MegfromAllAboutAppearances's commentsComments On: EverythingArticles Blogs Journals Photos created by: EveryoneMegfromAllAboutAppearances Inexpensive Options for Snacking Out - Blog Entry19 Feb 2009 11:47 AM For a snack, I really like nuts. Nuts are super healthy. They're low carb and full of protein, fiber, minerals, & healthy fats that also help you feel satiated. Walnuts are especially good for their high omega 3 content. Little bags of nuts can be pricey, but get them from bulk bins or buy large bags at Sam's Club and then they're super cheap -- especially when you compare their nutritional value to a lot of other snacks. I keep a small jar in the fridge full of different nuts so that I can grab it and go at a moment's notice. Best Frugal Food Ingredients - Blog Entry18 Feb 2009 02:38 PM There may be some small amounts of added nutrients, but I think it's rather negligible. The main reasons I've heard for people choosing raw sugar is 1. the taste, 2. to lessen the environmental impact, and 3. it's ok for vegetarians and vegans (bone char may be used in processing sugar). Best Frugal Food Ingredients - Blog Entry17 Feb 2009 04:31 PM It can vary a little depending on the way you cook things or even how a vegetable was grown, but the database here: http://www.glycemicindex.com/, can give you a good idea about the GI of various foods. Best Frugal Food Ingredients - Blog Entry14 Feb 2009 09:48 AM Complex carbs are definitely healthier than "white" foods in several ways, but they have almost the same effect insulin-wise. I was shocked to find that out, too, as I was eating a good bit of brown rice and grainy whole wheat bread thinking that it was healthy. So, you still don't want to overdo it -- especially if there's any family history of insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, obesity, etc. etc. etc. Best Frugal Food Ingredients - Blog Entry02 Feb 2009 07:54 AM Sad to say, my rice and potato days are over :( Stupid high-GI carbs! Eggs are good, though! But watch the potatos, bread, rice, etc. Can a Messy Home Make you Spend More? - Blog Entry15 Jan 2009 04:14 PM @Mary Ann I wouldn't say that I have it all under control, lol, but it's definitely a lot, lot better than a few years ago. The hardest party of getting started is just getting started. It's easy to put off, especially when it seems like there is so much to do. When my husband and I first started decluttering we tried to do a small area at a time, like a dresser or part of a closet. When we had some practice and had already gotten rid of a lot of things we moved up to whole rooms, even returning to the spots we had visited before. Nowadays, we're more likely to just take a peek through this or that drawer and ask each other, "Do we really need this?" And sometimes when we have the time we still go room by room to declutter and organize -- which takes a lot less time now. Unless there's a lot of paperwork to be filed, we can reorganize the entire house in a few hours or less even at it's messiest. Can a Messy Home Make you Spend More? - Blog Entry11 Jan 2009 02:49 PM My husband and I have done so much better with our finances since we started really decluttering. Now we actually have room for all our stuff, so it's easier to keep the house under control. We rarely feel the urge to escape the house like we used to (which often led to more shopping). Plus, there are fewer occasions when we buy things because we can't find the things we already had -- or even just forgot that we had them. So many people keep things "just in case" thinking that they'll save money by keeping things, but when that results in a messy, unorganized home I really doubt their savings (though maybe it works for some, who knows). Sure, there are a few more things on my wish list, but right now we're still getting rid of more things than we're bringing in and it's a surprisingly wonderful feeling. Downgrading Your House When You Can't Sell It - Blog Entry11 Dec 2008 10:06 AM Good advice! My husband and I have a 1800 sq. ft, 3 bedroom house, but we live in a good bit less. About 500 sq. ft. of that is what used to be our den and one day will hopefully be our kitchen (if we can salvage any of what was a poorly built add-on done by the previous owner). We've halted work on it and are using it just for storage. Long term, it's still a money pit, but our electric bill has never been lower -- especially since the back never had insulation! Also, we've been renting out a spare bedroom to friends. Renting can be an exercise in patience, but right now it pays for about half our mortgage (including taxes and home insurance). Plus, I enjoy the extra company. Saving Money by Downgrading - Blog Entry10 Dec 2008 07:36 AM Downgrading is a great idea because really, so few people do it. It goes against our instincts to do and get more, more, more. But if you really examine how much of something you use, it may be easier to downgrade. For example, I had unlimited minutes on my phone, but recently looked to see how many I actually use a month -- about 250! So I switched to the 500 minute plan and am saving about $40 a month! My husband and I have downgraded our cable before. We didn't watch the extra channels much. Right now, we're considering getting rid of it altogether. And while we could probably use even faster internet since he downloads and uploads a lot of stuff for work, a lot of people have more bandwidth than they really need. Another tip for those who are downgrading: find cheaper or even free ways to replace/supplement what you're downgrading. That way you don't feel like you're settling for a lower quality of life. We replaced our gym membership with evening walks together, and cutting cable will be a lot easier for us now that I'm used to borrowing movies from the library and watching stuff on Hulu. |
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