family

A Practical Guide to Setting A Budget (Part Three)

Abby H.

The first two parts (Part One, Part Two) of this series talked about the essentials of how to budget. This third part is for those of you who are having a difficult time making the ends meet to get your needs met.

I’m talking about when cutting cable and going cash only for groceries isn’t enough. When you need help. When there isn’t much (or anything) to eat. When the power might be shut off. When there isn’t money to put gas in your car to get to work or job interviews.

This is the most important thing to remember: It is ok to ask for help. It is ok to seek out services and take advantage of programs. Do not worry about what others will think- This pandemic and all of the fallout that has happened has affected so many of us. So many hardworking families and individuals need a hand up right now. 

A lot of the services and programs listed below are specifically for San Diego County. If you live outside San Diego County, I recommend that you call 211 anywhere in the US. They can help you find resources- all judgment free!

So when I talk about needs being met, I mean:

  • Shelter (Rent/mortgage assistance/utilities)
  • Food (Healthy food for you/your family and pets)
  • Comfort (Clothing, healthcare, medication)

Shelter:

  • If you have a mortgage, contact your lender for a forbearance. You may have to provide them with proof that you are unable to pay.
  • If you are a renter in San Diego, here is the County Rental Assistance site.
  • If you require assistance with your utilities, SDG&E has many programs and assistance available.
  • For your water/sewer bills, you will need to contact them directly. There are so many water municipalities in San Diego County.

Food: Food insecurity is a cause near and dear to my heart, so I have all kinds of resources to share!

Many food banks give out pet food as well- don’t forget to mention your furry friends when you complete your intake paperwork (which is oftentimes to find out demographic information to obtain additional funding from the government or private grants). Some do not require any paperwork at all.

Comfort: Being housed and fed is important, in addition to this I’ve added the comfort category. This includes clean, well fitting clothes, access to health care, and prescription medicines.

  • There are many resources for no and low cost clothing (besides thrift stores, which have become increasingly higher in cost in the past year). Naomi’s Closet, Closet on 54th, Charity’s Closet at Sonrise Church, Sharia’s Closet are all San Diego resources. I’ve been told that some Salvation Army churches offer free clothing vouchers to be redeemed at their thrift shops. Don’t forget your local Buy Nothing Group too! So many of your local neighbors are cleaning out their clothes and purging while they are stuck at home, you’d be surprised what your neighbors are will to share with you.
  • If you are in need of healthcare, there are several options. Medicaid/Medi-cal may be available for some. If you have had a “life event” (job separation, birth of a child, death of a spouse, marriage, etc.) you can look for health insurance in your state’s Health Insurance Exchange. Here is a link to California’s Exchange. There are frequently lower rates or discounts for those with certain income limits.
  • If you or family members take prescription medicines, look into discount programs like Singlecare (which you can access via the Fetch Rewards App and earn cashback/points), or GoodRX. Some pharmacies have their own discount programs too. Make sure to ask the pharmacy staff. Another option is to ask your doctor for medication samples when you are visiting them. Many doctors have medication samples in their offices, and most doctors are willing to help you when you tell them you need assistance with medication costs.

 

 

 

A Practical Guide to Setting A Budget (Part Two)

Abby H.1 Comment

In our last post, I talked about the basics of starting a budget (you can read it here).

We ended with… What happens if you spend more money than you bring home? Don’t feel bad, It happens more than you would think. Living in a credit-based world, it’s easy to swipe, swipe, swipe your card and have it seem like it’s not real money.

How do you stop spending willy nilly and start saving money?

First of all, I went through our family budget line by line looking for ways to cut down on costs. This will take a little work, but it’s worth the savings. Here are a few ways that you may be able to save.

  • Cell Phones- I called and negotiated a new contract, and they were able to give us a small discount ($15/month).
  • Auto/Home Insurance- Called our insurance carrier (it’s the same for both). We went through both policies, and were able to adjust our annual mileage to lower mileage, and adjust a few things with our homeowner’s insurance to save some money too. (About $50/year)
  • Gas & Electric (power company)-Because of the big kids’ diagnosis, we were able to qualify for a discount. SDG&E (Our utility provider) offers several discounts. You can learn more about our experience and how we saved money here.  We also take part in OhmConnect, and that saves us money and gives us cashback. You can learn more about OhmConnect here. We save about a thousand dollars a year between the programs SDG&E offers and using Ohmconnect.
  • Internet- We ended up changing internet providers to save money. I know that not everyone has this ability, but it’s worth a call to see if you can get a better deal. We don’t have cable or a home phone, so there are no bundling deals that can save our family money. ($5/month)
  • Cable- We don’t have it, but if you are thinking of cutting the cable, it’s not all static and bunny ears like in the old days. Between Apple TV (ours is really old and it works great), Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and over the air TV, we aren’t suffering. (No savings for us, but maybe some for you?)

Secondly, I take cash out for Groceries ($100/week), gas ($60/week), and fun money (funds for the kids and I to do something fun during the week- usually a snack or treat at the zoo, admission to a museum, or renting a Redbox movie. $40/week). When the money’s gone, it’s gone. For our budget/spending- this has been the game-changer. Due to quarantine/lockdown the only fun we could have was ordering take out or expensive trips to the craft supply store/Amazon to keep us entertained. Now that we have parameters for spending money, I am taking a harder look at groceries and meal planning and low-cost to no-cost ways to have fun with the kiddos.

In addition to that, I didn’t set up Apple Pay on my phone. I don’t have a credit card attached to the app store on my phone. I don’t have any credit cards set up on my Amazon Account, or my Target App, or any of the purchasing apps on my phone. If I want to buy something I have to either go to a store or sit down at my computer and enter my credit card/debit card information. Taking that extra step to purchase stuff really helps me think about what I am buying and how much I am spending.

And I’m always looking for ways to make a little extra money. Side Hustles are a real way to make money. You can invest as little or as much time as you want.

You can still have fun and live on a budget. Don’t feel like having takeout? Spend some of your fun money on a couple steaks and have a BBQ at home one week. Rent a movie on Amazon Prime, and add some dollar movie candy to your grocery list (or hit up Dollar Tree). Close the curtains/ blinds and throw some pillows and blankets on the living room floor. We call that “Movie theatre night” and the kids love it.

Living during a global pandemic you have to think outside of the box.

My next (and last) post about setting a practical budget will be ready tomorrow and it’s going to be a little more serious. What to do/where to turn when you need help with the basics: Food, Shelter, and Comfort. And what you should cut out if you are struggling. For those who are struggling right now, this is written with you in my mind and heart.

Costco Membership Deal!

Abby H.

Costco is one of my favorite places to stock up on essentials. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s time to mask up and head over!

Right now there is a great deal for new memberships! Purchase a Costco Membership Activation Certificate to join as a new member and receive a  Costco Shop Card.

  • Gold Star Members receive a $10 Costco Shop Card.
  • Gold Star Executive Members receive a $20 Costco Shop Card.

It’s as easy and 1,2,3!

  1. Purchase your Costco Membership Activation Certificate here.
  2. Receive your Costco Membership Activation Certificate by email.
  3. Bring your Costco Membership Activation Certificate to any U.S. or Puerto Rico Costco location to join as a new member.

Here are my top five Costco Bargains:

  1. Rotisserie Chicken
  2. Butter
  3. PBFit
  4. Kodiak Cake Flapjack Mix
  5. Krusteaz Pancake Mix
  6. (Bonus) Their Gas Stations frequently are .20-.30/galloncheaper than the “discount” stations.

11/16/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI wrote up the meal plan for this week last night and posted it on Instagram, but I was too pooped to sit down last night and write this post.

This weekend was busy (like all weekends):

  • Playmobil adventures
  • Lego Building
  • Barbie shenanigans
  • Drawing
  • Writing Practice
  • Shopping for new clothes because a little girl grew overnight

The past few weeks I’ve been cooking larger batches of recipes, and we’ve been relying a lot on them. This week will be a “refill” week for that. A big batch of meaty red sauce, a few batches of soup made directly to go in the freezer, and I’ll be making some mire poix bags up as well. I’ll be posting on Instagram for sure.

If you have kids between 2-18, check with your local school to see if they are offering free lunches and/or breakfasts. You can also check the USDA Website– but it might be a little out of date.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunches will be whatever the kids want for the time being. The big kid has lunch at school, so it’s whatever he chooses from the lunch box in the cupboard, plus some fruit and juice or milk. Since the little girl is in the morning cohort at school, she has lunch at home. Buttered noodles, yogurt, apple slices, and a popsicle are her go-to lunch.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Leftovers/Fend for yo’ self
  • Monday:  Shakshuka, Salad, and Salad
  • Tuesday: Pasta with Meat Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
  • Wednesday: Veggie Nuggets, Fish Sticks, Veggie Fries, and Salad
  • Thursday: Breakfast (Most likely Pancakes, Eggs, and Fruit)
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

A Practical Guide to Setting A Budget (Part One)

Abby H.2 Comments

I’ve written about budgeting before, but now more than ever so many of us need to set up a budget that works. One that is easy to stick to. There are so many ways of doing a budget, so many styles- cash envelopes, bucket/different accounts, multiple debit cards for various budget items… It can be tricky. I’m going to be breaking down the household budget, and how it can be done, how to shave money off your household expenses, and save money without suffering or feeling like you are doomed to a life of instant ramen and tap water.

Recently I re-did the household budget after noticing that spending was…Outta Control. Here are a few things that helped me:

Track all of your outgoing expenses for three months. I made a list of all the bills, expenditures, etc., and went through the banking transactions online. Then I averaged them. Using the average for each, I plugged each one into a Google Sheets page.

Some of the categories I had are:

  • Mortgage (This includes impounds for our Homeowners insurance and property taxes)
  • Gas/Electric*
  • Gift Fund
  • Transfer to Savings
  • Life Insurance
  • Auto Insurance
  • Hulu
  • Car payment
  • Kids 529
  • Netflix
  • YMCA
  • Internet
  • Credit Card Balances
  • Student Loan Payments
  • Water Bill*
  • Groceries*
  • Fun Money (stuff to do with kiddos/girls nights in/date nights)*
  • Gasoline*

Of all of these categories, the only ones that have any difference per month are the ones I indicated with an asterisk (*). For Gas/Electric and the water bill, I averaged the cost over three months and used that amount for the budget.

The categories I included above are what is in my budget, you may have other items that my family does not. Some of the expenses such as Health Insurance and retirement savings come out of paychecks, so for our family, they are not included in our budget. You may wish to add them to your budget if you pay them directly.

Cash for some Budget Line Items: For items such as groceries, fun money, and gasoline I visit the ATM each week and take out cash. I paperclip the money for each budget line item together, and keep them separate in my wallet. When the money is gone, no more spending.

Doing cash for those line items really helps me take a hard look at shopping for groceries (this is when cash back apps, couponing, and price per unit knowledge all come in handy), and making sure that I am getting the best deal on gas (I have the gasbuddy app, it’s very useful). Any unspent money gets rolled over to the next week.

Making the ends meet: It’s important when you are adding up all expenses that once you add them up, subtract that amount from the money you bring in (wages, side hustles, selling plasma, whatever). If you are spending more than you  and you should be left with some money leftover. If you come to a negative number… Bruh, we gotta talk.

For example (and this is just an example):

  • Total income (including side hustles): $5000
  • Total household budget per month: $4500
  • Total amount leftover: $500 This leftover amount can be kept in your main account for unforeseen expenses, or move it to savings, or pay down extra on reoccurring debts (like car payment, student loans, or credit cards).

Uh, so if your number comes back negative, like this example:

  • Total income (including side hustles): $4500
  • Total household budget per month: $4600
  • Total amount leftover: -$100

Yeah. Bad times, my friends. That means you need to cut $100 from your budget. My next post about budgeting will go over what and how you can cut from your budget without feeling like you are suffering or living hand to mouth. I promise nothing crazy or nothing that I would not do myself if needed. And you can expect that post tomorrow.

Not all all related to setting a budget, but when I was searching for Budget stock photos, this photo of fruit salad was tagged “budget”. And I love fruit salad, so I had to include it. 

San Diego, CA Area Residents: FREE Produce and Perishable Groceries- 11/13/2020

Abby H.

Our friends over at Faith Chapel understand that with all that’s going on in the world that some of us still need help finding healthy food during this difficult time. And that’s it not always safe for us to go to the store or hit up a farmers market.

Distribution is happening every Friday in November, beginning at 10:00am.

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977

11/10/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI’ve been trying to meal plan on Sundays, but this weekend got away from me. It was raining, so we spent a lot of time playing indoors: Playmobils, Legos, drawing and doing crafts. Not a lot of time to sit down at in front of the computer.

The past few weeks I’ve been cooking larger batches of recipes, so this week we’re pulling out a batch of Salsa chicken from the freezer. I found a batch of veggie red sauce in the freezer too. I’m hoping to put together some soups this week for lunches and stash some in the freezer. I love making soup- It’s easy and frugal. and sooo tasty.

If you have kids between 2-18, check with your local school to see if they are offering free lunches and/or breakfasts. You can also check the USDA Website– but it might be a little out of date.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunches will be whatever the kids want for the time being. The big kid has lunch at school, so it’s whatever he chooses from the lunch box in the cupboard, plus some fruit and juice or milk. Since the little girl is in the morning cohort at school, she has lunch at home. Buttered noodles, yogurt, apple slices, and a popsicle are her go-to lunch.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Leftovers
  • Monday:  Soup, veggies/fruit, and garlic bread
  • Tuesday: Veggie Nuggets and Fruit (Big kid has OT in the late afternoon, so it’s always a quick dinner on Tuesday)
  • Wednesday:  Salsa Chicken, Rice, and steamed veggies
  • Thursday: Spaghetti with veggie red sauce, salad, and garlic bread
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftovers

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Free Thanksgiving Dinner from Ibotta!

Abby H.

Ibotta and Walmart has hooked up to offer you a free Thanksgiving dinner! Seriously! If you are new to Ibotta, it’s a cashback app that is super easy to use.

This deal is super easy to do:

  • Download the Ibotta app.
  • Download the Ibotta browser extension to your computer and log in to Ibotta to discover our newest, most convenient way to shop online.
  • Once you’ve logged in and linked your Walmart account, all nine free Thanksgiving offers will appear in your browser extension immediately (and in the Ibotta app within an hour).
  • Link your Walmart Pickup & Delivery account to shop online with the browser extension. Or, shop at Walmart in-store with the Ibotta app. Either way, you’ll get cash back!
  • After you shop, scan your receipt in the Ibotta app. Once your receipt is verified, the funds will appear in your Ibotta account. You can cash out for Paypal or gift cards- your choice.

So what are you getting for free?

  • FREE Butterball Turkey Breast Roast ($9.98) Offer valid for 100% cash back on all flavors of the 3 lb Butterball turkey roast, which includes a gravy packet. Also valid for $9.98 cash back on Butterball whole turkeys.
  • McCormick Gravy, 0.87 oz Pouch Offer valid for all 0.87 oz McCormick gravy packet flavors. $1.12 Cash Back.
  • Great Value Stuffing Mix, 6 oz Offer valid for all 6 oz Great Value Stuffing Mix flavors. .82 Cash Back.
  • Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, 8 oz Pouch Offer valid for all 8 oz Idahoan Mashed Potato flavors. $1.88 Cash Back
  • Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, 10.5 oz Can Offer valid on 10.5 oz can only .98 Cash Back
  • Great Value Cranberry Sauce, 14 oz Offer valid for all canned 14 oz Cranberry sauce varieties. .98 Cash Back
  • Great Value Green Beans, 12 oz Offer valid on Great Value Fine Green Beans, 12 oz frozen bag $1.34 Cash Back
  • French’s Crispy Fried Onions, 2.8 oz Offer valid on French’s Original Crispy Fried Onions, 2.8 oz. $1.92 Cash Back
  • Coca-Cola, 2 Liter Bottle Offer valid on 2 Liter bottles of Coca-Cola: Cherry Zero Sugar, Vanilla, Caffeine Free, Caffeine Free Zero Sugar, Original Taste & Zero Sugar. $1.25 Cash Back

This is a great opportunity to pick up a meal for free after cashback. And if some of these items aren’t food that you normally eat, food banks will be looking for donations for holiday meals.

You can download the Ibotta app here. When you use my referral code qmo4a, you will receive a bonus (the amount varies) after you redeem your first offer (like this sweet one).

If you’ve got questions, check out the FAQ about this deal here.

 

11/6/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.
bright boxes

It’s Friday again! Time to score some freebies, pick up a few deals, and stay inside! It’s supposed to rain here this weekend and I am really excited. We need rain in Southern CA badly, and it’s a good excuse to have a lazy weekend and eat popcorn (and leftover Halloween candy).

Check out these sweet freebies and deals, and as always, if you find an amazing deal or freebie, please share it in the comments below.

Freebies:

Free Thanksgiving Dinner After Cashback
Free Subscription to Whisky Advocate Magazine
Free Save USPS Sticker
Free $5 Amazon Credit
Free Sample of Estee Lauder Beautiful Belle Fragrance
Free Botanics Simply Calm Cleansing Milk
Free Well Rested for the Holidays with MegaFood Party Pack
PrismPop – Free Beauty Products
Free Baby’s Busy Day: Being One is So Much Fun! Book
Free Sample of Creme De La Mer Moisturizing Cream
Free St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Virtual Holiday Soiree
Free Subscription to Cigar Aficionado Magazine
Free Kroger Treasure EmporiYUM Snack Sample Box
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Free Workout & HydroMassage at Planet Fitness Nov. 3-8th
Free JDRF Bag of Hope
Free Sample of Lube Tube Multi-Purpose Lubricant
Free Murad Dark Spot Serum & Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector
Free Crown Royal Military Care Package for Our Troops
Free I Remember: Chicago Veterans of War Book
Free Simply Earth Essential Oil Box Subscription
Giant Eagle – Free Helper Bold Mac & Cheese Cup
Free Boiron Acidil Meltaway Tablets
Free Fable & Mane Haircare Samples
Free Kukubird Stationary Set
Free Subscription to Vanity Fair Magazine
Free Bottle of Bedtime Burn
Free Jar of Barilla Vero Gusto Pasta Sauce
Free Starbucks Coffee for Vets, Military & Spouses on 11/11

Deals:

Free Costco Gift Card for New Members
Electric Induction Cooktop 24-Inch $99.99 Shipped (Reg $190)
Oversized Everyday Clutch ONLY $13.99 Shipped (Reg $25)
Jewelry Storage and Organizing Box ONLY $17.99 (Reg $29)
Clinique 5-Piece Kisses Gift Set ONLY $21.25 ($97 Value)
VTech Myla The Magical Unicorn ONLY $29.99 (Reg. $60)
Luminarc 4-Piece Glassware Sets ONLY $3.99 (Reg $25)
The Learning Journey Match it ONLY $5.81 (Reg $12)
Studio Mercantile Wall Ring Toss Game ONLY $11.99 (Reg $30)
L.O.L. Surprise! Winter Disco Bigger Surprise $39.99 (Reg. $90)
Solimo (Amazon Brand) Disinfectant Wipes 3 Pack $8.99
Room on the Broom Board Book ONLY $1.79 (Reg. $8)
MUK LUKS Women’s Melinda Slippers ONLY $18.99 (Reg. $40)
Black Friday 2020 – What You Need to Know
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex Convertible ONLY $329 (Reg $700)
Expo Dry Erase Fine Tip Markers 8-Count ONLY $4.92 (Reg. $14)
LOL Surprise Stylin’ Studio ONLY $9.99 (Reg. $20)
Lost Kitties Mice Mania Multipack ONLY $9.54 (Reg. $20)
Cuisinart Salad Spinner ONLY $14.50 (Reg. $25)
Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum ONLY $98 (Reg $199)
MUK LUKS Women’s Clog With Fur Lining ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $32)
Green Toys Rescue Boat & Helicopter Set ONLY $11.24 (Reg. $25)
Cooks Tools 6-Pc Melamine Mixing Bowl Set ONLY $20 (Reg $50)

Faith Chapel Free Food Distribution UPDATE for November 2020

Abby H.1 Comment

Heads up friends! I received an email from Pastor Josiah over at Faith Chapel and there is NO food distribution this Friday, November 6th.

However, they are expecting to have distributions every Friday throughout the rest of the month of November, beginning November 13th & all of December.

The next food distribution at 10:00am on November 13th, 2020 at Faith Chapel. 

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977