Thursday, February 27, 2014

2013 "Big" Project Photos!

2013 was the year of broken piggy banks and big changes. You've all seen the finished product - how about a little in-between fun?

Organized chaos? How about just chaos.....

Kitchen Project:
Photo 1 = In the process of refinishing the existing cabinets
Photo 2 = Running water line
Photo 3 = Post stove install. Honestly, that thing seriously weighs 600 lbs (just ask my husband and his good friend Gio - they'll confirm)
Photo 4 = Building the kitchen island. My amazing husband did this by himself, no joke.

 
 
 
 
 
Flooring Project:
Photo 1= Andrew installing the living room floors
Photo 2 = Our BFF for the weekend
Photo 3 = Floors going down in the hallway
Photo 4 = Extreme concentration required for the quarter round!
Photo 5 = My love for the almighty nail gun shows :)
 
 
 

 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Behold, chalk paint awesomeness!

Chalk paint is pretty much my BFF right now, and here are some reasons why:

  • NO MORE SANDING, NO MORE PRIMER! (UM, hello - this is reason alone. period.)

  • You can take the most ridiculous looking, FREE piece of crap from Craig's List, slap some chalk paint on it and miraculously make it an awesome looking piece of furniture. 

  • It is easy to use, dries quickly and produces the most amazingly quirky finish.

  • One quart of the stuff goes a LONG way. You could honestly paint pretty much everything in your entire house with a quart or two. Better pick a color you like!

  • The finish holds up. I've painted pieces before with a combo of primer and outdoor latex and the results ended up being a wee bit underwhelming. Our most recent project (desk and desk chair - see below! Done by the amazingly fab Andrew Dylewski) is painted with chalk paint and the finish is holding up like a CHAMP. I put glasses with ice on the top of this desk, no issue!

My favorite chalk paint is made by Annie Sloan. She offers a wide array of colors, and the paint is really high quality (http://www.anniesloan.com/)

You can also make your own chalk paint (http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-i-make-chalk-paint.html) ....side note, this blog is AWESOME!).....and she also LOVES Annie Sloan ;)

Behold, our most recent chalk paint project!

Budget Breakdown:
The hubs found this bad boy FOR FREE on the good 'old CL (Craig's List). The chair I bought for $5.00 bucks at an antique shop......

Project total (hardware, chalk paint, chair, fabric for chair = $60.00!)


DESK BEFORE: (sorry this picture is fuzzy and saving weird, I give....). You get the idea though - it's fugly and VERY beat up.

 
 
DESK AFTER: (a 'lil chalk paint and new hardware makes this desk shine!) I have no idea why my pictures look fuzzy, ugh!
 


CHAIR BEFORE:




CHAIR AFTER:


It feels great to make something new again. Can't beat the bargain basement price either. Not too shabby!
 
 
 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wallet Friendly Dinner Ideas


Well hello there Wednesday......

I'm taking a break from the budget busting series to share a few yummy (and super easy!) recipes that I've been adding to my repertoire.

Cutting down on your monthly expenses is MUCH easier if you make an effort to cook at home. I know many of us aren't blessed with the gift of culinary expertise, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the rest of your life eating from a box.

I find the majority of my recipes from either Eating Well, or Budget Bytes.

Over the last few months, Budget Bytes has been the place to be for me. Easy, quick and most of the recipes utilize several items that I keep on hand (canned tomatoes, veggie broth, etc.).

Below, I've listed a few of my favorites to get you started.....

Enjoy!

First up, chicken taco bowls. This is honestly SO easy. You dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and BAM - deliciousness. We've had them twice in the last three weeks. Leftovers are perfect for lunch, and I swear - it is even better the next day!

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls/


Next up, the Spinach and Artichoke wonder pot. This recipe is AMAZING. Easy, quick and it tastes a fancier then it truly is. Easy on the wallet too!

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/10/spinach-artichoke-wonderpot/


And finally, a true staple in our house. It can be jazzed up with a few modifications. I had a friend serve it for a casual dinner party. To make it "dinner party worthily" she added high-quality mushrooms and topped with an expensive cheese (sorry parmesan, you aren't exotic enough!)

YUM! This is also a great option for lunches. It keeps well, reheats well, plus it is easy and delicious.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/skillet_gnocchi_with_chard_white_beans.html

Cheers to a delicious dinner!




Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Budget Buster Series - Part 2

Ok, so it's been a while - but I'm back on my soap box and ready to spew the second part of FHL's four part budget busting series.

Part two consists of "cutting corners" aka - spending less on all of those  "adult-ish expenses" (cable, groceries, utilities).

Let's start with food, because frankly, if you take a real look at your budget it's probably the area that is currently making your wallet explode at the seems. Have you ever really calculated how much your family spends on food on a daily, monthly or weekly basis? If you haven't - try it. You'll be amazed.

Brag-worthily moment: my weekly grocery shopping bill regularly comes to $75.00 or less per week. For those of you who don't know, I'm feeing two people mouths and three doggie mouths, which equates to a decent amount of grub required.....

Before I left my full-time corporate job, I budgeted $150.00 dollars a week for groceries and I ALWAYS spent it. I would mindless throw all kinds of goodies in the cart each week, only to mindlessly toss lots of stuff we didn't eat. Shameful, I know.

So, you ask - how does one avoid letting their weekly shopping trip break the bank?

PLAN YOUR MEALS! SHOP WITH A LIST! BUY STORE BRAND...............AND......

BRING A CALULATOR
 
Look, I know the last part makes people cringe. We've (Ok maybe we all haven't - I HAVE) judged the lady with 20 kids, a massive coupon organizer and calculator in tow but lets get real and realize that this lady it SMART! She doesn't waste money, and neither should you!
 
The calculator is KEY to keeping you on track. Watching that number grow really does something to your psyche (if you don't need it - don't buy it!).
 
The second "cutting corners" tip - haggle like you mean it people! Cable companies, natural-gas providers, etc. are all vying for your business- MAKE THEM WORK FOR IT.
 
Don't ever pay the advertised price for utilities. Call 'em up and tell them you're leaving. They'll get the message and you'll get some extra green in your pocket (disclaimer: this doesn't always work, and you may get someone with an attitude but for pete's sake at least give it a go! Wouldn't you be super peeved if you found out your neighbor was paying less for the exact same cable package? Use that thought as your backbone and have at it).  
 
Lastly,  take a long hard look at all of those other "no fun" monthly expenses. Cell phone bills, car repair bills, etc. Could you switch to a family plan to make that cell phone that much more affordable? Are you taking your car to the dealership for service (unless you drive a maserati I personally think you are just fine taking a visit to the local mechanic).
 
Remember, the less cash you spend on lame-o adult things, the more cash you have to spend on fun things :)
 
If all of my rambling wasn't enough budget busting advice for you, check out some of the help websites below.
 
 http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson2/index.htm

(this one mentions "spending creep" which is totally a real thing. Ever heard the phrase "the more money you make the more money you spend".....it happens!)

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/budget/cut-grocery-bill-jan05

(this one mentions our good friend the coupon!)

http://momanddadmoney.com/negotiating-your-bills/

(the key to getting want you want - BE NICE! BE PATIENT, neither of which is particularly easy for me)
 
Happy Tuesday!