If you are going to take control of your financial situation, the most basic thing you will need to master is the idea of a budget. Generally speaking, a budget refers to a list of all income you receive and all planned expenses for a specific period of time, usually a month, or even a year. Knowing where and how much you are spending is the first step in taking control of your money, knowing where you can cut back and planning for financial goals.

So, how do you get started? 

Well, first you will need to know how much actual income, from all sources you receive in a given month. Incoming income should not include one-time gifts of money or payments, as they are not a regular part of your income.  If you are self-employed or have an otherwise variable income, you may want to look at old tax returns and check out your total income for a whole year. Divide that income by 12 and you should have an idea of your monthly income. If you can do this for the last few years, you’ll have a fairly reliable figure of income to work with.

Next you need to know exactly how much you are spending and where you are spending it. It may be helpful to you write down every single purchase for a few weeks. Even a $.50 pack of gum would go on your list. Those little purchases can add up big time. So, if you buy it, write it down. If you used cash, check or debit card or credit card, you might want to keep track of that too, to make sure you are aware of how much you rely on each form of payment. Make sure to write down what it was and what store, or what payment or bill. If you put some in savings write that down too. In the end, you want to be able to account for every cent that came into your pocket for that month.

Now for the hard part. Dividing up your expenses into categories and deciding where each one goes. First, cover your basic needs. Those would be rent or mortgage payment, car payments, insurance premiums, electric, gas and phone bills. daycare costs, food, toiletries and clothing and don’t forget pet care costs for any furry household members. These are things you will pay for every month and cannot be skipped.

Next we will list all our ‘luxury’ expenses. Cable television, internet access, cell phones, entertainment, birthday and anniversary gifts. Even a simple car wash would fall somewhere in this category.  Under the broadest heading of ‘entertainment’ most of the luxury expenses would qualify. Books, cd’s, dvd’s, video games, movies, eating out and concerts. Also hobby supplies would fall under this too, yarn if you knit or crochet, paint if you are a painter, purchases for a collection you are working on. Unless you are making some form of income from your hobby activities, the expense of it falls under luxury.

Internet, cell phones and cable can be tricky. Obviously if you use the internet for you work (and more and more people do these days) it will fall under need, rather then luxury. On the other hand, it may only be an entertainment that you don’t even use that often. Where you put cable tv will be up to you. It will depend on how much you actually watch it and what kind of reception you get without it.  Despite the prevalence of cell phones, in most cases they are just a luxury and a nuisance at the same time. It may be convenient, but that doesn’t make it a necessity.

For myself, I use internet for many different purposes, including business. But also, for long distance I instant message with family and friends who live far away, so that cuts out the expense of long distance for me. I also read both local papers and a few magazines online, cutting out the cost of newspapers and magazines. I do however buy some magazines for collages, so I can cut them up. I do not have cable where I live now. I get fairly decent reception, though not perfect, and a fair number of channels, all four networks (I have move around the antenna to see different ones), three different PBS stations, two local channels that mostly show reruns and old movies and several religious stations. When I lived in Des Moines I did not have that kind of reception. I got only one station, and this was at the height of popularity for “Who wants to be a millionaire” on prime time. They played it for an hour at a time, three nights a week. I called the cable company after a month or so.

Ultimately, where you decide to categorize each expense will be personal to you. Just try to make an honest assessment of each item. Knowing where you won’t compromise is an import part of knowing your financial picture.

The last area is savings. Where this will go is again, up to you. Many experts strongly suggest it go under ‘basic needs’. Some even stress that this should your first payment (to yourself) every month, even before housing. Having some money in savings will ease the stress of emergency purchases and payments. This is also where you would save money towards some financial goal you might have, a vacation or new household appliance. If possible you might want to consider saving money in two different funds. One going towards a specific goal and the other an emergency fund.

Now that you know which way your money flows and what purchases are most important to you, you are ready to find ways you can cut back in many areas and plan for a richer tomorrow. Or at least a tomorrow with less financial stress. And isn’t less stress better?

It’s Sunday and I’m counting down the hours until I can pick up my check tomorrow and have money again. I planned poorly for paying my dental bill upfront and so this week has been much harder then it needed to be. I knew better too. Do you also sometimes have trouble covering bill, scrambling at the last minute to come up with the money? Living on oatmeal and Ramen Noodles for a week isn’t much fun. And yet we do this to ourselves over and over. 

At least we aren’t alone. It is estimated that 40% of the population lives paycheck to paycheckwith very little, if anything at all, leftover after covering basic expenses. With little in savings and credit cards an all too convenient temptation to cover the basics, getting ourselves in deeper debt it may be time to try and change our ways a little bit. There is hope. It’s something called ‘the envelope method’ and I have personal experience that it does work. When I use it that is. I don’t know where it originated, or who used it first, but it sure can make life easier to manage for those us who aren’t in the Forbes Four Hundred. Although this method may not work for some, it does seem to work for most people that stick to it.

Its basically a cash payment system an envelope is used as the payee. Several envelopes. One for each basic need and anything you might need to save money for that isn’t an ongoing expense, for instance buying a new appliance or saving up for a vacation.

This is how it works. Look at how much each of your bills is each month and then divide that by how many paychecks you get each month, obviously either two or four. One each envelope write the bill to be paid, how much total you need to pay it and how much you need to pay from each paycheck to total that amount. This will be easier to do with bills that are the same amount every month. With bills that are variable each month it might be a good idea to look back at the last six months or so of that bill and try and get an average. Using that average you might overpay one month and under pay the next but even out in the end. Or overestimate, using your highest bill and then you could have a little extra money for the next month. Better yet, at the end of the month, any excess money from bills you overestimated can go into an envelope for something you don’t buy all that often like clothes or Christmas or birthday presents. I recently saved up for my teeth. Knowing my target date on the due date of payment (time services are rendered) I was able to see how much I need to save each week in order to have it all without having to scramble at the last minute.

This is how a few example bills might look. If you know you pay $70 for your phone each month and that you are going to spend $200 on school clothes four months from now, then you would put $70 in an envelope marked phone bill every two weeks ($17.50 every week). Then you would pay the ‘school clothes’ envelope $25 every two weeks ($12.50 for weekly). At the end of the month, or beginning of the next you will already have the money for those bills ready to go. But don’t forget that while you don’t have to scramble for those bills, you do need to keep adding to the envelope for the next month. When it’s time to buy school clothes you wont have to take it out of your check and wonder where you will get the money to eat that week, its already saved up.

Sounds easy and stress free, right? Here’s the hard part, because there’s always a hard part, DON’T TOUCHE THE MONEY IN THE ENVELOPES ONCE ITS IN THERE. And be sure to put it in there before you spend a single penny of it. The only reason to take out of the envelopes is for paying the stated bill you’ve written on the outside of that envelope. Once you have paid your envelope for that paycheck period put it somewhere you wont see it everyday.

Now I know that this is what a bank is for. But for many people, even with a bank account, they seem to be scrambling to pay whole bills out of each paycheck. That is a very stressful way to live. And usually leaves you broke for at least a couple of days before the next paycheck. I wont promise you that with this method you wont also be broke for a few days but having the money saved for each bill already means you wont have so much to worry about and will have more leftover from each paycheck because you won’t be taking such big chunks out. it’s the same amount of money, yes, but rearranged in how its spent can feel like more and leave you less stressed and maybe even with the ability to save a little each month.

I personally find this method the most helpful for saving up for things I don’t buy or pay for often and cost more then I can afford to pay at one time, like my dental bill. Not touching the money once it’s in the envelope is really the key to this method working well for you. Its all too easy to tell yourself that you’ll just put in more the next week to cover what you took out this week. But something always makes it hard to put it back once its spent elsewhere. Sticking to paying the envelope every week or two is also very important. My mistake with my teeth was that I saved up half and paid the other half in one lump sum, believing I’d be okay because I had some extra money coming. Well that extra money didn’t come on time, and now I’m broke. I counted on something that wasn’t a sure thing, so now I’m broke and eating oatmeal and noodle until Monday comes. These things happen. Nothing is foolproof, and even knowing that we shouldn’t count on that extra bonus money to come through to pay for our basic needs like food or rent doesn’t always stop us. The good news is that if we stick to the method, get back on the horse, we can catch up fairly painlessly and hopefully quickly. I only miscalculated one check and am only down on food and toiletries, because I did have the money to pay all the other bills on time. And that’s really the important thing. So if you find yourself not only having to eat the same basic meals at the end of the month but also worried about pay the rent next week and keeping the electric on, you might give this a try. That first month will be tight, but the next should be less stressful. 

You can’t really put a price on peace of mind. And that is the secret of the envelopes.

Free budgeting software to help you out

I had to have a group photo taken today. I was not very happy about it. I declined the personal one. Its for a board that shows all the volunteers and other places they volunteer as well. So I went ahead and took the group shot even though I will never be able to look at it.

Among other things, I’m unhappy with my skin. 

And I didn’t have enough money to get a facial or even buy a product at the local drug store. While a product called “Yes to Carrots” looks interesting and is something I’d like to try, $14.99 is just too rich for my blood this week.  I’ve managed to be broke with a week to go before my next check, again. I have some emergency money. And I don’t “NEED” anything, including a facial. So being broke is not such a big deal. Until its time to take a picture. I’m also very unhappy with the fading of my hair color. But again, not much to be done. I can, however, get the individual photo taken later. Thank you, Curtis.

So what’s to do? Well, there are home facials, that you can make yourself with food stuffs. Too bad for me I didn’t think of that in time for the photos. So I’ve looked up online many recipes. I’ll compile them here. I’ll give as much credit as I can to where they came from, but I think most are just the same basic recipes that have been around for a long time. Maybe they have tweeked the proportions. They are all probably worth a try, you never know what will work for you.

For the face:

Honey:  Place a warm washrag on your face for ten minutes to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores. Use once a week.

Avocado:  Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck . Leave on for 20 minutes and gently rinse off.

Lemon Juice : I remember reading in a book, about seven years ago, that lemon juice was a good astringent and also a good bleaching agent for the skin. I was very interested because I hate my freckles. It also said the same about pineapple juice and if I’m remembering right, all citrus fruits were supposed to do the same. But I wont swear to that, just the lemon and pineapple juices I remember were listed for sure.  I never got around to trying it too much, life caught up and I just didn’t have the time or energy before I moved and forgot all about it. Until now. I think that recipe was lemon juice and yogurt. But I googled and found this : “ Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse.” from healthrecipes.com

Also from healthrecipes.com:  Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Mud dries excess sebum while the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel tones.

Oatmeal is a good exfoliation agent. Just be sure to grind it up to fine flour consistency. Usually I’ve seen it mixed with olive oil or yogurt or honey even. You could pick the one you like best and go for it.

Raw potato for the under eye circles is something I’ve seen listed a few times. And of course the cold tea bags. Those have never really worked for me. Might be time to try the good old potato.

Still at the healthrecipes.com site I found this oily skin mask recipe, and it sounded interesting :  Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough natural yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 - 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water, then cool water and blot dry.  I’ve never seen yeast listed in a facial recipe before.

For Hair :

The ones I can name off the top of my head ( :D ):

Olive oil for conditioning, and also mayo.
Vinegar for shine and build up.
Egg for washing and conditioning.
Baking soda for washing.

I really like the healthrecipes.com and this is one I hadn’t seen before that I plan on trying:

Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out.  I like avocado but usually cant use it all up before it goes bad. I figure between the hair and face recipes ill have enough left to make a mashed avo sandwich as well. Or so I hope.  Not bad for the $2 it costs for an avocado these days.

My favorite body scrub that I haven’t done in many years was/is sugar mixed with oil, olive if you are feeling rich (most of us are NOT ) or mineral if you aren’t (this would be our category). I used baby oil. Something thicker would be nice, but I cant afford much more. That made a very nice scrub though. Most recipes say salt. I haven’t tried salt. I also haven’t tried it mixed in with body wash instead of oil, that was just suggested to me by Arin, of Free Credit Fixes. That probably smells really really good. So thats what I’ll be trying next.  I’m assuming it will also work for dry skin on the feet as well, making for a very nice home pedicure. 

I don’t think we should all run out and buy some exotic ingredients we don’t normally buy, but with so many things to choose from, I’m sure we can all find at least one combo that will work for us, that we have on hand and is cheap and that will make us and our skin feel pampered. A lit scented candle, a bubble bath, some soft music and a facial is maybe just the thing when you have to have a group photo taken and you at least want to feel your best, if not look it.

There’s snow on the mountain tops where I live already. Its getting too cold to wear sandals and I need a sweater. The dark will soon do me in. Its winter and these are all normal things, and for me and many people like me, so is the depression that will set in soon. The winter blues. 

Everyone gets down sometimes. And these tips can be useful to everyone. Whether they are just down or flat out depressed. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder; the winter blues) is characterized by excessive sleeping or eating with weight gain for the last two seasons. It effects up to 5% of the population. Somewhere between 60% and 90% of those with SAD are women. The cause of SAD is still unknown, but seems to be the lack of light. In many northern countries where they do not get sunlight for months on end the suicide rate is the highest in the world. While winter depression is the most common form of SAD there seems to be a summer depression as well, occurring during the summer months and trigger by the intense light and/or heat.  We’ll get to summer SAD next may. ****If your symptoms are excessive or severe please see a doctor right away. These are just suggestions and tips but DO NOT replace good medical care and treatment by a professional.****

So what can we do about this? Depending on the severity of your depression there are many things that can be done, and most at low or no cost.

The first is getting more light. Get as much natural light as you can during the day, every day. Take every opportunity that comes your way to be in the daylight. Have your eyes open and face the light, even through a window. Don’t stare at the sun, that’s not helpful. But do face the light as often as you can. I cannot stress that enough. If its possible go out into the sunlight, get some fresh air and go for a walk. But at least get some sunlight, even from inside, every single day.
Some people still do not get enough and require light therapy. If extra sunlight is not enough for you DONOT hesitate to see a doctor about light therapy or even medication. Winter depression can be very mild or very, very severe. It should always be taken seriously.

Next is sleep. Its very important to keep to a good sleep pattern for so many reasons, but if you are suffering any kind of depression this becomes even more important. For myself it may well be a matter of life and death, I am so sensitive to both daylight and sleep. I have to regulate my exposure to both. Both too little and too much are bad for me. This may also be the case for you.

Vitamin D. Strong sunlight on your skin triggers the production of vitamin D. Depending on where you live, you aren’t going to get enough, even if you do spend enough time in the sun. The rays are just not strong enough at this time of year to trigger your body to produce it. Getting extra D isn’t such a bad idea. An extra glass of milk or two probably won’t hurt. Alternative milks are also fortified with D, not just cows milk. I like almond milk myself. I don’t know how much extra would be optimal for you. That’s something for you to discuss with your doctor. From WebMD:

Vitamin D supplementation, shown in recent studies to help lower risk of certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and other conditions, may also relieve depression, according to new research.

Canadian researchers say the benefit of supplementation may come in creating stores of this vital vitamin in the bloodstream to carry people through the dreary months of winter, when a lack of sunlight may lead to or worsen mood disorders—most notably seasonal affective disorder, the aptly acronymed SAD that affects some 11 million Americans.

Exercise is always mentioned in relation to helping treat just about everything. And depression is no different. Exercise outside in the sunlight if at all possible, and if not, then do so in front of a window. Face the light if you can. I realize that some people are too shy to exercise in front of an open window. I am one of them. I’m trying to get over that. But for me, this is just not realistic at the moment. If its not for you, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just accept that this is where you are right now, the exercise is still good and worth it, and try to get your extra sunlight at other times. Walking is an excellent form of exercise and is easy enough for almost everyone. Even if you just go out to the side walk, turn left (or right) and walk five minutes, then turn around and walk five minutes back. That’s a start. And its something you can do today. 

Fresh air. My apartments always get so stuffy and stale smelling. Not so bad since I quit smoking, but still stale. Some fresh air is always nice. When its too cold to open a window a short walk outside will sometimes do me. And of course I live across from two bakeries and a bagel shop. Not so helpful, those. But the fresh air is always nice.

For me, music is a great stimulant. Its third on my list of things I need to be healthy everyday. Sleep, light, and sound. I don’t like the tv, so music feels that stimulation gap nicely for me. I don’t know that this will work for you. For you the tv may be what you need to help you out. However, I find that external stimulation is a big thing for me. Light and sound.

I read a tip somewhere in the depression articles that it may be helpful to put your bedroom lights, if you can, on a timer set to go on half an hour before the alarm in order to help stimulate your body to wake up. I’m seriously considering trying this. And also, switching to the brighter “full spectrum” bulbs. I have some of those. I don’t know if they help or not, but the light is different and a bit better than regular bulbs. Its worth a try, and they aren’t too much more than the regular bulbs.

Proper nutrition is also a must-have for everyone. But when you are sick, its even more important. And one of the most important things you can do to prevent other illnesses. If cooking isn’t your thing, try a crock pot. They are pretty much a dump-cook-eat process. If its time, try cooking ahead when you have the time and freezing for when you don’t have the time. You might even want to trade with a single friend, or couple even, so you aren’t eating the same things so often. Cooking in bulk, like buying in bulk, is more effective. But who wants to eat chili for dinner four days a week for three weeks? Trade off with friends. You cook a big batch of something and they do too, then share it out.

How do you know if any of these things help? Try keeping a feelings diary. Each day record what you did, how long you did it, and how you felt before during and after. After a few weeks you should have an idea what works for you. And what doesn’t as well.

Remember, every little bit you can do helps you. Do what you can, and don’t beat yourself up for what you can’t do right now. You’ll get there. Life is not an all or nothing, win or lose game. Don’t try and play it like it is. Hopefully at least one of these will be helpful to you. And if it turns out none are, well, knowing that is also helpful. You can never have too much information about yourself.

Some useful links:

What is light therapy?

Vitamin D benifits

More on depression

Saving money as a single can be difficult. You’d think it wouldn’t be, since there is only one of you, but cooking for one can be more expensive and time intensive. And when you’re busy and tired you don’t want to spare that extra time. You end up living on prepared foods and take out. After all, who wants to cook for one? So how to save money in the biggest money waster: food?

First you have to be willing to invest some time. How much will be up to you. One of the big money wasters is going to be lunch. Do you buy lunch at work every day? Or even once a week? It all adds up. Its much cheaper to bring your lunch, but that takes a little planning and possibly the investment of an insulated bag, thermos, reusable microwavable contains and everyday preparation of the food.

Some simple lunch ideas:

Peanut butter and jam sandwich (you’re never too old)

Chili in the thermos and corn chips or small containers of cheese, sour cream or whatever topping you like.

Packets of instant oatmeal, a small container of nuts and some fruit.  *you CAN make your own instant oatmeal. But the
savings over a bought lunch would more than justify the cost of buying a convenience product)*

A leftover baked potato and whatever toppings you like

Don’t forget to add some fruit to your meals, apples, pears and bananas are all easy to carry and store.

A can of soup, a microwave container and a can opener.  Probably the most simple.

Cheese and crackers and fruit.

Frozen burrito *you can make these ahead and freeze them yourself. They aren’t as pretty but can be even tastier than store bought with everything you like in them.

Last night’s leftovers.

Any hot soups in a thermos. Fill the thermos with boiling water to heat it up first, then dump that out and add your hot foods. You could even put pasta with sauce in there if you don’t have a microwave at work.

Don’t forget to bring a drink If you have access to a refrigerator that’s great, if not make use of a thermos and/or insulated lunch sacks.  There are packages of ‘shelf stable’ milk boxes, soy milk boxes and my favorite, almond milk boxes that you can take along and need no refrigeration. I cant drink them warm however, so I’d either need chocolate *and heat it up* or to chill them before hand. With things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and baked goods you can freeze them and by lunch time they should be thawed but still chilled. The same will work for water or tea in a reusable bottle. Just don’t fill them to the top, they need room to expand.

Be sure to add some sweets, maybe even extra so you don’t need to use a vending machine later. Bakes some brownies and as soon as they cool cut them up and wrap them and store them to take with you. *I say as soon as they are done because otherwise, if they are just sitting out I will eat them rather than save them, and I suspect I am not alone in this.* Do the same with cookies, though they don‘t need to be frozen. Freezing just helps me keep from eating them too quick and keep them from drying out too quickly.  Frozen fudge is nice, and will melt in your mouth, but will thaw as well. I don’t know how this works for pie. Even bags of animal crackers can be a nice healthier alternative for snacking at work.

This is only a small list of possibilities. What you can take for lunch and snacking at work is only limited by your tastes and imagination. Try new tastes, new dishes, new combos in old favorites. Don’t be afraid to freeze and microwave.

As for dealing with the after word too-tired-to-cook, try to cook ahead. Or have precook ingredients on hand that you can just heat up into a fresh meal. For instance, some precooked rice and veggies reheat easily for a stir-fry. You’d probably add meat to that, but that too can be precooked and in the fridge ready to go. Just enough for one ‘fresh cooked’ meal at a time. Left over cooked rice can also very easily make rice pudding. I like hot brown rice for breakfast, with some sweetener and milk. Like oatmeal but chewier. it’s a nice change from the usual. I don’t particularly like precooked pasta, but its so quick that it doesn’t take more then ten minutes (depending on the type) to cook, and in that time you can heat the sauce, a frozen veggie or two and even some garlic bread. 

Equipment can save you time as well. Crock pots are great for having dinner ready when you get home. Don’t feel the need to limit yourself to just soup. They can cook potatoes, as well, while you are at work, for hot fresh baked potato for dinner. I do not have a pressure cooker, but I hear they are also wonderful for quickly cooking long cooking items like beans.  If you eat a lot of beans and like to make them from dry this might be an investment you’d be interested in.

Remember, diet is tied to health and the healthier you can keep yourself with your own efforts the less health care you have to pay for later. With that in mind, there are many cheap alternatives and a few that are more expensive but are wroth it in the long run. Whole grain pasta, rather than white, is one of the more expensive, but worthy purchases. Make sure a box or two is in your cart. Home made sauce is a bit more time intensive but leaves out the excess oil and sugar of the store bought. Though the store bought jarred sauces can be healthy. Just read the labels. Brown rice over white rice is by far healthier. Both come in instant, though dry is probably healthier. Either dry or instant, brown rice is the superior choice. Dried or canned beans are also still a cheap healthy option.  And there is no need to worry about ‘protein combining’ that’s no longer considered necessary. So go for the rice and beans. Make extra, I’ve found that it freezes well and reheats nicely. Add peas to pasta and sauce for an extra kick of protein and an extra veggie.  Peas are cheaper than meat, so this might be a good option when you are especially strapped. And a healthier alternative to mac’n’cheese, even with peas and tuna.  Unless you were making that from scratch with real cheese and whole grain pasta. It does cost a little more than mac’n’cheese or ramen noodles or a can of speghettiO’s. In the long run it is worth it.

Remember, store bought is cheaper than takeout, and homemade is cheaper than store bought. But as cost goes down, time needed goes up. Its up to you to find a good balance.  You don’t have to change all at once, give up all your outings to the local Chinese take-out in one go. Taper off slowly. Start slowly. Make a batch of brownies (remember the freezing individually trick to keep some for the next few days) for the week, and take one to work everyday.  Make a crock pot soup (the simplest to make) one day the next week to have a healthy dinner to come home to. Freeze leftover that you wont eat in the next few days for a few weeks later.  Take a sandwich to work for lunch a few times a week. The little things will start to add up and become habits.

If time is the issue, or you just hate to cook, go for the store bought convenience foods over eating out. Make health a bigger priority than eating cheap and go ahead and buy those pre-chopped veggies, or prepared sauces. Instant oatmeal and even dry cereal are still healthier cheaper alternatives than a donut or Danish from 7-11. Cereals like Chex can even be eaten on the run without milk, as finger food. Most could be, but the smaller ones might be messier when going over a pot hole in the car.

If nothing else, remember, your biggest food money waster is going to be eating out, usually at work. If you can cut that, even a little, you’re likely to see big savings at the end of the month.

Cheap Chili:
Heat together one can of chopped tomatoes and one can of chili beans in sauce. Add one can of corn if you like. Spice with chili power or hot sauce, anything you have on hand. Eat.  *feel free to add all the extras you want, this is more of a base recipe, but is good as is. Cheap and easy too.

Three ingredient peanut butter cookies:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg

Mix ingredients together. Drop by spoonfuls on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 6 - 8 minutes. Do not overbake. Bottoms should be just brown.
A little more time intensive but worth it.

Soda Cake:
Combine one box cake mix with one can *12 oz* soda (dark soda for dark cakes, light for light. Though grape or strawberry or orange soda with white cake is fun)
Bake according to package directions. 
Not so healthy, plenty simple, fairly cheap. 

Plasma donation. I does it.

That’s right, twice a week I donate my plasma. Not the most pleasant of ways to make $65 a week, but better than others.

In 1914 the term ‘plasmaepheresis’ was coined by John Jacob Able. Greek for plasma meaning something molded and aphaeresis meaning taken away.

In 1937 the first blood banks were established. In 1964 plasmaepheresis was introduced as a means of collecting plasma for fractionation, the separation process that allows you to isolate three or more components at a time.

In 1966 the first European plasmaepheresis center opened.

In 1972 aphaeresis was used to extract one cellular component and return the rest back to the donor.

What can you expect should you venture into the world of plasma donation? First you must be cleared for donation. Identity and residence verification can be expected. Then you give an extensive medical history to the Medical Support staff. A short physical and pee in a cup and you are ready to go. This will also happen once a year, as time goes by.

Once you are screened and cleared to donate you will be screened each time you come to the clinic. You will verify your name and donor number, be checked for cross donation at other centers and then screened for the day. That includes checking your hermitic rate (percentage of red blood cells), protein levels, blood pressure, temperature and then answer some standard questions about exposure to some diseases.

After that you go to the donation floor and wait to be given a bed and hooked up. The donation floor might look a bit scary with many people all hooked up to machines and tubes and most watching a movie on one of the many flat screens that are suspended from the ceiling. Very Sci-Fi-ish. Last week I watched Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl.

Once you are given a bed you pick your arm, right or left and then wait while they set up the machine with all new components. Then they hook you up to the machine. Its much like getting blood drawn but with a slightly bigger needle and this time the needle will be left in for about 45 minutes or so. Sit back and watch part of a movie, maybe even half.

Now you are all done. You can proceed to the payment window where you will be paid, $30 for the first donation of the week and $35 for your second donation in a weeks time. You can donated twice a week with at least one day in between.
Of course there are some precautions to take, as with everything.

First : Hydrate! Water is now your bbf! The center will tell you to drink half a gallon the day before donation and half a gallon afterwards. I recommend this highly.
Second : Eat! The center says at least four hours before donation. I have to have it within two.

These are the two things that allow me to donate without adverse effects. Especially eating. NEVER donate on an empty stomach. You WILL get sick. I know this from experience. Very sick. Lightheaded. Dizzy. Nauseous. Unable to sit up or stand up. This lasted three hours for me.

This may sound scary but has only happened once in the two years that donated before and then again last week when I forgot how long it had been since I ate. When I hydrate and eat first I have no reactions except maybe a little dizzy for a few seconds.

Really the risks are very minimal. Everything is sterilized and health standards and codes are followed at all times. Its nice and clean in the center, nothing like the stereotypes.

There are a few other risks you should be aware of. Drop in blood pressure is the most common and easily remedied. An allergic reaction to some of the solutions used may also happen, this is more severe but also more rare. And, as I recently found out, there can be a ‘citrate reaction’ causing tingling in the fingers and around the mouth and also causing cramping. The citrate anticoagulant also binds to calcium and may lower your calcium levels. You might want to supplement.

So what is my plasma used for?

“The plasma that is collected at your BioLife center is manufactured into a wide variety of life-saving products that benefit thousands of people everyday. Plasma is used in the treatment of serious disorders such as hemophilia and immune system deficiencies, and to make products used to help treat and prevent diseases like tetanus, rabies, measles, rubella and hepatitis B.

For example, those who suffer from certain forms of hemophilia lack or are deficient in the natural clotting factors that help stop bleeding after sustaining acute or other injuries. Plasma-based products are used to treat people with this disorder so that they may lead normal, active lives.

In addition, hospitals and emergency rooms all over the world use plasma-derived albumin in the treatment of traumatic injuries such as shock and severe burns.

It is important to remember that plasma is not a substance that can be produced in a laboratory or some other artificial environment.  It can only be obtained from healthy adults.  When you donate plasma, you are helping save lives. ( http://www.plasmazentrum.at/en/plasma-learning-center/how-is-plasma.html )

So there it is. Plasma donation. I think it needs to thought about very seriously before going for it. But my experience has been a positive one. I did need to take a two year break after two years of straight donation, but that was for an unrelated issue. I had an ovarian cyst among other things and needed surgery and time to get back on my feet. I have, on occasion, been deferred for too low hermitic rate and also for too low protein. They want everyone in optimal health at all times and will send you home if you don’t meet all the requirements for that day. This is rare for me. I’m pretty healthy and keep my hydrated and fed. All in all not a bad way to make some extra cash.

What do beans and left over salad have in common? Both can be tossed into a burrito for a cheap, filling meal. 

Burritos are also kid friendly and easy to eat. In many cases, they freeze well and can be reheated fairly quickly with a microwave to save time.  Overall, a good choice for busy people.

So what is a burrito really? Nothing more than a tortilla warped around a filling.

The history of the burrito is quite a long one. Here’s a snippet: In the sixteenth century the Aztec people of Mexico used tortillas made of more than just corn, but also squash and amaranth to wrap around food such as mushrooms, avocados and tomatoes In the 1840s southwest America, northwest Mexico gold miners used tortillas to wrap spiced meats.

These days the burrito is pretty much the same thing. Tortilla wrapped around a filling. The only difference is we have more variety of tortillas and fillings to choose from, so what kind of tortilla and what kind of filling is entirely up to you. Meat is probably the most popular American filling. But let’s not stop there. There are many cheap, healthy fillings that you probably never would have thought of. You won’t like them all.  But maybe you will stumble onto a new favorite or an old classic combination that’s just taken on new life in burrito form.

Here are some filling ideas…. And remember, your burrito doesn’t have to be hot. You can heat the tortilla for easier for folding, then chill after its filled and folded.

Chicken salad
Bean salad
Salad salad (I really like this with raspberry vinegrette)
Peanut butter and jam (roll it up instead of folding it)
Apple pie filling for a dessert burrito
Pasta salad
Leftover stirfry (rice, veggies and whatever was in it)
Stirfry veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, ect.)
Rice and beans (the obvious)
Chicken and salsa
Scrambled eggs with veggies (breakfast burritos have become pretty popular)
Turkey and cranberry sauce (leftovers from Thanksgiving)
Lunch meat with cheese and lettuce tomato, onion or whatever you put on a sandwich
BLT
Mashed sweet potatoes with a little sugar and cinnamon and crushed walnuts (sweet)
Sweet potato and black bean filling
Corn, tomato and avocado salad
Egg salad
Hummus with veggies
Black beans, corn and avocado
‘Sloppy Joe’ mix
Sprouts, lettuce, onion, cucumber, dressing
Potatoes and cheese
Bbq (chicken or beef or whatever)
Spinach mushroom and cheese

Remember to mix it up a bit. Try different beans and brown rice, or better yet, a different type of grain than you are used to. Barley and black beans, for instance, may seem strange but might be really good. (I haven’t tried it.) Tastes vary so what you like will different than what I like and these are just a few of the many, many combination out there. Some will be healthier than others, and some you will like better than others. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

How to fold a burrito

Artichoke Breakfast Burrito Recipe
Makes 4 to 8 Servings

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage,crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups trimmed, cooked and diced artichoke hearts
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 large eggs
8 medium flour tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey Jack and/or cheddar cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until done; drain grease. Add
olive oil to sausage. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno; cook until onion is
soft. Add tomatoes and artichokes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4
minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until
eggs are done.

Heat tortillas (on a griddle, if possible). Fill middle of each tortilla
with artichoke mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold in ends, then roll up
tortilla.

Cherry Dessert Burritos
*A little more complicated

6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 (4 serving) pkg. sugar free vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups cherries, no sugar added, (frozen, fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tb. confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan combine pudding
mix, water and cherries. Cook over medium heat until thick. Add red food
coloring and almond extract. Mix well to combine. Remove from heat. Spray a
large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Evenly divide cherry filling and place in center of each tortilla. Fold one edge
over filling; roll tightly to opposite side. Place seam side down
on cookie sheet. Spray top of each with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 10-12 minutes. Quickly respray with butter
flavored cooking spray after baking 5 minutes. Remove from oven and
dust with confectioners sugar. Good served hot or cold. Serves 6

Burrito recipes

More burrito recipes

****PLEASE NOTE: I never make anything this fancy myself, I’m all about the simple and you can be too. Just use these as guide and cut them down to their most simple ingridients. Or come up with your own based on what you like and find in other recipes.****