Household Budgeting: When Budgeting is a Bore

Who can say that they enjoy budgeting? Me? Nope. I even hold a finance degree and have held several Accounting roles in the past. I did have my spreadsheets and I knew how much we were SUPPOSED to be spending. However, neither my husband or myself actually adhered to the guidelines that had been set.

The key to having any type of household budget is to pay yourself first. What does that mean? We set aside a predetermined amount to be transferred to savings via a payroll transfer. The remainder is used for household bills, mortgage payments, and household expenses. My husband and I keep separate accounts and each pay for bills separately but evenly. For example when my daughter was in daycare he paid the mortgage and insurance, I paid for daycare and utilities. My advice to all women is to have their own account. You never know when you will need to have your own money.

Using a spreadsheet from sites such as 10 Free Budgeting Spreadsheets  helped us determine what bills are revolving and what we really are paying for everything.  Browse what you think will work for you. Then, the kicker is for you to save ALL your receipts. At the end of the month separate the receipts by type and enter into the spreadsheet of your choice. That should help you determine where you need to adjust your discretionary spending.

For example after using the same method we determined that we could not afford pet insurance. Though we love our pets very much we just knew that we could not afford the $90 + per month payment and cut it out. We exercise our pugs and feed them well, so they have remained healthy. Their shots are taken care of at pet clinics that run on the weekend at the local pet store.

Frugal Strategies : How to Blanch and Shred Zucchini

I'm a girl who loves her sweets. So is my darling M. She really, really likes zucchini bread. I really, really love Zucchini Bread, the recipe I found here at http://www.allrecipes.com/, with 700+ reviews you really can't go wrong!

I also Blanche and shred my zucchini first. I feel that it increases the moisture content of the bread and it doesn't come out so tough and hard as my bread often did in the past.

I usually use the larger zucchini for this purpose since the yield is obviously greater with a bigger squash!

Preparation:

Wash, but do no not peel. Cut zucchini into 1”- 2" slices

Blanching :

Water-blanch for 3 - 8  minutes or steam-blanch for 1 to 5 minutes. It depends on the length and size of the zucchini that you are using. I usually blanch until the squash has just lost it's firmness.

Promptly cool in an ice bath and and drain.

Shredding:

Steam-blanch for 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Shred with a cheese grater or food processor. Cool while draining.



Pack measured amounts into freezer bags and seal leaving at least 1/2 " of space.

Label and freeze.

Preparing Frozen Vegetable Puree from Deceptively Delicious

Using the methods that Jessica Seinfeld outlines in her book Deceptively Delicious I prepared the following :

1.                    A total of 5 1/2 cup servings and 1 1/4 cup serving of zucchini
2.                    A total of 2 1/2 cup servings of spinach

3.                    A total of 2 1/2 cup servings and 1 1/4 serving of of yellow squash

It was definitely a long project and lucky for me M took a 3 hour nap. I also still have a sink full of dishes. I hate having pots that you have to wash by hand!

I also plan to purchase sweet potatoes and my Mom is bringing over beets from her garden. I plan to roast and bake all at the same time in the next couple of days. I bet my house will really smell like fall!

Here a few tips based on what I learned from the process. Small zucchini work much better for pureeing. Larger squash will have larger firmer seeds.

The slices are about 1" thick.

I measured the puree into a measuring cup and then poured in the freezer bag.

I stretched the freezer bag over a clean coffee cup to avoid spills.

You know how they shake the blenders around a bit at smoothie shops? I discovered that it really helps when you are pureeing too.

My most important tip for you is not to overcrowd the vegetables. Ensure that each piece has ample space to be steamed evenly.