How I Reduce Household Spending...

I am not a penny pincher by nature.  What I've learned has been a process (sometimes painful) over many years, and I'm still learning.  But for today I thought I would share some of the things I've learned so far.

1.  Your situation is not as hopeless as it looks if you have a large amount of debt.  You may just have to think outside the box to reduce your debt.  Think about what you really need to live and then start pairing down.  Example:  do you really need a new car, or even 2 cars?  do you really need such a large house, could you go a few years without going anywhere on vacation, etc.  Also do you have money tied up in savings, old 401k's, bonds, CD's, etc.  Think outside the box about accessing the money in these accounts, but please be sure and consult a CPA on your tax penalties before you do.  Although they are going to advise against it, if you can afford the penalties and go debt free, that is something to think about.

2.  Household utility expenses can be cut, but it might be an adjustment for your family.  Set your thermostat to 62 - 65 in winter and 77 to 78 in summer.  Yes you might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to it.  Also, do you really need cable?  Can you utilize your Internet service to watch your favorite TV shows and movies whenever you want for free or drastically reduced prices?  You might invest in a Roku or Xbox, or simply hook up your laptop to your television to access shows via the Internet.  Do you really need to wash everything in warm water?  Are there some loads that can be done in cold water?  Do you really need to use your dryer for all loads?  Can you hang up some of your clothes to air dry?  Again, think outside the box for these things too.

3.  Make a monthly budget and stick to it.  I think this is the hardest of all, but well worth the effort.  At the beginning of the month total all of your normal expenses (don't forget food, gas, medicine, health care expenses, etc.), include any upcoming expenses (birthdays, date nights, kids need shoes or clothes, etc.), and make note of the amount.  Total up the minimum amount of income you are expecting for the month.  Then subtract expenses from income.  If you have a negative balance, determine what has to be cut to ensure you have more income than expenses.  Remember you will need to be diligent on a weekly sometimes daily basis to make sure you don't exceed your budget.  If you do exceed it, you'll have to figure a way to reduce spending even further to make up for it.  Then at the end of the month take a look at everything as a whole and determine how you did.  See if you can make any changes for next month.

4.  Don't automatically spend your savings from working hard to reduce expenses.  Instead at the end of the month tally up your savings and transfer it into a savings account.  Then don't touch it....unless for emergencies.

5.  Cut your gas bill by staying off the road more.  Instead of constantly going out, streamline errands into one day and strategize a route that will save the most in time and gas costs.

6.  Think differently about your money.  Instead of thinking oh, I have this much money....think about how many hours of work it's going to take to make a purchase.  You will think differently about what you buy if you convert it into time spent working.

7.  Make do, reuse, recycle, or do without.  Commit to it and live by it.  You'll be amazed at what little you need to live a happy and contented life.

8.  Think of pinching pennies as a game instead of a burden.  Challenge yourself to see how well you can stick to it.  Then think of something as a reward...nice long bubble bath, extra time doing nothing but what you want to do, taking time to do your nails, look up new ways to style your hair on Pinterest and give them a try, etc.

What are some things you've learned along the way?

Blessings,
Kristy

Too Many Plates and They All Fall Down

Have you ever had days or weeks where everything hits all at once?  You have the best intentions when you say yes to a lot of things, not realizing everything might fall together.  Or sometimes emergencies happen when your schedule is the busiest.  Whatever the reason, we end up having so many plates in the air to juggle, that they all come crashing down.

Several years ago I had said yes to several things close to one of my family member's birthday, all with the best intentions since each item dealt with a member of my immediate family.  Unfortunately I was not able to follow through with the most important thing, much less everything else. By the time it was all over, feelings got hurt and I felt miserable.  It was at that time that I realized I needed help in setting boundaries so that would not happen again.

Before I started I prayed and shared my feelings with God and asked forgiveness for hurting others.  I also asked forgiveness from those I had hurt, and I forgave myself for causing those I love pain.  Then I spent time talking to my husband seeking his advice.  Here's what I came up with as a result.

1.  Before I commit to something, I need to pray about it, seek council with my husband, take a look at my calendar, then logically make a decision.  Too often my decisions were spur of the moment and based on feelings instead of logic.

2.  It's okay to say no to the good things in order to say yes to the best things.  My best efforts and intentions are no good if I can't follow through and make good on them.

3.  People might get upset or mad when I say no to being asked to do something, but I should not let that sway my decision.  This is usually where I get into trouble.  I'm a people pleaser and peace maker by heart.  Saying no doesn't come easy for me.  It especially doesn't come easy when I know someone is upset with my decision. But I try to keep in mind that I cannot do it all and stick to my guns.  Most people get over it and move on to trying to get someone else recruited.

4.  I came up with a list of things that were most important to me: God, Husband, Kids, Parents and Immediate Family Members, Church, Best Friend, etc.  Then I thought about how to fill my calendar with items that represented my list.  If I was asked to do something that was outside of my list, I felt more freedom to say no.  If I was asked to do things at the same time from multiple items on my list, I would look at my list and think about the priority I had given each one, then make decisions based on that.

These have helped me keep everything into perspective when it comes to filling my time. I still fail and the plates do come down, but these times are becoming less frequent. What are some of the things you do?

Blessings,
Kristy

Flavorful Venison Steak

Last week I fixed Venison Steak for everyone, so I thought in honor of Tasty Tuesday I would share my recipe.  Venison can be an acquired taste, especially if the steak comes from an older buck.  The older the buck, the more wild taste you are going to have in your meat.  That was the case with the steak I prepared last week, so I soaked it in milk longer than usual and added plenty of seasonings. The steak turned out wonderful and was a big hit with my family.

Warning:  Venison contains a lot of blood, so if you are squeamish about such things, this recipe is not for you.

Flavorful Venison Steak

4-5 Venison Steaks, thawed
1 quart of milk
1/4 cup of chili powder
1/4 cup of onion powder
1/4 cup of soul food seasoning powder
1/4 cup of cayenne pepper
A few dashes of dried pepper flakes
1/4 cup of garlic powder
1/4 cup of black pepper
A-1 steak sauce
1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Remove Venison Steaks from the freezer, place in a large bowl, and leave in refrigerator to thaw for 2 days. Remove the meat from it's packaging, discarding any blood, and place in a clean bowl.  Cover the steaks with 1 quart of milk and place back in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.  Meanwhile mix all of the spice seasonings together and store in a Ziploc bag for later use.  Remove the steaks again, discard the milk and blood mixture, and wash and squeeze any remaining blood from the steak (the blood is what gives the meat more of a wild taste).  Completely dry the steaks and generously rub each steak with the spice mixture you mixed together earlier.  Be generous with the rub, making sure all of it is used.  Pour 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in large skillet and let it warm on high for a few minutes. (You have to use a lot of oil to add flavor, because venison is a very lean meat.) After the oil is warm, place the steak in skillet and sear each side.  Once each side is seared, reduce heat.  Cover each steak with a generous helping of A-1 steak sauce on each side.  Continue turning steak occasionally until well done.

Serve with baked potatoes, salad, sweet tea, and chocolate cake for dessert.

Blessings,
Kristy

A Woman's Influence - Sobriety

That they may teach the young women to be sober..  Titus 2:4

Sober - Greek adjective sophron, and its related nouns, sophrosune, sophronismos; verbs sophroneo and sophronizo; adverb sophronos, "of sound mind," and sophronizo; "self-possessed," "without excesses of any kind," "moderate and discreet" (International Bible Encyclopedia)

A women who is sober is at all times aware that how she acts, what she looks like, what she says, etc., represents not only herself, but her family, her husband, her church, and above all Christ.  Every women has a constant battle between the old person she was before she was saved, and the new person she is in Christ.  It takes discipline of mind and character to ensure the new person in Christ wins the battles.  The only way to get this discipline is by studying God's Holy Word.  So be a woman of the only book that matters....The Holy Bible.  

Remember you are a child of the King!  You are beautifully and wonderfully made!  And God chose you to be a woman for a reason......all to bring glory to Him!  Women have an incredible circle of influence....from family, friends, co-workers, children, etc.  Let your light shine to them all!

All places where women are excluded tend downward to barbarism; but the moment she is introduced, there come in with her courtesy, cleanliness, sobriety, and order.   --Harrient Beecher Stowe

Blessings,

Kristy

Kristy's Killer Potatoes

Monday's are always a little rough getting everyone back into the swing of the week.  I try to make menu's for Monday that are not time consuming with very little cleanup.  Yesterday we had Killer Potatoes, and they were delicious!  So I thought I would share my recipe!

Kristy's Killer Potatoes
1 pork or beef roast
2 bottles of BBQ Sauce (your brand choice)
1 cup beef broth
8 oz. water
4-6 baking potatoes (depending on how many you are feeding)
sour cream
shredded cheese
jalapenos
butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon A-1 sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder

Early that morning place your roast, beef broth, and water in a crock pot and cook on low all day.  In another crock pot place washed potatoes (don't forget to poke them with a fork all over) wrapped in Reynolds wrap and placed in another crock pot and cook on high all day.  Just before time to eat, remove roast from the crock pot and shred into small pieces.  Place the shredded roast in a skillet along with the BBQ Sauce and cook on medium; stirring until all of the roast is covered with the sauce.  Add mustard, garlic powder, A-1 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, and onion powder.  Stir together and continue cooking on medium until everything is blended and tasting yummy!  To serve, take a baked potato from the other crock pot and split it open on a plate.  Add butter, salt and pepper.  Then place a large heaping serving spoon of BBQ on top of the potato.  Pile on the shredded cheese and sour cream.  Add jalapenos and extra BBQ sauce on top if you like things extra spicy.  You can garnish with chives if you like as well.  Enjoy!