Saturday Frugal Food : Hot Chocolate

I make this wonderful thing called Heart Attack Hot Chocolate. I love it, my husband loves it, my friend Amee seemed fairly fond of it. I make it from scratch with ingredients that I have around the house and it saves me from buying expensive drink mix.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1C - 1 1/2 C Milk

Cost per Serving : Approx $0.40

Pour the milk in a pan and set over a medium heat. Stirring as much as possible, add the other ingredients. Mix well and continue to heat until warmed through.

You can add a little peppermint flavoring if you want it minty, or for real Heart Attack Hot Chocolate, top with marshmallows, whipped cream, and grated chocolate!

Last Day Off

Today was my last day off until April. 

It scares me to think that starting Monday I'll be working 60 hour weeks at two different jobs. Lets also tack on one of the scariest things. My husband took a new job in Florida, 5 and a half hours away. He'll be working down there 5 days a week and coming back on weekends. 

I'm quite terrified, but we're committed to making it all work. This means that we're going to have some serious changes to our budget and the way that we handle our money. I'm hoping that we'll be able to make more progress on some of the joint goals that we have over the next few months. 

I'm sure going to miss him, though. 

Have You Checked On Your Car Insurance Lately?

Car insurance is one of those necessary evils. We all hate to pay it, but you've got to do what you've got to do. 

Now, everyone knows that your driving history effects your premiums. If you have a ticket or an accident on your record, you'll be paying more every month. However, those only last for three years. So if you've ever had a speeding violation or a traffic incident, make sure that you know the date that they will be coming off your record. 

Why is this important? Because if it comes off before your insurance policy gets renewed, you won't automatically get those savings until the next term. But, if you call them and ask them, they can adjust your policy. 

I have joint insurance with my husband, and we both have small violations coming off our record in the next two months. If I call and check in with my insurance company, I will likely be able to knock 10% or more off the cost of our premiums. 

So, if you know you've had an infraction, give your insurance company a quick call and see when it's due to come off your policy. Every little helps!

Saturday Frugal Food: Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Pasta with a red sauce is one of the most frugal foods I know. This recipe is for a basic tomato sauce that can also be used in things like lasagna, or as a base for pizza.

Ingredients

1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Very Small Can Tomato Paste
1 Normal can of Tomato Puree
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Dried Basil
2 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)

Cost per Serving : Approx $0.62

This is ridiculously simple. Take all of the ingredients and put them in a pan. Cover the pan, turn on a low heat, simmer for 20 minutes. That is all there is to it. You can add veggies like bell peppers or onions if you have some left over that need using up, but this sauce holds up really well on it's own. This will keep in the fridge for more than a week, or you can freeze it in Tupperware and defrost as needed.

Check out these other frugal recipes:

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Cheese and Egg Wrap

How Much Do You Pay for a Haircut?

I have a question..... how much do you pay for a haircut?
I have long, fine hair. It's hard for me to do anything with it in the mornings because it doesn't hold a style. Because of this, I rely on really good haircuts that make my hair look okay, but don't require maintenance.
I had one of these cuts yesterday. I go to a really great salon and my cut costs me about $55, and then I usually top on top of that.
Is this extreme? I know that I am working on my finances and being frugal, but should I be cutting back on my cuts too?

How much do you pay for a haircut?

Tides are Turning

I've had a really bad 8 months. Lets not kid around here. It's been pretty horrible. 

There have been times when I've wanted to pack in this blog, to give up on any goals and dreams that I'm trying to pursue, and just hide with the covers pulled over my head. 

But I feel like I'm getting close to a shift. I'm about to go back to having two jobs again. I'll still be working in professional theatre, but I'll be doing that part time while I work a new full time job at a strong and steady web company. 

I'll be doing online technical support. The pay is good, and the company seems really nice. It means that I'll be able to get a strong grip on my finances. I may even be able to pay my non-student loan debt off as early as September. This is a huge deal to me. It also means I can pay off my student loan on time. 

It means I'll be back to sixty hour weeks until April when I will drop back to 50 hours. 

The other reason I feel like the tides are turning is that something good and random may have fallen into my lap. I've been looking at doing voiceover work for a while and haven't gotten round to getting my demo recorded. Today one of my friends, an actor around town told me that he had referred his agent to me about a small acting gig that she was looking for someone to do. 

This is a little out of the ordinary for me, I don't act primarily, but I have in the past. So I called her, she asked me to come in and do an audition tape, and she's sending it to the client today. I should find out tomorrow whether or not I get it, but she does seem pretty confident, which was nice. I had a lot of fun doing it. 

If this pans out, it's a foot in the door to more work. I'm going to be sending this agent my headshot and resume, and my demo if I ever get it recorded. We'll see if anything good comes of it!

So it feels like things might finally be working out. Now all I have to do is remain calm while I wait for that phone call!