When you graduate high school, you might be thinking to yourself, now I can move into my own place and start 'adulting'. Maybe you have waited until you have graduated college. Maybe you just feel like you are ready to 'get out there' on your own. Here's a checklist for you to use to determine if you are really ready for that. Moving Out Readiness Checklist (Ages 18–19 +) Financial Readiness Do I have a steady, reliable source of income? Can I cover rent + utilities + food +

I have been having trouble getting my hands on artichoke hearts. I have tried multiple times and they just are not available. This is a canned good so it surprised me. I ended up doing a web search about this problem and was stunned to learn that we (we meaning the whole world) is in a huge food crisis right now. There was Cyclone Harry that caused a lot of problems over there in Italy, which I had not even heard about. And many of the artichokes we get come from there. The s

This is a new topic for me to post about here. I do not remember ever approaching 'finance' in a general way. Sure I post about budgeting for groceries and how to feed your face and still keep a rug under your feet, but I haven't really talked about how to establish a budget or how to deal with finances. I get it that things are in turmoil right now with inflation, prices way up and trying to keep up with the rising rents. So how does a person just starting out, get started?

I am super conservative when it comes to spending money. I am constantly figuring out ways to save money, to spend less (is that the same thing?) to maintain a tight budget. This applies to everything; clothes, furniture, linens, shoes, socks, office supplies, craft items, and of course food. So I have been doing some comparison 'looking' before shopping. Now that Amazon has food beyond that expensive stuff at Whole Foods, ie: their own brands and stuff, and they offer free

Here is the last post for now on this Series. Keep in mind that the initial cost for items will make the meal cost more than it will next time you make it as well as make other meals cost less. It's up to you if you feel that meal is worth the extra expense and it's also okay to leave out some ingredients. Substitutions are always an option. This is another of my favorite meals. I don't serve this one often because it does cost a little more per serving than many of my other

Hi. This is going to sound like it's expensive, but once you purchase the initial pantry items it is actually budget friendly. What would you consider to be cost effective per serving? $4 ? $2 ? Cooking and eating at home is going to be cheaper no matter what, so start there. If you spend $4 per serving for 4 people that's $16 for one meal. If you do that three times a day that is going to turn out to be $48 per day. And that IS expensive. It's what most people spend current

Yes, you really can feed 2 adults and 2 children on only $40 per week. I am providing the menus for a week plus the grocery list for those menus below. What building in New York has the most stories? The public library. Feed 4 people on about $6 a day or $40 a week. This plan assumes you have a stocked pantry. Items not included in the grocery list are italicized (in the menus) so that you can shop for them if you need to do that.           Grocery list: Grains & Breads $4

Starting with these tips. 1. Buy in bulk. 2. Buy less convenience products. Avoid processed and packaged foods, including sodas, crackers, cookies, and candy 3. Plan your meals out. Not eating out, but planning them ahead, creating menus. 4. Choose plant-based protein sources like lentils, beans, and edamame. 5. Always take inventory of your fridge before going to store. 6. Only buy what’s on your list. 7. Shop sales and stock up. 8. Stop eating out for meals – cook at home!

Yeah well, if you are like me you have been trying but it's not been easy. Not with the utilities, not with the insurance, and not with the groceries. I am a frugal person. No doubt about that. But it's getting increasingly hard to buy food that you normally buy, to stock up when things are on sale, and to stick inside the confines of a realistic budget. I am spending more than I used to spend for sure. True, I have started buying things that I did not buy a decade ago in my

The Okinawa diet has gained attention worldwide for its association with longevity and vibrant health. One ingredient that often surprises newcomers to this diet is tofu. If you never thought you would eat tofu, the Okinawa diet might just change your mind. This plant-based protein plays a key role in the traditional eating habits of Okinawa, Japan, and offers many health benefits worth exploring. The Okinawa diet stands out because it emphasizes whole, minimally processed fo

Working on trying to stick to a schedule of sorts. I have changed it a few times, AFTER printing it out of course. It being the first part of the month there are bills to pay and there is stock up to do on the inventory for the pantries. (If you read pantries as panties then you have a gnat in your eye like me. LOL ) How on earth do people really get bored? There is always so much to do. I think it's really that are tired, too tired to get up and do the stuff that needs to g

So, here’s the answer to the question. Ultra-processed food items — which aren’t perishable like fresh produce — are becoming cheaper. “Junk food is cheap because you can keep it forever. You can buy it in bulk, you can produce it in bulk, you can deliver it when it’s cheap to deliver it.” Think about the supply chain. Fresh produce, fish and meat need to be refrigerated and restocked, unlike shelf stable items. Those transportation and replenishment costs get passed on to th

I keep asking myself why the stuff they tell you is good for you, or at least better for you than the stuff you are already eating costs so much more? There are these apps that you can use to 'rate' your food. One, my doctor told me about, the other I found on my own. The first is called YUKA. I have probably mentioned that one before. The second is called ZOE. I have both on my phone now. So I was eating Cheerios. Supposed to be good for you. Good for cholesterol and ther

I wondered what the price of things might be now that Feast Day has come and gone, for that $40 deal at Aldi's and Walmart. I had to check it out. Turkey is still the same price. (For a whole frozen turkey the same size). The Artisan Macaroni and Cheese is still the same price. The Pumpkin is still the same price. And so forth. So it makes me wonder how much of a deal that whole thing really was? Just another thing for me to puzzle over but still be grateful for at the same

If you read my blogs you already know that I am gung-ho for money-saving. I am frugal. I am a hardened "waste not, want not" gal. I bought containers to use to store food in the fridge that I could also use for reheating food in the same container, over and over again. If I'd only known then what I know now I would have just started saving containers that food comes in from the store. I did some research and learned about food containers and what those little numbers on the

I wanted to help. People were working without getting paid. People were not receiving their food benefits (SNAP). Prices of everything from utilities, fuel, and food have gone up considerably making it even more difficult to stretch that budget. It has been hard enough for me to just stand by and watch certain things take place that are not okay, but to think some of our most precious people, our children, our seniors, our Veterans, might be having to choose not to have a f

Well that can of worms I opened spilled out into my entire office, out into my library, out into my living room, and is threatening to crawl into my kitchen. This is a most frustrating affair. Am I a hoarder and not just a pack-rat? Geez. I am trying hard to organize, sort, consolidate, re-box, re-label, donate, toss and make sense of all this stuff. This all in the hope of finding new space in that closet for stuff that needs a home that is not out in sight. Wish me luck. I

No, not literally and no, I do not eat worms. It's an expression meaning I should never have started this, said that, went there, etc. What did I do? I decided (in my campaign to downsize and clear out) to start making room in my office closet for those things I plan to hang onto and use more than what is already in there. Oh my goodness. What have I done? I am struggling big time to find things to get rid of out of there. I have many hobbies and I have supplies in there fo

I am still thinking I will order that $40 feed 10 deal for thanksgiving. I mean you get a whole turkey and 5lbs of potatoes, that's $15 right there. Then all the other stuff. But Thanksgiving is still weeks away and I plan to eat between now and then. Plus there are other things that will have to be ordered to complete the meal, like eggs for the pie. Still I think it's a good deal. If you make use of the EBT or SNAP or as I have always called them, Food Stamps, then I am ho

Everybody is touting big sales on all kinds of things, from that counter-top ice maker I have been considering to that Ninja Blender I have eyeballed for a few years to blow up Halloween costumes. But beware - keep your eyes peeled because the shipping on those sale items that seem like such a great bargain is turning out to be nearly as much as the price of the item. For example that ice-maker? On sale for $37. Good price, right? Shipping on that bugger is $32. What the he