made with real vegetables, contain zero grams of trans fat, and don’t have any weird food dyes.  Their coloring comes from the spices used, such as paprika, so they have a more natural look than some other chip brands without compromising flavor.  I appreciate when I can pronounce and understand the ingredients on a food I’m eating, something I wish were more commonplace.  Both flavors we tried were light and airy, with just the right amount of crisp.      
Our resident picky toddler approves.
I am a huge fan of all things sweet potato, so the Multigrain Sweet Potato Barbecue Chips were my personal  favorite flavor.  They taste like southern molasses barbecue with just a hint of spicy kick on the back burner. These BBQ chips are the perfect accompaniment to burgers or sandwiches, or as a stand alone snack. 
The Roasted Veggie Garden Ranch Tortilla Chips were delicious as well, with a light ranch flavor perfect for dipping with black bean hummus or salsa.  Have you ever made black bean hummus?  Try my recipe below with the Roasted Veggie Garden Ranch Tortilla Chips for your next afternoon snack.
Black Bean Hummus Recipe:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1.5 tbsp tahini
To taste: lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, and sea salt 
Add a little bit of each “to taste” item at a time until it tastes right to you.  Start with a sprinkle.  I like more garlic than the average human, so I refrain from giving specific amounts.  
Toss it all into your food processor and mix until smooth.  You will feel fancy for making your own hummus, and your wallet will thank you as well.  Get snacking!  

What is your favorite road trip snack?



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


Aug
2013

Eleanor Pearl at Three Months

categories: baby, family

Our Pearl Girl is already 3 months old, and I’m in shock.  The last three months have passed in the blink of an eye and our Ellie has transitioned from newborn to baby before I was ready for it.  She is such a joy and I love every minute of being her mama.

We didn’t go to the doctor this month, so our best guess for weight is about 13.5 pounds.  She has moved into 3-6 month clothes and wears size 2 diapers when we use disposables.  We’ve gotten into a good routine with her cloth diapers.  She is still exclusively breastfed and our one attempt at pumping and bottle feeding was a big fail.  She typically goes 3-4 hours in between nursing sessions during the day and does a 9 hour stretch at night from 10 pm to 7 am.  Mama feels like a new woman.  She takes two long naps every day as well as one shorter cap nap.  She prefers the swing for her cat nap, but also loves to sleep when being worn by Mama or Daddy.  

Her hair is still an auburn shade, and her eyes are bright blue just like Daddy’s. Somehow her tresses fall naturally into a mohawk.  Little punk rocker.

The biggest surprise this month came when our sweet girl started rolling over from front to back.  The Bear didn’t do this until he was 7 months old so we were totally shocked.  She is smiling at us and reacts when we talk to her.  We LOVE it.  Her big brother loves to hug and kiss her, and especially likes going in to get her from naps.

 We can’t wait to see who our precious girl is as her personality develops more each day.  She is a delight and we are so in love.


Aug
2013

Family Fun in DFW: Rough Riders Baseball

categories: DFW, family, review, toddlers, travel
The DFW metroplex has so much to offer when it comes to watching sports live.  My personal favorite is minor league baseball.  Don’t get me wrong, I love watching the Rangers.  I prefer minor league baseball because it is amazing to watch the players pursue their dreams with passion and talent, and tickets are much more affordable.  Many of them may never make the big show, but they work hard and spend countless nights on uncomfortable buses traveling endlessly around the south playing their hearts out.  That kind of dream chasing is inspiring.  
The Rough Riders are the AA farm team for the Texas Rangers.  This means we have the unique opportunity to watch players develop and then see them play in the big leagues as well.  It is so fun to see someone you’ve cheered for make their dreams come true when they get called up.  On rare occasions we get to watch Rangers stars play close up when they are rehabing an injury.  We had such an opportunity when we visited Dr. Pepper stadium, because Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison was on the mound. 
Here is the Pearl Girl at her first baseball game.  Please note she is dressed in a cowgirl dress in honor of the home team mascot.  

The Bear loved his first game, though he didn’t make it all the way through.  He has asked several times to watch baseball this past week.  I grew up watching the Arkansas Travelers play with my parents and grandparents.  My Grandmom and Grandad rarely missed a home game, and even had their picture featured in a Southern Living article on minor league parks. There is nothing like cheering on the home team with your family, and I hope this was the first of many games for us.

If you are interested in taking your family to watch the Rough Riders play in Frisco at Dr. Pepper Ballpark, you can buy tickets and get more information on their website here.  There are still plenty of home games left this month, and the season starts again in April of 2014. The team offers fabulous season ticket packages to fit every budget as well as meal packages with unlimited food and drinks.  Rough Rider season tickets are the perfect holiday gift for the baseball fans in your life.  You can also follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
**Thanks so much to the Rough Riders organization for providing tickets for our family in exchange for this post.  All opinions are strictly my own.  
What is your favorite sport to watch live?


Aug
2013

Dining Out on a Dime in DFW: Taco Joint

categories: DFW, dining out, frugal, restaurant review

Our family loves delicious food, but we live on a tight budget.  You can read about how we stick to our dining out budget here.  As a result, we love to find fabulous restaurants where we can stretch out dining out dollars and have a fantastic meal at the same time.  I’ll share my finds here on the blog so that you can “dine out on a dime” as well.

 My husband, Jed, has often stated that he could eat Tex-Mex for breakfast lunch and dinner.  At Taco Joint you can do just that and not spend a fortune.  A family of 4 can eat at Taco Joint for under $20, which is awesome.

  I highly recommend the brisket tacos for $1.99, and you can upgrade to a meal with beans and rice for $8.29.  Friends of mine love the Lester (grilled sirloin) and the Evan (vegetarian).  You can get the “Gaston Grab” for a crowd, 6 breakfast tacos for $11.79.

Taco Joint has 2 locations – 911 N. Peak St and 6434 E. Mockinbird Ln (Mock/Abrams).  The Lakewood location has happy hour from 3-7 pm Monday – Friday and a fun patio.

What’s your go-to restaurant when you want a great meal without spending a ton?  

This is not a sponsored post, and all opinions are my own.