Can You Save $1000 In 30 Days?

That's the challenge going on from I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Each day in November will have another tip to save money by cutting back on consumption. Even if you can't save $1000, it can't hurt to check it out and see how much you can save.

Recipe: Bread Pudding

Haven't tried making anything like this before, but I had milk and eggs that would otherwise go bad if I left them in the fridge while I'm on vacation. It's worth a try, since I've also got some stale bread around.



Bread Pudding
2 cups milk*
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar*
3 eggs*
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- skipped because I didn't have any
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (French bread is recommended, but anything will do)
1/2 cup raisins or berries

*If you're trying to be healthy, I substituted soy milk, Splenda and Egg Beaters without a problem.

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture. Note: I don't seem to have an electric mixer, so I'm beating this by hand with a wire whisk. It came out just fine.

Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Sprinkle with raisins or berries if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

Verdict: It came out really nicely. It was actually pretty well done at 40 minutes and was a bit overdone in a few more minutes, so just watch it once it's in the oven.

[Recipe adapted from MomsWhoThink.com]

Recipe Round-Up

Things have been a little hectic here the last few days, so I haven't been cooking as much. But here's a sampling of some of the recipes that got my attention.

From A Year of CrockPotting:
Pecan-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet And Sour Chicken with Mango Lettuce Wraps

Stephanie the CrockPot Lady also has a list of ways to save money using your crockpot.

From other places:
Maple Scallop Salad
Baked Potato Chowder
Summer Clam Pot
Shrimp and Cucumber Stuffed Avocados
Ten Minute Couscous Soup
Aparagus and White Bean Pesto Tart <--- I so wanted to make these!

And something completely random:
Make your own soap from bacon grease

I'm not sure how much actual cooking I'll be getting done for a while. I'm heading out of town next week and pretty much stocked up on things that won't go back in my pantry, like rice, beans, and ramen. Either way, I'll be getting right back to cooking when I get home, and in the meantime, I'll be scoping out new recipes.

Recipe: Cyclops Eyeballs

Here's a twist on biscuits and eggs from BoxTops4Education.com. Frankly, I think it's cute, though I'm sure some might disagree.

Cyclops Eyeballs using Pillsbury refrigerated biscuit dough.

Don't forget to check out past recipes using refrigerated dough! It's something that you can easily find coupons for (check the coupons.com widget from the sidebar) and stock up when it's on sale.

Egg and Cheese Stuffed Croissants
Easy Mini Pizzas

Frugal Weekend Projects

Set up Google Calendar for yourself and add in the dates that your bills are due along with reminders. It'll make it so much easier to stay on top of things.

Gather up all that loose change you have accumulating in those cubby holes all over the house and find a place that does free coin counting. I went through a box of coins that hadn't been emptied since my college days and came up with $100 in just quarters and dimes alone!

Think ahead for frugal gift-giving ideas. I picked up knitting from knittinghelp.com in my spare time, and now I have a couple of simple scarves for Christmas presents.

Pick a Frugal Home Winterization project to do.

Enjoy the weekend!

Tip: Homemade yogurt with a Crock Pot!

A Year Of CrockPotting has a fabulous idea: why not make your own yogurt? All it takes is milk, fruit for flavoring, a little bit of plain yogurt as a starter, and a crock pot. Check out how Stephanie made her own yogurt at home.

Coupons: $5 off any $20 purchase at Walgreens this weekend

Sometimes timing is everything.

Today when I was checking my feeds with Google Reader, it recommended that I add BeCentsAble. Good thing, because otherwise I would have missed this tip about the Walgreens coupon for this weekend.

Take a look at the coupons.com widget in my sidebar. Scroll through the coupons and you'll find the Walgreens one.

Remember, timing is everything. You only have two days to use that coupon. Last time, I was able to get a real sweet deal.

Free Taco From Taco Bell

There were two bases stolen last night in Game 1 of the World Series, so Taco Bell is making good on their offer to give out free tacos.

Just keep in mind that there are some specifics in getting your free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. You can only get it between 2-6 PM on Tuesday, October 28 at any participating Taco Bell in the U.S. Their press release has all the details.

Recipe: Egg And Cheese Stuffed Croissants

I love those filled croissants that you get at the bakery or coffee shops, but they tend to be pretty pricey. Today, I got a little bored with my lunch options and decided to whip up something similar with ingredients I had on hand.

Egg and Cheese Stuffed Croissants
1 package Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
2 eggs
1 slice Muenster cheese, or any shredded cheese that melts easily

Preheat oven according to package directions (usually 375° F). Open package and separate the crescent roll dough. You should get 8 triangle-shaped pieces. In a bowl, beat two eggs and about a tablespoon of water. Add egg mixture to a heated pan and scramble eggs until they are just barely cooked (remember, they will be going in the oven). Divide up the scrambled eggs and spoon onto the fullest part of each dough triangle. Tear cheese slice into small pieces and place on top of scrambled eggs. Shredded cheese is also an option here, though I didn't have any on hand.

Carefully roll up dough around egg and cheese mixture, pinching dough together at ends to keep contents inside. Bake at 375° F for 11-13 minutes or follow package directions. Remove when done and serve while still warm.

The results? 8 flaky buttery croissants-like rolls filled with scrambled eggs and cheese.

Saving energy... by skipping the clothes dryer?

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of green sites advising people to line-dry clothes to save on energy because your average clothes dryer is a major energy waster.

From Tip The Planet:

Air drying your washing instead of putting it in the dryer is a great way to save energy. It uses no electricity or fuel, and requires little if any equipment.

But is this really feasible in the average household? I live outside of Chicago, where today's high temperature was only 54° F. I can't imagine myself hanging clothing outside to dry in winter.

Turns out that I don't need to go to those extremes just yet. Like with any lifestyle change, it's best to start out with baby steps. For me, the first step was to start line-drying cleaning rags instead of tossing them in the dryer. It was easier than I thought. I just folded them in half and hung them up on a towel bar, with one or two extras folded neatly on top of washer because I ran out of room. Even on a cold day without heat, they dried overnight.

I still can't imagine line-drying all my clothes, but I also don't see the point on wasting electricity to dry rags. The next step is seeing if I can rig a clothesline in my bathroom, because I don't see the point of throwing socks and undies in the dryer either.

Just a head's up...

Just as a head's up that Heather from Freebies 4 Mom has an interview on Inside Edition that is going to air tomorrow. Freebies 4 Mom is a good site to follow for leads on freebies and great coupons.

Recipe: Pizza Quesadillas

I love this recipe because it's a way to use up leftovers, like extra tortillas, but with a little bit of a twist.

Pizza Quesadillas
4 tortillas
1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pasta or pizza sauce
6 slices vegetarian pepperoni, cut into thin strips (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place tortillas on a flat surface. Divide 3/4 cup of the cheese between the tortillas, sprinkling it on one half of each. Top cheese with pasta sauce and pepperoni, then divide remaining 1/2 cup cheese between tortillas, sprinkling it on top of the pepperoni. Fold tortillas over, pressing down lightly. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Arrange 2 tortillas in skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Allow quesadillas to cool slightly, then cut each into triangles and serve.

I'm not a fan of pepperoni, so I'll substitute cooked chicken strips instead, or add whatever veggies I have on hand. I like using things like broccoli florets or slices of tomato.

[Adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com]

Start The Week Off Right

With the start of a new week, here's what I'm doing to keep on track:

Make a big pot of soup for dinner on Monday night. It should last me a few days.

Take inventory of my kitchen appliances. I pretty much inherited the kitchen and appliances from my parents, and I really don't know what I have on hand. A few of the recipes I'm looking at call for a blender, food processor, and crock pot.

Pick up a new, silicone pancake/omelet turner. I found a really nice one at Amazon.com, but first I want to check out if Bed, Bath & Beyond has it because I have a coupon.

Try out my sister's portobello mushroom casserole recipe, if I can get her to write it down.

The nice thing is that I took a quick look at my checkbook over the weekend and noticed that since I started cooking more often, I'm spending less on food. The trick is that before I would buy groceries, then go out to eat. Now I'm getting more use out of my grocery budget by planning ahead, and pocketing the extra money that I was dropping on take-out.

Don't forget that Whole Foods coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more is still good until Wednesday! Get a good look at your fridge and your pantry before then and see if you need anything before then.

What I'm Reading This Weekend

Kitchen Essentials, And Items You Can Pass On. Which reminds me, I accidentally melted a cheap plastic pancake turner last week.

Once-A-Month Shopping: Save More by Shopping Less. I'm not sure if I could go for a month without buying groceries, but I get the underlying concept that frequent trips leave you open to impulse buying.

How To Keep Fruits And Veggies Fresh. You don't want to waste your money by buying fresh food and not getting to use it before it goes bad.

Creamy Butternut Squash Casserole. I need to try making something with butternut squash. I'm seeing it everywhere all of a sudden.

Sticking To Your Food Budget

I've been a little short on new recipes this week, because all the ones I've been testing just don't seem to be ready for publication. My other goal was not to go running to the grocery store until I finish everything I bought in my last trip. After a few days of trying to perfect my breakfast burritos and quesadillas, I was getting bored with my meal options. And, oddly enough, I was craving the one thing I hadn't bought last week: fresh fruit.

So yesterday I made a quick trip to Whole Foods with my $5 off coupon and picked up fresh fruit and fresh veggies. It was a gloomy day, and I was drawn to the ones with bright colors, like strawberries, pomegranates, red and green peppers, and zucchini. In a way, it makes sense that I was craving those foods, since they do provide some of the vitamin and nutrients I may have been missing. Plus, after the coupon, I only spent about $24, so it didn't hurt my budget too much. I could have done worse, like ordering take-out when I had resolved not to.

Tip: Where You Can Cut Back To Save Money

Before trying to figure out how to save some extra money, I was stopping at McDonald's for breakfast every morning. Why? It started out when I started thinking of breakfast as a treat for getting out of the house on time. Over time, "rewarding" myself started to add up. $4.30 per day, estimating that I was going there at least 4 days a week, added up to an estimated $69 a month. It probably got worse when I started "rewarding" myself for not sleeping in on my days off.

I finally managed to break the habit by going out and buying a package of Egg Beaters and a pack of tortillas (both on sale) to make my own breakfast burritos. Now that extra money is staying in my bank account, where I can invest it towards something else.

Coupons: $5 off any $25 purchase at Whole Foods

Be sure you grab this printable coupon from Whole Foods. It runs from 10/15-10/22/08, and bring your recycled grocery bags to save an additional 10¢ per bag. You can also grab their "The Whole Deal" guide as you enter and use their coupons as well.

Building An Emergency Fund

When I got my first part-time job as a college student, my dad helped me open my first savings account and encouraged me to deposit my paychecks there instead of spending them. When the balance in that account got high enough, he had me transfer it to a money-market checking account that earned a higher rate of interest with no monthly fees as long as I maintained a minimum balance. He also told me to not use that account as my regular checking account to allow it to keep growing.

That emergency fund was my security blanket all through college. I knew that I had enough money to cover a semester's worth of expenses if anything happened. I've tried to maintain that habit of adding to the account on a regular basis. It's easy to forget sometimes, so I started setting a reminder twice a week with Google Calendar. Every other Monday, right after payday, I get a reminder to check my balance. At that point, I'll transfer money from my regular checking account to the emergency fund. Plus my emergency fund is earning interest in the meantime.

I admit that I wasn't always very good about saving money. At one point, I forgot to keep transfering money from my free checking account over to the one that was actually earning interest. I also work with a group of people who are always going out for lunch and getting coffee from Starbucks. I started treating myself to breakfast at a nice restaurance as a reward for getting out the door earlier in the morning.

By cutting back on my expenses and setting regular reminders, I've been able to save more of my actual paycheck to keep adding to the fund. As the economy stalls, I'm looking at several other options, such as creating a CD ladder, in which I invest in CDs that mature at different interval but earn a better interest rate than my money market account. I'm also thinking of switching my primary checking account to one that earns interest as well, now that I've found ones with no monthly fees with a minimum balance requirement that should not be a problem for me. Either way, having that financial security blanket helps me feel better about surviving the economic downturn. If there's one piece of advice I can give people, it's to cut back on expenses and start saving money.

Watch out for the coupon fairy!

Last night, I had been poking around a few frugality sides before bedtime and found this article from Freebies 4 Mom. I kind of chuckled at the idea of coupon fairies leaving behind coupons for other shoppers.

Well, I'm glad I kept my eyes open. I hadn't bought any soda this week and was just dying for a Diet Coke on my way to my weekend job. I ended up stopping at a Walgreens on my way to work, kicking myself for succumbing to my addiction enough to settle for a 20 oz. bottle that was convenient to take with me but probably cost the same as a 2-liter bottle. And I was especially unhappy to remember that the Costco two blocks away from work had vending machines selling 20 oz. bottles for 75¢, but they wouldn't be open in time for me to stop on the way to work.

Enter the Coupon Fairy. In the refrigerated beverage section were coupons for a free Hershey bar with the purchase of any 20 oz. Coca-Cola product. With the coupon for the free candy, my Diet Coke because a much better deal, and I was a lot happier.

Moral of the story? Keep your eyes peeled for coupons in unexpected places.

Bargains: Free Haircut from Herbal Essences

Do you use Herbal Essences? Check out their offer for a free haircut with the purchase of two Herbal Essences products. Only selected bottles with a green stick qualify, so check out the site so you know what you're getting. Once you have both bottles, visit their website and enter the UPC codes. It will give you a form to fill out and send in along with your receipt and UPC codes. They will send you a voucher and a list of places that will take the voucher.

It sounds like a lot of work, but free is free, and if you're already using their products, why not?

And thanks to Frugal, Freebies and Deals for the head's up!