Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Seven Inexpensive or FREE Holiday Activities


We want the holiday season to be festive and memorable for our family, not stressful and expensive. These activities will put you in the festive spirit and won’t break your budget.

1. Go to a local parade.
Check your local newspaper, municipality websites for the dates and times. And be sure to bundle up...unless you live in Arizona or Florida.

2. Host a cookie swap with your friends, family or neighbors.
Invite your friends and/or family over for hot chocolate. Ask everyone participating to make a dozen cookies for each participant. If a dozen is too much, make it a half-dozen. Cookies usually freeze really well, so don't be afraid of ending up with all of these cookies. Make sure to set guidelines in case there are food allergies or issues.

3. Drive through neighborhoods to check out the festive lights.
When I was a child, there was one house that appeared to have thousands of lights and holiday displays. Cars would be parked along side the road to see the display. As a kid, it was magical and I still love to drive around to see the beautiful lights, although I have no desire to decorate our home to that extent.

4. Build and decorate a gingerbread house.
Building a gingerbread house is my daughters' favorite holiday activity. I found a kit on sale for $7.99 at a craft store and I was able to use an additional 30% off coupon. At that price, I bought two and my younger daughter could decorate her own and not upset my more meticulous older daughter. You could also make your own gingerbread house, but I found the kit to be easy and less time-consuming.



5. Check your library for holiday themed story times or programs.
Every year, our library has a special Gingerbread Man story time where the children listen to gingerbread themed stories and decorate a cookie.

6. Attend a local church program or musical.
Our church hosts two musicals. One is presented by the children and a second musical for put on by the choirs and musicians in our church. They are always well run productions with a beautiful and inspiring message. For my family, this helps us remember the meaning of the season. If you are not a member of a church, a lot of churches host beautiful holiday programs and they are usually open to the public.

7. Celebrate with a holiday movie night.
There are so many wonderful holiday movies on TV that you could have several movie nights. Make it special with hot cocoa and popcorn. If you don’t have cable, check these movies out at your library. Check your local listings in the newspaper for dates and times.

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  • Shrek the Halls
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas
  • A Christmas Carol (1938)
  • Meet Me In St. Louis
  • White Christmas
  • A Christmas Story
  • It's A Wonderful Life
  • Frosty the Snowman
  • Frosty Returns
  • Scrooge (1970, Albert Finney)
  • The Polar Express
  • The Year Without a Santa Claus
  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

What is your favorite holiday movie? My all-time favorite is "A Chrismas Story".

What inexpensive or FREE holiday activities will you and your family be participating in this year? Let us know in the comments.


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Monday, November 29, 2010

Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes


This is quite possibly my most favorite side dishes. It goes great with so many sandwiches, like Red Pepper and Feta Turkey Burgers, Turkey and Veggie Sloppy Joes and Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches.

French fries are a weakness of mine, buy I don't like frozen french fries. These simple roasted potatoes taste so much better. My favorite potato to use is the Yukon Gold and it is the only potato I buy. It has a creamier texture than other potatoes.

Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes
  • 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, about 5 cups chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • olive oil

Mix the potatoes, Rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil until well coated.

Spread flat on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until your desired crispiness.

Enjoy.

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Three Frugal Gift Ideas for the Difficult People on Your List

Are there people on your Christmas gift-giving list that are impossible to buy for? For a variety of reasons these people are just plain difficult, maybe they are older and have everything, maybe they are picky, or maybe I'm just out of creative ideas.



3 Frugal Gift Ideas
  1. A Homecooked Meal.


    We give the gift of a homecooked meal to my grandparents. They really don't need or want anything and both of my grandmothers are trying to downsize. What my grandparents really want is to spend time with my family and we enjoy spending time with them. Make it special. Use the good china. Watch a movie or old home videos. Play a game. The gift is of time spent together and the memories made will last forever.
  2. Homemade Cookies of the Month Club
    Do you remember the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Ray and Debra give his parents a fruit of the month club membership? It is hysterical. "The pears, what am I going to do with all of these pears?" But honestly, I would love a fruit-of-the-month membership as a gift. When I checked it out as a gift possibility for a family member, I found that it doesn't fit into our budget, but Homemade Cookies of the Month does. Each month could be a different cookie recipe. The gift doesn't have to be for the entire 12 months of the year; you could do 3-6 months of delivering cookies to the recipient. Create a certificate on your computer to explain the gift. Package the cookies in pretty bag or box. Also, this is an opportunity to spend time with the recipient.
  3. Give the Gift of Giving
    For my fortieth birthday, our neighbors across the street gave me a card. Inside was a signed check for $20, but the 'pay to the order of' line was not filled in. There was a note attached that read, "In honor of your birthday, please fill out the check and send it to your favorite charity." I sent it to a local food bank. I received some wonderful gifts for my birthday, but this was my favorite that year.

I love Christmas, but I don't love the stress that seems to slip into the season. The gift of time and thoughtfulness can go a long way with our loved ones, without taking a big bite out of your balance sheet.

What frugal gift ideas do you have for the impossible people on your list?

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Friday, November 19, 2010

Baked Turkey, Macaroni and Cheese


This recipe is dedicated to my oldest daughter, who would become a noodle if I let her. It's a great way to please your kids and use up turkey leftovers.

Baked Turkey, Macaroni and Cheese
inspired by Cooking Light
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni (a typical box is 16 oz)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Cup Roasted Tomato sauce - or your favorite type
  • 2-3 cups chopped, cooked turkey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 Cups Mexican cheddar jack cheese - or your favorite cheddar blend
1. Cook pasta according to the package.

2. Over medium-high heat, add olive oil to a large pan. Add onion, carrots, garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

3. Add turkey, tomato sauce, 1 tsp salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.

4. Combine the turkey mixture with the cooked pasta. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray or butter.

5. In a sauce pan, combine milk, flour, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp salt. Over medium heat, whisk continuously until well blended for about 2 minutes.

6. Add 1 Cup cheese and whisk constantly until smooth.

7. Pour cheese evenly over the turkey/macaroni mixture. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup cheese.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with sweet peas and homemade applesauce. Enjoy!

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup


This is a really hearty soup and a great way to use up Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. My five year old gobbled it up and asked for 'more please'.

Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced thin
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bunch kale, cut off stems, chopped fine
  • 2 qt. homemade turkey stock or store bought
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups Orzo pasta, uncooked
  • 2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and kale. Stirring often, cook 15 minutes.

Add turkey stock, tomatoes, seasonings.

Bring to a boil and add uncooked orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add turkey and stir to combine.

Serve with a salad and/or homemade applesauce and your favorite bread.

The soup becomes very thick on the second day, but thins out when heated up or you could add some more stock to thin it even more.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Turkey Chili Potpie


“Mommy, can I have some more please?” Music to a mother’s ears, especially when she was asking for another helping of this dinner and not dessert.

This is a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftover turkey, but you could also use leftover cooked chicken.

Turkey Chili Potpie

  • 1 large red pepper, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (15 oz) cans white beans
  • 1 Cup homemade turkey stock , or store bought
  • 3 Cups chopped, cooked turkey
cornbread topping
  • 1 Cup flour
  • ¾ Cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 Cup buttermilk or milk
  • 1 egg

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add chili, oregano, cumin, salt, tomatoes, beans, stock, turkey, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 3 minutes.

3. Pour the turkey filling into a 13 X 9 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside

4. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Mix together the buttermilk and egg and add to the flour mixture. Stir together until moist.

5. Spread the cornmeal mixture over the turkey filling. The cornbread mixture will be thick.



6. Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes.


Serve with a salad and homemade applesauce.

Printable version of Turkey Chili Potpie


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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

How To Make Turkey Stock


Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!Homemade turkey stock is easy to make and a great way to stretch your dollars. After you have stripped the roasted turkey clean of any meat, grab your crock pot to make some delicious and homemade stock.

What you'll need:
  • Turkey carcass and reserved neck
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2-3 celery stalks
  • 2-3 carrot sticks
  • 1 garlic head, remove some of the white papery cover, cut in half crosswise
  • 10-12 sprigs of fresh parsley and sage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 1 tsp salt
Place the carcass and reserved neck in a large crock pot. Add the rest of ingredients and fill the crock pot with water.

Turn on low overnight for 12 hours. When you wake up your kitchen will smell wonderful and the stock will be boiling. Turn crock pot off and let stock cool down.


Carefully, spoon or pour the stock, veggies, herbs through a sieve into a big bowl. Press juices out of veggies and herbs.


Discard bones, veggies, herbs.

Stir well and allow to cool down completely. Remove any fat that rises to the top.

I have found turkey stock to be more gelatinous than chicken stock once it has cooled down. Stock will last a few days in the fridge. I like to freeze in 1 cup and 24 oz freezer containers. This recipe made between 2 1/2 - 3 quarts.

Do you make stock from your turkey bones

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To Stuff Or Not To Stuff...I'm Talking About the Turkey

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!

When Melynda left a comment on my Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Lemon post that she always stuffs the bird, I realized that I forgot a very important component to Turkey Week...the stuffing. My mother always stuffs her bird and also makes additional stuffing for two reasons: she needs extra stuffing for all of the people and she doesn't like stuffing from inside the bird.

I have to say that I prefer stuffing that was made outside the turkey also. But I may be in the minority here.

What is your favorite way to make and eat stuffing? Inside the bird or outside? Let us know in the comments.

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How To Make Turkey Gravy

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!

This recipe serves 4-6 people. Adjust the ingredients to make more gravy for a larger crowd.

After your roasted turkey has cooled to slightly, move it to another pan/tray to finish resting and to carve.

Remove all but 3 Tbsp of turkey fat from roasting pan, leave any brown bits in pan.

Place roasting pan over 2 burners and heat both burners to medium. I used a front and back burner and it worked out well. If you are not comfortable with cooking the gravy this way, simply use a sauce pan, just be sure to scrap as much of the brown bits into the pan. That is where so much flavor comes from.

Add 3 Tbsp flour to the fat and whisk together to prevent burning and to form a paste, about 2 minutes. Mixture will bubble.


Add 1 1/2 Cups turkey stock and 1/2 Cup white wine. If you do not have wine, replace with stock. You can use chicken stock if you don't have turkey stock.

Continue whisking, scraping the bottom of pan and bring to a boil until gravy thickens, about 3 minutes.


To remove any brown bits, pour gravy through a fine sieve, buthis is not necessary.

Serve with your favorite Roasted Turkey and all of the fixins'.




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Monday, November 15, 2010

Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Lemon

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!

We have already thawed the turkey, now we are going to make a most delicious Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Lemon.

The turkey that I roasted was almost 13 lbs. If your turkey is larger, you can increase the below ingredients.
  • 1 12.75 lb turkey
  • 1 head garlic, remove outer papery layers, cut in half crosswise
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 lemon, cut in half
  • 4-6 sprigs each of thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary or any variation of about 16-24 sprigs of these fresh herbs
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 3 Tbsp butter, melted
  • salt
  • pepper

1. Remove giblets and neck from inside of turkey. Set aside the neck in refrigerator for homemade stock. I discard the giblets.

2. Wash inside and out of turkey. Pat dry.

3. Sprinkle the inside of turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the garlic, onion, lemon, fresh herbs, celery.


4. Place turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Tuck the wings and tie the legs together.


5. Brush the outside of turkey with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Roast at 325 degrees. Roast 2 1/2 hours or "when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast." That recommendation is from the USDA.

My turkey had a pop-up thermometer in it to let me know when it was done, but it is recommended that you check the temperature even if your turkey has a thermometer.



7. Cover turkey with foil and before cutting into it, let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This is the most important step and a key to turkey that is not dried out. So I’ll repeat, DO NOT CUT TURKEY FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKING OUT OF OVEN.

I wish I could show you how to correctly carve a turkey, but I'm not very good at it, so I'm going to have to send you elsewhere to learn how to carve a turkey. But please come back, because Turkey Week isn't over yet at Family Balance Sheet.

Enjoy all of the posts from Turkey Week 2010:
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How To Thaw a Frozen Turkey

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!

There are two ways to thaw a turkey.
  1. Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator. Leave the turkey in its packaging and place in a pan. Trust me on this. Place the turkey in a pan. I did not do this and when I removed turkey from he fridge, I had a stream of blood from my fridge to my sink before I realized what had happened.

    It takes about 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. This online calculator will also tell you how long you need to thaw the turkey in the fridge depending on size of turkey.
  2. If you forgot to get the turkey out of the freezer in time, you can thaw the turkey in cold water. Leave the turkey in its packaging and place breast side down in the kitchen sink and cover completely with cold water. Change the water frequently as it starts to warm. It takes about 30 minutes per pound to thaw this way. Use this online calculator to determine estimated time for thawing.
REMEMBER it is not safe to thaw the turkey at room temperature due to bacterial concerns.

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How Much Turkey Will I Need?

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!

Are you hosting 20 people for Thanksgiving dinner or do you just want to take advantage of the great turkey deals that are happening in grocery stores across America this month?

We are going to my mom's for Thanksgiving dinner, so I'm going to be taking advantage of the deals for future use for my family of 4.

But if you need to know how much turkey you'll need to feed a large group of people, the USDA recommends 1 pound per person for a fresh or frozen turkey.

How much turkey will you need this Thanksgiving? Are you hosting a large group or will you just be stocking up on the good deals for your family meals? Let us know in the comments.

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Friday, November 12, 2010

I'm Guest Posting at Keeping The Kingdom First

Alyssa of Keeping the Kingdom First is challenging her readers and friends to make a conscious effort to give every day in the month of November. Participants were asked to document their giving in a journal for 30 days. The giving could be big or small, time or money, whatever God prompted each one to do each day.

30-Day Giving Challenge

I submitted a guest post about the Salvation Army's Adopt-A-Family program that my family contributes to every year during the holiday season. Please click through and read all about it and Alyssa's 30-Day Giving Challenge.

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Seven Steps To An Organized Pantry or Food Cupboards

I was frustrated. I needed to make a menu and shopping list for the week and when I opened a cupboard door, a box of graham crackers fell on my head.

How can I make a grocery list when my cupboards look like this and I can’t even tell what I have on hand.


I don’t keep a large stockpile, because of my lack of space. I am more of a ‘shop as I need’ kind of person. I shop the sales flyers to plan a week’s menu.

My kitchen is small and technically I don’t have a separate pantry, but I use several cupboards in my kitchen for food and some shelves in my garage for any overflow.

No matter how big or small your pantry is, I think these tips will help your pantry be more functional and less frustrating.
  1. Remove everything from the cupboards.
  2. Clean the cupboards with a damp cloth and dry.
  3. Sort food items by category, such as baking items, breakfast, canned goods, coffee/tea, condiments, pasta/rice, snacks, etc.
  4. Keep in mind what foods you use frequently when putting the food back in your pantry. All of my spices and herbs are right by my stove. All of the cooking oils and vinegars are above my stove. My coffee is stored right by the machine. All of my baking supplies are stored right above the counter where I use my mixer.
  5. Face the food labels forward for easy viewing.
  6. Alphabetize your herbs and spices.
  7. Discard or recycle any outdated food. Donate any food that you probably won’t eat and is not outdated to a food bank. I found this bottle of Ground Cayenne Pepper with a August 2000 date on it. That was 2 months before I got married and I was not much of a cook back then, so I'm not quite sure what I was doing with a bottle of Cayenne. I guess it has been some time since I weeded out my spices. I ended up throwing 7 bottles of out-dated spices away...OUCH!


I feel much better now that I have purged and organized my food cupboards. It will make menu planning a little easier for me and I won't have to duck now when I open a cupboard door. Since I haven't used the Cayenne in ten years, I think it is safe to say that I don't need to replace it.

What does your kitchen pantry or food storage area look like? Does it need a little attention? Let us know in the comments.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Our Riskiest Money Decision


Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking. ~ Tim McMahan
Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where all the fruit is? ~ Frank Scully
I don’t consider myself a very risky person. Sky-diving or bungee jumping do not really appeal to me. But I have taken on a bit of a risk this summer and it has to do with our mortgage.

I wrote last week about how buying a home within our means was our wisest money decision. I also mentioned in the post that we have refinanced several times and that is where my risk comes into this story.

In May 2010, I saw an ad in the newspaper for a bank offering a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) with an interest rate of 2.74%. The fine print stated the loan rate would be prime rate less .51% and prime was at 3.25%. The fee would be $25 a year, but waived the first year.

A HELOC is a line of credit that taps into the equity that you have accrued on your home and it uses one’s home as collateral for the loan. The interest rates on HELOCs are variable and are based on a prime rate that is set by the Federal Reserve. That rate is currently at 3.25%. It has been at 3.25% since December 2008. Many analysts believed it would go up by the end of this year, but after last week’s meeting, the Federal Reserve announced that will not happen.

Wow, my wheels were turning. What if I transferred my current mortgage, which was at a fixed rate of 4.99%, to the HELOC? Our home loan was about 40% of the value of our home, so we had the equity. Fortunately, we bought our home in 2001 right before home values rose dramatically and we live in a neighborhood where home prices did not tank when the housing market fell recently.

The history of prime rate changes are in small increments. So the prime rate has to move up to 5.50% for it to equal my prior rate of 4.99% with my .51% reduction. I’m going to take a chance that based on history the rate is not going to jump up to 5.50% quickly; it will be done slowly. Some other things have to happen before the prime rate goes up, per Primerate.wsjprimerate.us,
“when the Fed is satisfied that the US economy is not just growing, but growing sustainably, and at pace that will prompt companies to add new and previously laidoff workers to their payrolls. Before the Fed will even consider raising the fed funds target rate, there will have to be a whole lot fewer than 15 million unemployed people in the United States, and threat of deflation will have to have been eliminated.”
Do you see any indication that any of that is happening yet or any time soon?

We are going to be aggressive and pay off as much as we can at the 2.74%. I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for rate change information and I have even added the Prime Rate website to my RSS reader. As the rate goes up, I will re-evaluate our options.

I do understand that home loan rates are at an all time low right now, but there are usually fees that go with those loans and those fees need to be assessed to see if the loan is worth refinancing. The fees with this HELOC promotion were minimal and even waived the first year.

By buying a home below our means and refinancing several times over the years, we have been able to aggressively pay down our mortgage without feeling too much pain. Our goal is to pay off the loan quickly with in the next 5 years and pay as little interest as possible.

Converting a home loan to a HELOC is not for everyone and I am not suggesting to anyone to do it. I am taking on a risk that I understand. The prime rate will go up, but the economy is still tough and I don’t think they are going to raise rates rapidly, but that is just my humble opinion and I am willing to take this risk in an effort to save quite a bit of money over the term of the loan.

How much risk can you tolerate when it comes to your personal finances? What has been your riskiest money decision? Let us know in the comments.

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Purple Cabbage and Broccoli Slaw


Crunchy, colorful, healthy and tasty.

Purple Cabbage and Broccoli Slaw
  • 1 small purple cabbage or half of a medium purple cabbage
  • 2 Cups baby carrot
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 medium head of broccoli, I cut most of the stalk off and use the florets
  • 1/2 Cup dried cranberries
  • 4 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 6 oz container of plain yogurt, I used low-fat
  • 1/4 Cup slivered almonds
Using a food processor, shred the cabbage, carrots, red onion, broccoli. Toss together along with the cranberries in a big bowl.

Mix together the sugar, salt, celery seed, vinegar and yogurt.

Combine the yogurt mixture with the vegetables. Top with almonds.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

This slaw goes great with Turkey Veggie Sloppy Joes or Red Pepper and Feta Turkey Burgers or Apple and Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers.


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Our Wisest Money Decision


We bought a house below our means.

That one decision will have the most influence on our financial goals than anything else we will ever do.

Back in 2001, at a time when McMansions were starting to populate the landscape with their 2500+ square footage and three car garages, we bought a 3 bedroom, 1850 square foot home with one full bath and a one car garage. As we were moving into this home, a family member asked us how long we were planning to stay in it. “This is a good starter home”, he said. We had not even slept in the house yet and someone was concerned about when we were leaving.

At the time, I was working full time while my husband was building his new business. We were approved for a loan, but after looking at many homes and running countless numbers we chose a home that was 20% lower than what we were approved for.

Over the years, we have refinanced our home several times from the original rate of 7.25% and reduced the terms from 30 years to 15 years. For us, refinancing was not to try to reduce the size of our monthly payment but to save ourselves thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. Buying a home below what we could afford will allow us to pay the loan off faster and then give us the flexibility to work towards other financial goals, like financial freedom.

Back in 2001, we knew that we would eventually start a family and our hope was that I would be able to stay home with the baby. If we bought a bigger home at that time with a much higher mortgage that dream might not have become a reality. Our mortgage payments are well within what we can afford on a monthly basis and as I stated above we are able to work towards paying off the mortgage early. And the primary reason is because we bought a home below our means.

Now that we are a family of four, we have made a firm decision that we will stay in the house…pray for me when I have 2 teenage girls and only one full bath. I’m sure we’ll get through it.

We have made plenty of financial mistakes, and in 2001, we didn't realize that buying a home below our means would become our wisest financial decision.

What has been your wisest money decision? Let us know in the comments.


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Posted by Family Balance Sheet at 10:38 AM 8 comments
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

What Kind of Turkey Deal Will You Score This Month?


My local grocery store has a FREE turkey deal every year before Thanksgiving that I always take advantage of. You have about 4 weeks to spend $300 to earn the FREE turkey. If you aren't interested in the free turkey, they give you the option of a free Stouffer's Party Size Lasagna.

I typically do most of my grocery shopping at this store, so it isn't hard for me to accrue enough points to earn the free turkey. This store is conveniently located near my home and since I try to only shop once a week, this is the store that I usually choose.

I received my free turkey certificate this week to be redeemed later this month. Woo hoo!

Does your local grocery store offer free turkeys this month? Do you take advantage of the deal?

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Posted by Family Balance Sheet at 8:27 PM 2 comments
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Monday, November 1, 2010

Photo Flip Book ~ Another Great Holiday Gift Idea

Are you stumped on what to get a grandparent or another family member for Christmas? I know I am and this FREE Flip Book deal from Vistaprint just arrived in my email and it a great holiday gift idea.

Or you can keep it for yourself and carry your memories everywhere. These books make great mementos of family vacations, special events and more. They also make a perfect gift for family and friends and come in a variety of sizes and styles.

Get one FREE 4x6 Flipbook from Vistaprint! You do have to pay for shipping and processing. Shipping starts at $6.01. Choose from over 80 designs and add text to tell your story. Includes 20 pages with the option to add more. Upload your own photos and text to create a one of a kind memento.

And don't forget about the other special going on now from Vistaprint: A FREE Photo Calendar. Again, you do have to pay for shipping and processing, but this is still a great deal and a great holiday gift idea.

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Posted by Family Balance Sheet at 12:00 PM 0 comments

Pasta with Clams and Fresh Tomatoes


This meal is so easy to prepare and very tasty. Double the recipe if you'd like, because I will the next time I make it. I didn't think my kids would care for it, so I only cooked half the box of pasta. My family practically licked the pan clean with the kids and my husband asking for seconds. This meal goes well with a nice garden salad and homemade bread.

Pasta with Clams and Fresh Tomatoes

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, depending on your heat tolerance
  • 1/3 Cup olive oil
  • 2 Cups sliced grape tomatoes
  • 2 6.5oz. cans minced clams, drained and rinsed, reserve 1 Tbsp. clam juice
  • 1/2 dry white wine
  • 1/2 Cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Parmesan
    • 1/2 lb thin spaghetti, cooked per box instructions.


      1. In a large skillet heat olive oil, garlic and red pepper over medium-high heat and stir for one minute.

      2. Add tomatoes to pan. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes to soften.

      3. Stir in clams, reserved juice, and wine and simmer 5 minutes.

      4. Mix the clam sauce with the pasta. To serve, top with parsley and Parmesan.

    Printable version of Pasta with Clams and Fresh Tomatoes

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