Posted in Austerity Program 2008

So I have been off the austerity program, and my bank account reflects it.  I cannot believe how much more everything costs now.  It is just staggering!  I do want to share this cool new free shareware I downloaded:

SimpleD Budget

I love this software!  I am a visual person and it has really allowed me to see where I am overspending.  It has nice pie charts and my favorite feature, a slide bar for adjusting amounts.  They didn't even pay me to say this!  But they could...

I definitely am spending on things that are unnecessary, like the gym.  But really, it is necessary if I expect to stay married and out of prison.  Believe me.  So factoring in that expense has been difficult, but things are working out.  There is just nothing extra now.

I've set the monthly food budget at $350.  I did not meet it in August; instead, I went over it by $100.  I learned with my nice new budget that I spend more money the more I go into our local Giant Eagle (which is like a Krogers or something).  But if I just do my shopping at Wal-Mart and Costco I can meet the budget.

I already went shopping for September.  I find that my biggest new expense is lunch foods.  I do not want to eat fast food, since it's (delicious) toxic poison, and also not part of either my austerity program, nor my getting-thin and fit program.  I bought a lot more mac & cheese and bread and such for the kids.  And, wouldn't you know, they must all be growth-spurting because I just cannot believe how much they eat!!!  It's gross.  S had 3 giant helpings of green beans last night, plus chicken, plus baked beans.  And woke up starving for more!

Which reminds me:

Green beans with tomatoes

fresh green beans (though you probably could use frozen), maybe about 1 lb or a little more
handful of cherry tomatoes, or other tomatoes, cut into cherry tomato size
tbsp of butter or margarine (oil probably okay here too, but not as tasty)
garlic to taste (i used powdered, shhhh)
pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
few generous shakes of dried basil, or fresh, chopped

Cook the green beans in boiling water, about 10 minutes, until done.  In skillet, melt butter, add spices/herbs/sugar.  Add tomatoes and cook until just getting soft.  Toss in green beans, coating them with the sauce.  Don't be too violent about it; you don't want to hurt your tomatoes.  Serve.

I don't even like tomatoes.  This is so good.  This little number was virtually free as I am tending my parents' garden while they are on vacation.  I used their green beans and tomatoes.  So really, it only cost me the butter.