What I want for Christmas....

Looking back over the year, and the start of this blog, I realize what is missing and why I started writing.  I miss a generation of my family, those who belong to what is now called  the greatest generation.  Those members in my family knew how to handle tough times.  Also, the understood family, faith and integrity.  Now that I look back on them, I see 4 pillars, my grandmother (Sweetiepie) my Aunt (Johnnie Mae), and my cousins (Cornelius and Coranza).  They kept our family together.  I never realized how much or how important they were, until they were all gone.  They were there for me since the beginning; my Cousin Cornelius carried me out of Hutzel Hospital when I was born.  They knew how to survive tough times, because they knew how to work together.  They loved and respected each other and they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  For example, my grandmother and aunt were teachers, so when a child or later grand child needed help, they were their to tutor.   Or if one of them went shopping and found out about a good deal, they would call each other or buy enough for everyone and stop by with their savings.  They were always there for each other.   When I was a toddler, I was afraid to walk down the stairs, at home, because I had fallen.  It was my cousin Cornelius who taught me how to walk down the stairs backwards, so I would not fall.  Good times were celebrated and difficult times were worked through together.  Even though I know how they would handle the current economic situation, I wish they were here because I truly miss their positive spirit as well as their strength.  One thing that I noticed is that, once they decided what the right path was, they stayed on that path and they supported each other.  If I could have anything in the world for Christmas, I would want those people back, even if it was only for a short time.  But since I can’t have them back, I would like their strength, wisdom and conviction. 

#Christmas

#family

Comfort Food

Today was a cold day here in Maryland, so I decided to prepare a quick beef noodle soup with vegetables.  It hit the spot.  When I was a college student and funds were low, I used to fix Ramen Noodles for dinner.  Ramen Noodles made the best comfort food.  The noodles were easy to prepare in my little red hotpot at Michigan State.  Also, I could create other noodle dishes using the noodles only, or I could add vegetables, eggs and/or meat to create a more filling soup. Well, I am no longer 20 and I don't have the body of a 20 year old, so the Ramen Noodles had to go, but the craving for comfort food, did not go away.  I found an economical replacement in Shirataki noodles.  Usually when you hear someone mention these noodles, it is in reference to a carb replacement or as a low calorie food.   That is the original reason I discovered them.  Shirataki noodles are all fiber  and they have no calories.   Yea, I said it, no calories.  Also, the Shirataki noodles have no fat, Sodium, cholesterol and they are gluten free.  Just think of how many calories I would have saved in college, if I had known about theses noodles.  The Tofu Shirataki noodles have about 20 calories per serving and of course you get some protein with your fiber.   But now, I am looking at the price.  1 pkg of Shirataki is about $1.50, so it is higher than Ramen, but the noodles are more filling, economical and healthy.  Also, because they are all fiber, they can handle being cooked for a longer period of time.  So, I can be make longer cooking noodle creations.  It sounds almost too good to be true, but it is the truth.   The good news is that because of its health popularity, Shirataki can usually be purchased at Asian Markets or Health Food Stores.  They are also still available at some low carb internet sites, Amazon (www.amazon.com) and my favorite online Asian store, Asian Food Grocer (www.asianfoodgrocer.com).

Even the best laid plans, dont make things easy

I haven't been writing because I have been angry.  I have been angry with myself, my situation and life in general.  When I took my last technical writing job, I knew that it was a short term position.  I planned on saving.  I started paying down my credit cards and I started looking for another position early because I knew that it was better to interview while I was still employed.   I did all of those things, but things have still been difficult, and I have still been angry and depressed.   I started looking for a job and interviewing long before October, however, I did not get a job offer until the end of November, and I will not start until January.   That is great, but what am I supposed to do until then.  Being unemployed during the holidays sucks.   Also, it takes a few weeks before you get  your first check, and in this economy, it takes a few months before you can catch up.  Also, my health is fair not great, and until I start working, I will not have health insurance.   My job doesn't offer insurance, so I have to pick up COBRA.  I have been doing some things to save money, but not everything that I mentioned in my blog and that is partly how I know that I am angry.  I really do all of those things when times are tight. The fact that I am not, is a destructive sense of rebellion.   I also find myself angry, because I get sick of hearing people say, go out and get a job, quit complaining.  There are jobs out there.   There are some, but it is not that easy.   I would have been having a harder time finding a job if I had waited to look until my job ended.   No recruiter or employer wants to hear that you are unemployed waiting for them.  They would rather have an employee that they have stolen from another company.  It has even become more difficult in the DC area.   For example, the Asian Market that I suggested shopping at earlier this year because of their discounts, now has a cashier line dedicated to those who use food stamps (WIC).  I don't live in the wealthiest area, but I don't live in the poorest either.   This economy is hitting everyone hard, everywhere.  I have to develop a positive attitude to make it through this recession.  It is a struggle, but sometimes all you have is yourself.

Black Friday!!

Friday!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Friday!!  Black

Friday!!!!!!  (Hey with all of the things happening in the news right now, we need some fun to help us relieve the stress.) 

It is all over the news and internet, merchants are advertising about Black Friday early.  Yay!!  So does that mean I am going to be in front of some store at 6 am or worse yet at midnight?  Hell to the no!!   

There are three reasons: 

1.     I am a Frugal Diva.  That means no lines, cold weather or any type of discomfort if I can help it. 

2.     The internet exists, therefore, I am. 

3.     I save money on gas.  (See no. 2.)   Although, I do like to do lunch with a friend on Black Friday and watch others shop or go to a movie.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of Bricks and Mortar stores that I L-O-V-E.  But like I said before, I don’t like knocking people over or stepping over people for sales and I don’t want to be knocked down.  Plus, this Diva is getting mature, so I don’t heal from bruises so easily.  So, I will be at my laptop at 12:01 am ready to pounce on the sales. The spoils go to the fastest mouse clicker.  Woo Hoo!!  Since a lot of merchants are advertising on the web, you can google Black Friday and find out about all of the sales. You can also go to http://bfads.net/ and/or http://www.blackfriday.info/ for Black Friday announcements.  And because they are announcing these deals early, you should have an easier time planning your Christmas list and sticking to your budget.  Remember, a Frugal Diva is able to stick to their budget whether they are pounding the pavement or letting their fingers frolic through the internet. 

Holiday Reboot!!

November is here!!  The holiday season is upon us.  I am sorry, but I had to take a break, my job was ending and my birthday was coming.  Now, both are gone.  I am back on the lookout for another position.  Hopefully, not short term again, and I have 11 months to another Birthday.  I think of it as a personal reboot.  What does one do, when they have to job hunt during the holidays?  Well, mostly pray and hope that a position comes that will cover their finances through the holiday season.  Since I have moved to the DC area, I have had a few holiday seasons where money was very tight or I was unemployed.  They weren’t the best holidays ever, but, they weren’t the worst.  If you are like me, you visit family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.  Well, if you are unemployed, you may not be able to travel or, you may just pick one holiday.  It is nice, if you can get your family to visit you, but, entertaining on a budget may be too difficult.  When money is tight, I usually just pick Christmas to visit my mother.  Also, I drive to Michigan, instead of flying.  However, this depends on the price of gas.  There have been times when driving and flying cost the same amount.  Another method of travel is Greyhound (www.greyhound.com).  I know, the bus sounds unpleasant.  But, it isn’t the same as it used to be.  The seats an atmosphere are more comfortable, and they even have Wi-fi.  A refundable roundtrip ticket from Maryland to Detroit is $230.  That isn’t that bad.  My only other traveling expense is parking, and if I take the Maryland train (MARC) and pay for a roundtrip train ticket, I don’t have to pay for parking.  And, you probably won’t find a flight that cheap.  Also, I can work on my blog along the way home and back.  The next issue for a Frugal Diva during the holidays is gifts.  Obviously, if you are unemployed, your gift list is not going to be very long.  Also, many people will get cards instead of gifts.  Well, at least in my case.  Also, I have noticed that the gifts that I do purchase when I am unemployed tend to be more thoughtful, because I really have to look at what I am purchasing.  I don’t want to buy someone a gift when I am unemployed and it turns out to be something that they re-gift, or “accidentally” throw away.  It is funny how that works, isn’t it.  The first year that I was unemployed, I went to Tuesday morning and I bought two very nice baskets, tissue paper, bath salts, soap, tea (in festive tins), English Biscuits, candy and spa robes (I got lucky).  The baskets were medium sized, well made and could be used to make a gift basket or centerpiece.  I also purchased clear and colored saran wrap.  The local grocery store had red and green for the holidays.  I also went to TJ Maxx and Ross to purchase, slippers, lotions and eye masks.  I packed all of my items in my car and I drove to Detroit.  I assembled my gifts when I got to my destination.  The benefit of making my own baskets was that I was able to decide what items went into them and I was able to stay under $150.  My biggest expenses were the basket ($7 – 12.99) and the robes ($10-15).  The other items ranged between ($2 – 10).  Looking back, it sounded like a well planned strategy.  But, at the time, I was making decisions on the fly to stretch my money as far as possible.  It all worked out, but I didn’t know that it would at the time.  The only thing that I did know then is that I had Frugal Diva skills.  I still don’t know what I am going to do this year.  I am hoping that I will get a job during this 2^nd week of November and I won’t have to worry about unemployment. 

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go…”

The title of this blog was a lyric of a Thanksgiving song that we sang at my grade school, Gesu Elementary.  We sang it every year.  Many of us will not be traveling to our parents homes over the holidays because we cannot afford it.  However, the song does remind me of simpler times, the country and fireplaces.  Well the holidays really are around the corner and a Frugal Diva has to really “pull a rabbit out of a hat” because the economy has not changed.  One way to save money during the holidays is making some or all of your presents.  Relax, I do not have a Fruitcake recipe, but people did use to send homemade cakes instead of store bought.  Although, a homemade fruitcake would tastes better, especially if it had enough rum in it.  Oh, what the heck, you might like it (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/christmas-fruitcake/detail.aspx ).  Maybe, that is why my grandmother always loved homemade fruit cake.  If you know how to knit or crochet well, make mitten and hat sets.  You can make matching scarves as well, but those seem to take forever.  You need to start earlier than October for those projects.  If you can sew, look for something creative to make.  I had one classmate whose mother was a seamstress on the side and she made the prettiest dolls and doll clothes.  If you or your kids are good with arts and crafts, have them make Christmas ornaments for their friends.  I still have a Christmas ornament that a friend of mine made in high school.  It goes on the tree every year. 

Anyway, if I didn’t say it before, my family is originally from Texas.  I am the first generation not to grow up or spend summers on a farm.  So, there were other gifts that were not “technically” homemade, but still not as expensive.   They were home grown.  For example, when my cousin Cornelius was alive, he sent pecans to everyone in the family.  Everyone looked forward to them.  Although, you had to be careful, cousin Cornelius was kind of like Santa, if he thought that you had misbehaved, no pecans for you that year.  Also, there was no age limit, so if you were 70, and he determined that you misbehaved no pecans.  I was always good, so I got pecans.  Granted, I am allergic to them, so my mother and grandmother always got extra pecans??  Oh, I digress.

A Frugal Diva does buy few gifts, but only a small group of people are chosen.   Gifts for work, your postman, newspaper carrier can be homemade.   People almost always love a tin filled with chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, brownies, lemon bars, cake, or even rice crispies.  And, if you truly want to go old school, a tin filled with ginger bread, ginger bread men, a pound cake or Christmas shaped sugar cookies with icing.  Ginger bread is the easiest to make. 

A few years ago, I encountered a natural Frugal Diva; usually these Frugal Diva skills are earned and learned.   But, I think that she has had those skills from birth.  She had just gotten a divorce and her husband left her with their daughter, the mortgage and both car notes on a secretary’s salary.  Well, she went into high gear, the first thing that she did was get rid of her cable.  I gave her my old antenna set; (network television wasn’t digital yet) and she started renting DVDs.  Also, she enrolled in a community college and took hair braiding classes let coworkers know that she was available for babysitting, dog walking and house cleaning.  (She didn’t do windows. No one ever does that.)  After she finished her hair braiding course, she started doing hair on the side.  Additional money started coming in, but it was her hobby, that put the “H” in Hustle.  She liked to bake.  She would try different recipes and bring them to work, so she wouldn’t eat them all at home.  Her rum cake was an instant hit.  It was so good that one of our coworker asked her to bake two for their Christmas party.  I saw opportunity knocking and I offered to make cake flyers for her to post in the other in our building and in other businesses.   Her businesses took off; her creditors were shocked at how fast she was able to pay off all of her debt.  Her head was above water by the end of the following year.  It is hard to believe that happened 8 years ago, time flies.  She has dropped all of the side jobs except hair braiding and baking.  In good times, those two jobs keep extra cash in her pocket, in lean times; those jobs have covered a few bills. 

Redeemed, not Damned

You know, you were damned if you did, or damned if you didn’t.  But you can’t be damned forever. Well, at least not in this article.   When I look at all the people protesting, the 99%, I think about how some said, “We shouldn’t have bailed out Wall Street.  We should have let the defaults happen or let the depression occur.  It would have been a natural correction.”  I think about it because so many people who did what they were suppose to do are suffering.  And, when you are in pain and someone says, “You know, it could be worse.”  You think, “What in the Hell are you talking about???!!”  But, it could be worse.   When the depression hit and banks failed, people just lost their money.  For example, one day you had 3,000 in your checking and savings account.  The next day, you had nothing, the bank doors were locked.  And that was that.  Also, some banks that had not failed, but were failing, put limitations on how much you could withdraw.  See, we are used to limits like you are only able to withdraw $500 a day from the ATM or you can only withdraw a certain amount daily or weekly from your bank, after that you pay a penalty.   But during the depression, you may be told that you could only take out 1000 a week.  That is it, no penalty, no checks, debit card and no coming back until the following week.  No access to your own money until the designated time.  If you have an emergency or a bill, that is too bad.  This was why people in our grandparents and great-grandparents generation put money under the bed, in a sock or in the closet.  My grandmother had money in the closet.  You know it is funny, we work, we deposit our hard earned money in banks, we bail them out when they are in trouble with our money, yet they still act as though it is their money.  It’s not. 

The latest bank in the news is Bank of America.  The bank president justified the $5 debit card fee that will start in January.  People complain, but they really don’t do much.  We seem to have become complacent.  One customer has decided to start a petition.  I think that is a great idea, but I think that the smart idea is to leave.  I think if enough customers changed banks, Bank of America would get the message.  This blog is supposed to be about surviving during this economy, and sharing how to save money during this economy.  So, I will say, a frugal diva cannot afford banks like Bank of America or Citibank.  $5 a month is $60 a year.  In this economy $60 can mean more food on the table, gas in your car, the ability to pay off or catch up on a small bill, more money in your pocket, or more money in a bank or credit union with reasonable rates and fees.  Banks have a right to make a profit, but Frugal Divas have the right to save money.

An AARP article in January, discussed internet banks (http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-01-2011/looking_for_free_checking.html ), and banks that still had free checking.  Yes, I said AARP.  Most AARP members are on a budget, so they always have to look at ways of saving money.  What can I say, this Frugal Diva is creative.

Below is one of many stories of how people worked together during the Great Depression.  I have listed the site as well.  Many have said that Steve Jobs changed the world, and he did.  But, he did not do it alone.  Everyday people can work to make a change every day. 

Activism

Penny Auctions

As the pace of foreclosure auctions increased between 1930 and 1932, more and more farmers became desperate. Activists demanded that state legislators halt foreclosure sales. Angry farmers marched on the capitol buildings in several states, including Nebraska. Some farmers in Madison County, Nebraska, took matters into their own hands. In 1931, about 150 farmers showed up at a foreclosure auction at the Von Bonn family farm. The bank was selling the land and equipment because the family couldn’t repay a loan. The bank expected to make hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

As those who were there remember it, the auctioneer began with a piece of equipment. The first bid was 5-cents. When someone else tried to raise that bid, he was requested not to do so – forcibly. Item after item got only one or two bids. All were ridiculously low. The proceeds for that first "Penny Auction" were $5.35, which the bank was supposed to accept to pay off the loan.

The idea caught on. Harvey Pickrel remembers going to a Penny Auction where "some of the farmers wouldn't bid on anything at all – because they were trying to help the man that was being sold out." At auctions across the Midwest, farmers showed up as a group and physically prevented any real bidders from placing bids. But the banks figured out ways to get around these illegal Penny Auctions.

Farm groups and activists turned their attention to the political arena demanding a stop to foreclosure sales. Eventually, several Midwestern states, including Nebraska, enacted moratoriums on farm foreclosures. Generally the moratoriums lasted a year. The theory was that the Depression couldn't last that much longer, and then farmers would have the income to make their payments. But the Depression continued, the moratoriums ran out and farmers continued to lose their farms.

Written by Bill Ganzel of the Ganzel Group. First written and published in 2003.

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/money_10.html

Class Warfare

I have had a lot on my mind lately.  It is funny, when I was a kid, I never paid attention to politics.  But now, as an adult I pay a lot of attention.  There is lot of talk nowadays about class warfare, whether or not the wealthy should pay more taxes, etc.  I thought about it, and you know I think it is class warfare, but it started a long time ago.  The first jobless recovery I ever paid attention to was under George W. Bush in the 2001 recession (http://www.forward.com/articles/7308/, http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2003-07-17-recession_x.htm).  I mean, how can you have a jobless recovery?  This is not a blog about blame.  What I noticed is that when these jobless recovery occurred, the middle class and poor took the hardest hits.  Many people never recovered from that time, but the unemployment percentage was still low.  Employers began cutting salaries.  Also, the laws changed for overtime pay, so if you made over a certain amount, the employer only had to pay the employee straight time instead of time and a half.  The plan was to lower employers’ expenses so they could hire more employees, but what ended up happening is that they just asked their employees to work overtime at straight time pay, and since salaries had been cut, the employees worked the overtime because they needed the money.  I didn’t just read about these trends, but I experienced them as well.  As a technical writer, I had one position that paid 39/hr, and all overtime hour was straight time.  My regular salary would have been around 78K, however one year I earned over 120K.  Now you could say that was a great year, but working that amount of hours started affecting my health.  The other thing that I experienced as a writer was more work in job descriptions and training.  Many companies were sending many of their positions overseas and they were hiring technical writers to write the job descriptions and training instructions for their co-workers’ positions and later their own.  This gave a whole new meaning to working yourself out of a job.  This trend continued on throughout the 1^st decade of the 21^st century.  At the same time our children, spouses, and parents who were in the military were going to war.  For some, this was an income increase, but for others it was a strain, because they had to leave their regular jobs.  However, the middle class and poor continued to suffer because many of these men and women had to write to their loved ones for military armor, but when they got to Iraq or Afghanistan it was not available for them.  Many families got a crash course in military armor design, its cost and shipping.  Now as all of these things were occurring the deficit was running out of control and the banks had decided that they could gamble with the economy.  It is funny, all of us were beginning to see people suffer or struggle, but many of us believed our politicians when they said that the economy was sound, especially if we still had a job.  And for many people in the middle class, “we still have a job” was how it was described, because our pay had been lowered, our hours extended, and our job conditions lowered, our basic expenses increasing (gas, rent, utilities and food).  I don’t know if some of you remember, but in 2008 there were riots in 3^rd world countries over the large increase in the cost of food.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%E2%80%932008_world_food_price_crisis, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7331921.stm )  Americans did not riot, but we did notice that our grocery bill increased (http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113449-10939-1-4-rising-food-costs-that-will-hurt-your-wallet?ywaad=ad0035&nc) and we had to re-evaluate our budget.  So, I guess it is“class warfare” because the poor and the middle class have been getting the crap beaten out of them on a regular basis, for a long time with no relief.  As I would say in my younger days, "not even a reach-around".  So, I think that it would be fair if the wealthy paid more in taxes.  After all, it would only be temporary, because they would find a way to get out of paying their fair share as soon as the economy improved. 

Depression Dishes

When money was tight in our home, my grandmother would start making what she called “Depression Dishes.”  These were meals similar to the ones she had that were prepared by her mother during the Great Depression.  Usually when my mother came home and saw what was cooking, she usually turned her nosed up, but by the end of the evening, and she was having second helpings.  These dishes were economical, but they were also comfort food and they were filling.  Also, during tight times, she would go to the butcher to purchase meat, one place that she liked to go is Piquette market, http://www.meatdeal.com/.  I haven’t been there in years, but their website name is correct.  They always had some type of meat package deal going on.  It can be a good way to save money on meat, instead of going to a grocery store.  Depending on the size of your family a $50 package can feed the family for a month. 

What is funny is that in today’s economy some of the healthy cheaper meals that she made are no longer cheap.  For example, oxtails are now pricey.  Once or twice a year, we would have oxtail stew or soup, and it was very good and filling.  In this blog, I am going to discuss, economical dishes and how to obtain some of the more expensive ingredients.

I wanted to do the Depression Dishes blog right.  So I did some research.  I wanted to find meals that were still economical and healthy.  And, I thought it may be smart to review some of the recipes of America’s past during the depression.  I found a few sites: http://www.homeeverafter.com/printable-menu-plan-great-depression-recipes/, http://www.homeeverafter.com/printable-menu-plan-great-depression-recipes/ and http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/44025.aspx.  Then, low and behold I found this site:  http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/Episodes.html .  The cook and show’s host is Clara.  Clara is 96 years old now.  Anyway, there is a cookbook and a youtube series of Clara with her recipes and stories during the depression.  A lot of things that she makes, you can buy at the store for a reasonable price.  But, I really do believe, that non-processed food is better.  Clara is Italian, and even during the depression, when people pretty much had the same ingredients, you could tell the difference in the cooking, she uses a lot of Olive Oil.  As an African American whose family is from Texas, our Depression Dishes were Southern and Southwestern based.  One recipe book that my grandmother had was Big Mama's Old Black Pot by Ethel Dixon.  You can get it on Amazon.  For health reasons, you should make some changes (smoked turkey instead of pork, oil instead of lard, replace some salt with sea salt and etc…), but there are some economical meals and recipes in that cookbook.  One thing that you will notice in a lot of the meals is that there wasn’t a lot of meat.  People either purchased cheaper cuts or very thin cuts of meats.  Protein usually came in the form of beans, lentils and eggs.  Also, there were a lot of meals that were prepared in one pot or pan.  There were some casserole dishes but not that many.  I have added some other Depression dishes that you may want to consider.

Easy Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes from About.com

By Diana Rattray

An easy ground beef *casserole with potatoes and cheese.

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

·        1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, browned (ground turkey can be substituted)

·        1/2 cup chopped onion

·        salt and pepper

·        3 large potatoes, sliced

·        2 Carrots, shredded

·        1 can cream of mushroom soup

·        1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Brown ground beef in a skillet with chopped onions; cook until onions are tender. Drain off excess fat; transfer ground beef and onion to casserole dish. Add layer of sliced raw potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper; shred carrots to cover potatoes. Put soup over carrots. Bake at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

Tamale Pie Recipe from About.com

This tamale pie recipe is made with ground beef, onion, peppers, tomatoes, corn, olives, and cheese, and has a cornmeal and cheese crust.

Ingredients:

·        1 pound lean ground beef (ground turkey or a vegetarian version - black beans)

·        1 cup chopped onion

·        1 large green bell pepper, chopped

·        1 large can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

·        1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, cut up

·        1 can (16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

·        1 small can (4 ounces) sliced ripe olives (optional)

·        2 cloves garlic, minced

·        1 tablespoon sugar

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        2 teaspoons chili powder

·        dash black pepper

·        1 cup grated Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Crust:

·        3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        2 cups cold water

·        1/2 teaspoon chili powder

·        1 tablespoon butter or margarine

·        1/2 cup grated Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, for topping (optional)

Preparation:

Brown ground beef with onions and green pepper; drain well. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn, olives, garlic, sugar, salt, chili powder and black pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until thickened. Add cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Set filling aside.
In a saucepan, combine cornmeal, salt, water and chili powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Stir in butter. Spread half of the mixture into a baking dish, about 12- x 8-inches. Spoon filling over bottom crust; spoon remaining cornmeal mixture over filling. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. If desired, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the crust about 5 minutes before casserole is done.
Serves 6.

Chilli Beans

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 (1.25 ounce) packages chili seasoning mix
• 3 cups dried pinto beans

Directions

1.      Rinse the pinto beans and soak them in a bowl of water overnight.

2.      The next day, rinse the pinto beans and pour them into the pot. Add a piece of a smoked turkey wing or turkey leg.  Pour in enough water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding extra water as needed.

3.      Add diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, yellow onion, garlic powder, ground cumin and chili seasoning mix.

4.      Cover and simmer for 30 minutes

Chilli beans can be served alone or over rice.

Crock Pot

If you have a crock pot, you can place all of the ingredients in the crock pot after you have soaked the beans overnight.  Usually, I place all of the ingredients in the pot in the morning and set the crock pot to medium or low.  When I come home from work, my meal is ready.

Dark Days

Well today was hard.  I had some good news; I found out that I had an old small 401K plan that was available.  The company that I used to work for, merged with another company, and all of the plans were frozen until the merger was complete.  Now, I could roll it over or cash it out.  Rolling it over sounded like the best thing to do.  It was the smartest thing to do.  After all, I am a Frugal Diva.  It was only a couple of thousand, and I am at the age where I need to save as much as I can.  Also, when I had that job, I had taken a position with lower pay (10k pay cut), because it was supposed to be one of those Temp-to-Perm deals (It didn’t work out, but I got a job reference from my boss out of it.).  However, I still did the 401K.  Working in DC is expensive, but that pay really hurt my budget.  The only saving grace was that I got paid weekly.  I have found that you can make it on a lower salary, if you get paid weekly, because you just have to make it to the next check.  However, this year was harder.  It was 2008, yep right before the bank crisis.  I am sure everyone remembers that summer because everyone’s pay kept covering less and less.  And, a lot of people started borrowing or withdrawing from their 401K, just to pay the bills.  So, the fact that I was contributing to a 401K at the time was amazing, because my budget was tight.  I didn’t buy any clothes.  I had to take the MARC train and the Metro into DC every day.  I took the MARC because it was cheaper.  Train tickets were $10 roundtrip and I didn’t have to pay to park.  Also, if I purchased the monthly pass I saved $75 and I could ride the train as much as I wanted.  I didn’t go out to lunch a lot, because it could be expensive.  If I did go out, it would be on Fridays at Potbelly’s.  I also saved money on gas, because the train station was only 15 minutes away, so I would only use about ¼ of a tank a week.  Also, I ate a lot of vegetarian meals and what my grandmother used to call “Depression Dishes” (This is going to be a separate blog.).   But, I digress.  My point is that I sacrificed to save that little money.  I called this blog Dark Days, because I decided to take the penalty and withdraw the money this morning.  I hate doing it, but I feel like I am back in 2008 and my check just isn’t going as far.  I am trying to keep my head above water all over again.  And, since I refuse to lose this economy, I have to take the money and try to do some catching up.  It took my 3 days to make this decision, partly because I remember how hard it was to save that money.  I don’t feel that much like a Diva today...  

Share and Share Alike

Share and share alike, that is what my grandmother, Sweetiepie, would say.   But, growing up, I saw her perform this action much more than I heard her say it.   My grandmother always had a vegetable garden, so there were always cucumbers, peppers (green and jalapeño), onions, cabbages, collards, mustards, corn, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes (white and sweet) and pole beans.  Strawberries and grapes use to grow on the back fence, but they were there from the previous owner, and my grandmother let them grow wild for a long time.  However, even when our house was full, we still didn’t consume all of those fruits and vegetables, so she gave them away to friends and neighbors.   Sometimes, she traded with others, for cherries or apples.   I liked the trading part, because, usually meant that I was sent to the garden to pick the vegetables.  As a little kid, that was my favorite job.   But, it wasn’t just vegetables; she also shared plants as well.  And bartering, my grandmother used to do my cousin’s taxes, and in return he would mow the lawn on Saturdays, or other yard work.   I never thought much of it, but these were great survival skills.  And, they are skills that can be used today.

Those of you, who read my status on FB, know that I work in a rural area.   One benefit has been that people bring fruits and vegetables from their garden to work.   So, bags of squash, tomatoes, onions cucumbers, zucchini, corn and apples have placed on the table in the cafeteria.  People walk by and they help themselves.  I walk by and help myself.  Granted, I don’t have a garden, so I am getting the better end of the deal.  However, this Frugal Diva needs all the help she can get; my commute to work is 165 miles round trip.  I am taking the produce.  J

But, seriously, when was the last time you traded or shared?  Heck, I have to ask myself the same question.   One of my favorite places to shop for some items is Costco.  But, I am by myself and I live in an apartment, so I don’t do a lot of Costco shopping.   But, my mom does, so we share a membership.   Ok, I pay the membership, but she has paid in the past.   I pay online, and she doesn’t do the online thing.   However, if you have a sibling with a large family, you can share a membership and only pay half for the membership fee.   Another example, I like to order from Omaha Steaks from time to time, and they can be pricey.  Also, I don’t need all of that red meat.  So, the next time I order a package on sale, I am ordering with a friend.   That way, we can split the cost and have a good steak every now and them. 

One thing that I haven’t mentioned is that this frugal tip relies heavily on friendship, trust and reliability.   There is nothing more disappointing than to offer to go or go half or with a group on something, and the person or more than one person bails out.   I should know, because I lost money on a trip to Vegas once that way and a New Years Eve party and...   What am I saying?   That money is gone...  That is not frugal.  Ignore this blog!!  (sob, sob..)L 

***Happy Thoughts… Happy Thoughts… Happy Thoughts… Happy Thoughts… Happy Thoughts… Happy Thoughts!!!***

OK, no, that is not what I am saying.  You have to know the people that you are dealing with.  You have to know what your friends or relatives can deal with.  (Reality can cramp a Diva’s style, can’t it??…)  But if you know them, this can work out quite well on both sides.   And, if it doesn’t, don’t close yourself to other opportunities.   Wait a while, lick your wounds and choose someone else.  J

Those Bastards!!!

Yeah, you know who you are.  I walk into a store in August and you are putting up Christmas signs.  Halloween hasn’t come yet, oh yeah, that display has been up for a week.  Those Bastards!!!  Frugal Divas don’t like to be caught off guard or empty- things handed.  So, we must use some holiday strategy.  I love Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks and Neiman Marcus.  But , they do not befriend the Frugal Diva until a few weeks before Christmas and afterwards.  And, first they do it online and then at the actual Mortar and Brick stores. 

I have done many interesting things (Frugal Diva, frugal and just plain cheap) in the past for Christmas shopping.  And I am willing to open my vault of secrets for Frugal Diva shopping.  First, determine your budget now!!.  It’s early and if someone gets on your nerves, you can cross them off the list, just kidding….Well, you can maybe put them in the cheap gift pile.  Second, determine your Frugal friends (stores).  I have online and bricks and mortar friends.  I don’t shop at all of give of my friends, some friends just give me ideas. 

                    Online                                                                    Bricks and Mortar

Overstock     http://www.overstock.com/                                            Target 

Amazon        http://www.amazon.com/                                              Tuesday Morning

Figi       http://www.figis.com/                                                             TJ Maxx

Farmpac (Texas Treats)    http://www.farmpac.com/                         Ross (Dress for Less)

Forzieri (ideas)    http://www.forzieri.com/                                         Odd Lots / Big Lots

Macy’s     http://www.macys.com/                                                      Dollar Stores

Nordstrom’s    http://www.nordstom.com/                                          Marshalls

www.4greatcandy.com  

(Money Candles – great office gift exchange)

In extreme frugal times, I have made baskets as gifts.  For example, one year I made spa baskets.  This included a robe, slippers, turban, bath gel, body scrub, lotion and an eye mask.  Making a basket also made more sense because our family has a lot of allergies, and you can make sure that you purchase safe products. You can go to an Arts and Crafts store; however, I have been successful at getting all of my supplies at places like Tuesday Morning.  I have gone to the Dollar store for plastic wrap.  I usually prefer Tuesday Morning’s tissue paper.  Also, the baskets were sturdy enough, that their use continued for many years to come.  My mother uses her basket for holidays, sometimes even as a centerpiece.   

Since, the holidays are coming; I am going to share a few blogs on Holiday Shopping.  Your Frugal Diva has much more to share.