Bright and Beautiful

Crafting has to come into play at some point. I can't escape it.

So, here are some quick ideas for personalized, pocketbook friendly gifts and celebrations.

1. Make your own cards for every occasion. To make a bulk list, for graduation announcements, party invites, or holiday greetings, come up with a template that's easy to reproduce. This makes everything that much more personal.

I keep these things on hand at all times:

• A small drawer full of paper scraps (card stock, multi colored, patterned, etc.), which I buy on sale at Hobby Lobby. I religiously check their online ads, and only buy something if it's more than 40% off.
• A paper scalpel, scissors, and a hole punch.
• Various embellishments: decorative brads, eyelets, wire and beads, and cardboard letter cutouts (all bought on sale).
• Vellum sheets.
• Envelopes in various sizes.
• The one thing I could not live without in the craft world: double-stick "mounting squares," clear, half and full size. These are even better than double-stick tape.
• A fine-point permanent marker, and good pens in black, blue, and red ink.
• A cache of failsafe quotes for the inside.

If you have access to a design program, and enjoy graphics, come up with your own designs and print them on vellum. It creates a great layering effect that spices up any card.

In any case, a handmade card is generally one that will get some good shelf life. Or at least fridge face time.

2. Buy something simple, and spruce it up with an original element.
• A bottle of wine (can be under $10 if the recipient is a budget-friendly person like you) with a handmade or authentic ornament wrapped around the neck. This can be further personalized by sculpting wire and beads around the bottle, serving both as an attaching device and a pretty keepsake.
• A homemade apple pie in an attractive pie dish that they can keep. Remember my first post? The $4.99 red stoneware pie dish? And then the failsafe pie crust? Well, see below for my Better-than-grandma's-but-don't-tell-her Apple Pie. This is a gift that is especially great for parents who didn't know you could cook, let alone make a pie crust.
• A keepsake ornament or trinket accompanied with a personal note. A friend will always hold something with sentimental value near and dear, and these can usually be bought for less than $20 and still mean a lot to the recipient, when it comes with a special explanation. Think poems, sappy love notes, etc.
• Learn to knit. A friend at work taught me last year, and I made about 5 scarves, an iPod case, a beanie (didn't fit), and a dishtowel. For not a lot of money. Sure, not everything has been worn or employed. BUT, everyone was shocked that I'd taken the time to knit. And it makes for a great party trick. I will someday be the grandma who knits those ridiculous sweaters!
• Paint a picture, write a story, frame an original photograph yourself. Anything you can do creatively is a personal and original gift idea. Use your talents and save!

Sure, I may have just given all my gifting secrets away to my friends... "So THAT'S why I got a scarf for Christmas...and pie for my birthday...." But I hope it gets the ball rolling.


And, finally, as promised: a note about the organization makeover. We have now cleaned and organized about 90% of our apartment. We have spent about $200 on containerizing, cleaning supplies, and the like. I wish I had taken before pictures, because I seriously think that our apartment is looking more and more like the super-organized IKEA catalog every day.

It's simplicity, it's creativity, it's smart budgeting that makes this house a home.

Go forth and be creative.

-Budget Girl

Repurposing the Tortillas

What did I tell you about muddling up the routine on the weekends? Voila. Saturday and Sunday came and went, and I have good news. I may not have blogged about it then, but I stuck to my budget pretty well.

One thing that I've found works for me is to set a limit before you go anywhere. For instance, I knew I would be going out with friends on Friday night. I knew I could get free parking at my work garage, despite a little bit of a walk and having to spend a couple minutes at the guard station because my swipe card is broken (that is just how I do things, sadly!). I set a one-drink limit for myself, and didn't even meet that (saving about $4-$8 in one fell swoop). I enjoyed myself, and had psyched myself up enough about the one-drink limit that it didn't even bother me.

I also made it to the grocery store. My limit there was $35. I spent $36, but that's because I forgot to put breakfast cereal and milk on the list. I purchased things I knew I would eat, because I've set up a menu for my week.

I don't like to shop every day, and find that I save a lot of money when I shop about 3 days at a time. Here are my tips for that.

1. Write out the entire menu: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
2. Decide if you will be cooking for only one, or more.
3. Plan out meals so that you will be repurposing your groceries. If you're buying lettuce and tomatoes to top a burger, use the rest for a big Greek salad the next day. Tortillas used for enchiladas one day can wrap around lunchmeat the next, or at breakfast coupled with eggs.

Since I usually cook for more than just myself, I budget about $10 a day for food ($5 per person), and hope to spend less.

Things like cereal, milk, frozen items (I buy off-season fruits frozen, and add them to oatmeal, pancakes, or yogurt for extra zing), and canned things tend to last longer, and can be eaten the entire week. Factor those into your budget and your diet.

One of my biggest problems is overbuying. I overestimate the amount of food I'll need, and often have to throw out (though soon it will be compost) spoiled vegetables or leftovers that have gone uneaten. That's a tough one that I plan on tackling soon. I'll share my composting successes and failures--I'm on my way (hopefully) to a container garden that will supply me with enough herbs, greens, and hopefully even tomatoes. But, that won't be for a while, as I've completely missed the planting season. Story of my life.

Tomorrow I'll tell you more about our low-budget organization makeover, and give you a pocketbook-friendly way to brighten any occasion.

Enjoy your evening!
-Budget Girl

Streeeeeeeeeeeetch

I'm learning a new-ish routine. I've always wanted my own morning routine, but didn't rely on much. Nothing was telling me I had to do this at this time, I had to that at that time.

But then we got a puppy.

Fin is now almost 8 months old, and she and I have a great morning routine (I'm getting somewhere with this, I promise). I roll out of bed at 6. Wake her up, take her outside, and then we go through the motions. She gets water, I feed her, she rolls her toy around under my feet as I write at the computer for a little bit. By 6:45, we are out the door for our morning jog. My colleague honks at us (part of her new morning routine) as she drives by. We get back, and I make my coffee and get ready for work, and Fin wakes my boyfriend up with a jump and plenty of dog "kisses."

It's become as easy as breathing. I only muddle the routine on weekends, but even then I try to keep some semblance of my weekday motions.

Beginning this new routine has taken some time, taken some getting used to, and will be tweaked as time goes by (as I'm able to wake up earlier, among other things). But it has become a routine that I enjoy. It's no longer a chore to go jogging; no longer as hard to roll out of bed so early.

And that is exactly what needs to happen when we create a budget.

Saving money, buying smartly, and saving some more is something that should become so routine that if you spend more than you ought, it feels like you're stutter-stepping (you know that feeling--didn't you have to try hurdles in junior high, too?).

Creating a budget and sticking to it is a hard chore when it begins. I make mistakes, too: I let up on myself when pay day rolls around or when I buy something a little on the uneccessary side (chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream--but it was the generic brand!).

The important thing to remember is that this whole budget thing gets a lot easier. Once we live to learn more frugally and more conscientiously, it will become a habit.

My mother is the perfect example of budgeting her money. In fact, she always tells me that my grandfather used to tell her, "It's not how much money you have, it's how you manage it." She lives in a beautiful home with new floors and has the kind of style you'd see in House Beautiful Magazine--and she finds everything at resale or thrift stores. She's the queen of repurposing, bargain shopping, and stretching her dollar to the max.

I'm going to brink you links soon, I promise.

Until then, here's to beginning the morning with a good stretch and turning budgeting into a you'd-miss-it-if-it-wasn't-there routine!

-Budget Girl

Where does this go?

Well, my friends, I apologize for missing yesterday.

Blame it on what you will, but I think it was a combination of writer's block and a busy day. Won't happen again. :)

I'm going to veer from the topic of food for a bit to talk about how organizing your home can make life simpler--something I've learned from my boyfriend. Or, in this case, the Team Leader/Delegator.

Two weekends ago, we buckled down. We emptied out the second closet, which housed all of my crafting niceties, our "Sunday" clothes, old bills, our portfolios, pillows, a vacuum cleaner, a Hawaiian shirt, an ab roller...the list could go on and on. The closet is only about 4 feet deep and five feet wide. To get the vacuum out, I had to pick the heavy thing up over mounds of pillows and avoid ramming it into the guitars. Not an optimal situation. In fact, the entire office had become a kind of catchall room, and our trendy IKEA furniture--a minimalist desk and some industrial shelves--was not at home in this clutter of a world.

So, we took about 8 hours one Saturday and gutted it. And here's what I've learned.

1. Organizing things makes a HUGE mess.
2. Cleaning up that mess is very hard work.
3. The result is totally worth the hard work.

For the last few weeks, we have lived in a better apartment. Here are some things we did to organize. We ended up spending a little money to better our systems, but since we use the things we bought, I'm ok with that.

-Organize your old bills. File, file, file. Buy a $12 paper SHREDDER and shred anything over 2 years old that you will not need.

-Then, GO PAPERLESS. I hate having paper bills. Now, almost every company has a paperless option. You can sign up to pay bills online. If you're online enough to be reading a blog, you're online enough to pay your bills. We've cut our mail in half, and have the convenience of clicking and paying--no more checks, no more stamps, no more envelopes laying around the apartment. [Word of caution: Keep a hard copy of all your usernames and passwords. I write mine in "code" and keep it at my desk. Make sure all of your bill sites are one there, so when you have to pay last-minute, you're not stuck spending 3 days resetting your password.]

-Here's a good one for crafting supplies: pack them in PLASTIC DRAWERS that easily come out of their holders. When you need that craft, simply bring out the entire drawer as you work on it. I have paper in one small drawer, exactos and stickies and eyelets in another, and wire and beads in another. When I work on handmade cards, I can bring out only the drawers I need. This eliminates the mess after I'm done with crafting.

-Store photos and keepsakes that don't have frames in inexpensive photo BOXES (I found canvas-covered ones at Target for about $2.50, but Hobby Lobby often has them on sale for even less than that). These are functional and fashionable; you can leave them out on bookshelves and they look like they belong. They aren't as protective as albums, but they take up more efficient space.

-Think about EFFICIENCY with everything. Use decorative boxes wisely; pack them with similar objects. We have a large box that is a perfect footrest under the desk, and it's chock-full of computer cords and printer addendums. Every cord is labeled with a small masking tape tag, so they will never be confused. A small basket on the shelf is home to art supplies: some paint, brushes, sponges, pastels. Grouping things in sensible ways will help you find things, and also gives everything a happy little home.

-Create a BILLS/MEMOS station. And keep it minimal. We cleaned everything off our fridge (I was a fan of a ton of photos, but now that they're in my photo box, I'm ok with that) and purchased a Real Simple magnetic organizer. It's got plenty of pockets and a memo pad. We place important mail ONLY in there (after shredding and recycling the junk mail), and write the to-do's on the memo. Since it's on the fridge, we see it every day, provided we want to eat. The rule is that mail can only be in the organizer; none on the desk, none on the entry table, etc. So far, so good.

-Organize WITH your roommate. It can be a bonding experience, and then you will both know why you're putting what where. But, be prepared to compromise!

-Keep it clean as you go. Just like all our moms taught us, put things away once you're done using them. Don't be lazy, either--I have the tendency to stop just feet shy of where something belongs and think, "I'll put it away later." The best practice is to go all the way. Clean the kitchen as you cook, and never leave dirty dishes out overnight. Put away your crafting stuff once you're finished with the craft for the day. (Our only exception to that rule is that we're allowed to leave an unfinished canvas on the easel, provided one of us actually starts one...) Apply it to every room, too. Put your clean and dirty clothes away (guilty: I leave my clean clothes, folded, on the dryer and use it as my closet for a few days!), and have your bathroom just as organized.

The best part about having an organized apartment is that it makes it so much easier to have friends over in a whim. Last night, a friend and her dog came over for a dinner playdate with me and my dog. Though I got home only a few minutes before they arrived, I didn't have much to pick up! What a treat. Made for an even better playtime for the dogs--since everything was off the floor, I just moved one table and they had a big play space. (Did I mention this was the friend who gave me my new pen name? Thanks girl. I know you're reading.)

Alrighty, tomorrow I'll talk about to-do lists and how they can help you accomplish your goals. Maybe even bring you some links. And I'll work in more budget-friendly stuff. Sorry I missed yesterday--like I said, I hope to get up early every day and bring you fresh ideas that will hopefully enhance your life, too!

Happy organizing.
-Budget Girl

Party in the Refrigerator

I came clean with some girlfriends last night and confessed that there would be no ice cream for me—it wasn’t in the budget. So as one of them ordered, she looked back and said, “Are you sure you don’t want anything, Budget Girl?”

I’d like to go by that from now on. Perhaps even wear a cape.

And that conversation quickly snowballed into a sort of Sex in the City Without Money. Buying a closetful of shoes on $100 or less. Why does it cost $8.93 for a 1/2 sandwhich, fruit, drink, and cookie at the lunchtime eatery? What to do after the parents have stopped footing some of the bills.

And, finally, to the grocery store debate.

It’s hard to cook every night; not to give in to the temptation of warm tortillas and queso from the Tex-Mex joint up the street, or call up the pizza delivery gal from across the way.

But put it into perspective: if you eat out, for dinner, twice a week at a chain-like eatery, you are probably spending close to $11 or $12 for a meal, drink, and tip. That’s over $1100 a year just on eating out for dinner. (Add another $6 or $7 for every time you grab lunch across the street instead of brown-bagging it.)

I’m a big supporter of cooking at home and taking leftovers for lunch. Sometimes, believe me, this means I take a hot dog and my own "mustard packet" to work and feel kinda lame. But try some of these on for size.

TACOS
There are so many variations that it's hard to get bored with this easy concoction. Plus, it can be healthy.
Try:
Lean beef or ground turkey tacos on crispy shells or chips with homemade salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Grilled chicken in flour tortillas with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado (if it's in season).
Grilled or broiled shrimp on corn tortillas with homemade avocado-tomatillo salsa (blend 1 avocado, 2 tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and some sour cream and voila!), shredded cabbage, and tomatoes.
You can use leftovers to make taco salad, quesadillas, or even more tacos; toss in a can of black beans and you can have variations on the theme for days.

CHICKEN POT PIE
Grill about 3/4 lb of chicken; add a bag of frozen veggies to the pan to cook (I like carrots, potatoes, corn, and peas). Pour the mixture into a pie dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour a can of Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom on top, and top off with a failsafe homemade pie crust (recipe below). Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. This is even better reheated, because it gives the veggies a chance to mingle overnight and the flavor really pops out.

SPAGHETTI
I like mine sans meat, and with lots of hearty veggies. You can buy super-healthy pasta now, that's not too expensive when you think about how many servings you'll get out of one package. Season (well) and brown a pound of ground turkey, and then add to the dish your favorite pasta sauce. If you want to add veggies (think zucchini, carrots, peppers, onion, and squash), be sure to saute them in the pan before adding the sauce. Cook the pasta, and mix it all together. Save serving-sized portions in plastic containers for lunch all week!

PASTA SALAD
This is great because it tastes better after a day or two in the fridge, and if you toss in a couple of pieces of grilled chicken, it can be an entire meal. It is also served cold, which is great for the days when you want to avoid the line at the office microwave.
Make about 1 pound of multicolor fettucine or bowtie pasta (or whatever suits your fancy). Finely chop and combine in a bowl: red or green bell pepper, tomato, jalepeno, cilantro, red onion, and garlic. If avocados are in season, add those! Squeeze the juice of 2 limes and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with the pasta and refrigerate.

FAILSAFE PIE CRUST: can be used for sweet or savory pies, and you can always have this stuff on hand.
Makes 2 crusts (top and bottom)
Approx. 1 3/4 C Flour
1 C shortening (I buy Crisco in sticks and use one stick, but you can also buy the tub)
Pinch of salt
1/3 C milk
1 tbls apple cider vinegar (in a pinch, white vinegar works too)

Cut together flour and shortening with two knives or a potato masher. You want the shortening to be in pea-sized bits, and for it to have a soft, fluffy consistency. This will keep your crust flaky.

Mix milk and vinegar, and pour into flour mixture. Gently fold in with a fork. Add more milk as needed to wet all the dough. Roll out to about 1/8", using plenty of flour to keep it from sticking. To transfer the crust to your pie dish, place the rolling pin at one end, and gently roll the crust over the pin. Move it over the dish, and unroll.

For a glazed top, baste with one egg. If you don't have a basting brush, fold a paper towel like a fan and use one end to dip in the egg and paint it on. Cut slits in the top. You can use the extra dough to make designs on the top.


Ok, there's your novel for the day. I've vowed to get up at 5:30 a.m. to write every day (no, I didn't make it today; it was more like 6), so thanks for tuning in!

Budget Girl, signing off.

Facing the "Latte a Day" Problem

The first way we’re going to tackle this budget problem is to take a look at our eating habits.

How often do you eat out? Do you pay every time, or do you have a roommate, parent, or significant other who picks up the tab once in a while? When you eat out, how much do you spend on a plate? Do you eat it all in one sitting, or do you buy enough to have leftovers the next day?

First things first.
If you eat out (including fast food!) 15 times a week, you’ll have more cutting back to do than someone who takes it outside of the dining room, say, three times a week. I’m including anything that costs over $3 in this scenario. Yes, the double tall nonfat latte counts as ‘eating out’ for breakfast.

Hypothetical. Say you purchase one latte a day during the work week. Five lattes over one week. You’re a Starbucks patron, and fork over $3.63ish for a grande vanilla nonfat latte. You’ve spent $943.80 over the course of a year—that’s IF you don’t cave and add on a cinnamon roll or bagel or an extra shot.

One way I've been able to combat my own coffee spending habits, stay caffeinated, and continue supporting the coffee empire, is to brew my own joe at home. I have a French press, a $2 milk frother from IKEA, and always fresh milk and sugar. I'm able to make exactly the type of coffee I want--an au lait, with frothy milk--for a fraction of the cost. Plus, I get to skip the trip.

Having worked at a couple of coffeeshops, I know that baristas rely on in-store sales. If you want to continue supporting your local barista, be sure to purchase the pound of coffee in your favorite shop, and maybe splurge for the latte while you're there.

Tomorrow I'll bring you some of my favorite cost-effective recipes (and gourmet, too), and over the course of the week we will tackle leftovers and avoiding the last-minute invitation to lunch with coworkers.

In weeks to come, we'll branch out into cost-effective ways to do crafts: magnets, jewelry, paintings, and more. Stay tuned! No need to quit being creative just because your budget is in your way.

Happy saving!

Starting Fresh: Necessary Evils and Luxury Goods

Welcome to the Simply Creative blog. Here, you'll find tips on simple things to make your life easier, more productive, more creative, and occasionally even more environmentally friendly. As I'm embarking on this journey myself, you'll learn with me and we can trek through this world together!

My first item of business is to cut down on spending. I, a not-so-recent college grad, have a low-on-the-totem-pole job and have been living from paycheck to paycheck in such a way that I actually cringe as my online bank account information comes up on the screen. It is no way to live, that's for sure. I tend to buy something I want when I want it; yesterday I spent $45 on a haircut (but it looks and feels SO good!) and dropped another $9 on a candle and a red stoneware pie dish (which I have already used).

My problem is not the purchasing of items; I am, in fact, a frugal shopper and proud of my bargain-hunting capabilities (which I inherited most definitely from my mother, the Queen of All Things Bargain--"Look, I found this brand-new espresso machine at the salvage store for $14.99!"). But, I buy when I don't need to buy. I lump things--red stoneware, for instance--into the necessity category that should not ever fall in the necessity category.

So, here's some advice from one struggling young debtor to another.

1. Write down all your "necessary evils." Rent, car payment, tuition payment, cell phone, car insurance, food, and perhaps cable internet. (How else would I make this blog happen?)
2. If there is anything you can do to cut those costs, do it. If it means you bump your cell phone down one plan, or combine with your roommate for a family talk plan, make it happen. I, for instance, am thinking of talking my boyfriend into dial up internet connections. hah.
3. Take note of your "luxury goods." If your online bank statement allows you to look at a spending report, take a long hard look. How much did you spend in restaurants? Write it down and try not to get depressed. How often did you purchase a beverage that cost more than your meal? Write it down. Did you use more gas than normal to fuel that guzzling car? Yep. Take note, my friends. What does it say under "retail spending?" Did you have to buy those sunglasses and that red stoneware pie dish? If not, write it down.

Begin there. Tomorrow we will sort through the needs and the wants, and decide where to cut costs together. Ideally, you'll have wiggle room in your budget to splurge on a $5 bottle of wine or save up for that crafty project you've been thinking about. Me, I'm saving for ultra-strong magnets and silicon glue. More on that some other time.

Here's to us, starting our budgets out fresh!