Creating a Home Management Binder- Part 2: Menu Planning

I grew up in a home that always had a homemade dinner every night, with the occasional pizza and soda on a Friday evening. I don’t ever remember eating fast food, or something from a package, or store-bought cookies. I’m not saying this to sound stuck up. I am simply thankful that my mother took the time to hone her own domestic skills, and also to teach them to us. I believe that her “old-fashioned” homemaking ways were a great gift to me and my siblings, and to our future families. I know now that lots of people have to learn to cook and plan meals once they get married or move out on their own.

Menu planning became more of a habit for me when I was working in the group home section of the agency I am employed at now. When you are feeding about a dozen people every meal, it’s important not to just “wing it.” Once I started creating meal plans for work, I found that I really liked it!

Planning your meals ahead of time has several benefits that make it worth the extra half hour it might take to sit down and create a schedule.

1)      It allows you to eat what you have. When you take time to prepare a menu plan, you can focus on using the items you already have in your pantry, freezer, and stockpile that need to be used up. This cuts down on waste.

2)      It saves you money. When you have a plan in place, you can build your grocery list from that. When you have everything that you need to complete a meal every day, there is no need to keep running out to the grocery store and picking up those last couple of items for dinner.

3)      It helps you track your family’s eating habits. Writing down what you are going to eat not only keeps you from ordering pizza too often, it helps you see patterns in what you are feeding your family. Do you eat starchy potatoes and carb-loaded pasta too often? Do you need some more variety in your veggies? Looking at your eating habits on paper can help you change them.

4)      It saves you time. You can altogether stop asking yourself, “What should I cook for dinner tonight?” or “What do I feel like eating?” When you have planned ahead, you can spare yourself the extra stress. You will begin to look forward to trying new things rather than always falling back on your same old casserole. Another way that menu planning saves time is by allowing you to look ahead and use your time wisely. Are you having pizza at the end of the week? Why not make your dough and stick it in the fridge when you have an extra few minutes. Fajitas? Chop your peppers and stick them in the freezer until you’re ready!

Creating a meal plan doesn’t have to be a focused activity, either. Throw some ideas onto paper while you’re sitting in front of a movie, or when you see something that looks good while you’re browsing through a magazine.

Try your best to stick to your plan, since the whole point is to streamline your life. But allow for flexibility. I know sometimes we are invited over to dinner at someone’s house, or late work schedules don’t allow me time to cook no matter how much I’ve prepped ahead of time. Sometimes in life, ordering a pizza on your way home is just the best option. That’s ok! When you are disciplined most of time, you don’t need to feel bad when your plan just isn’t working for you at that moment. Give yourself some breathing room. When I skip a meal on my menu plan, I like to rearrange and pick the meal that has the most non-perishable ingredients and move it to the next week. The key here is to still use those ingredients at some point in the near future to prevent waste.

Now that I have shared how passionately I feel about planning meals ahead of time, I’d like to share the form I use to plan my meals. I searched for a printable plan that I liked, and although there are some great ones out there, I couldn’t find one that worked for me. So I took matters into my own hands, and this is what I came up with! I wanted a menu plan that only planned my dinners in detail, but still gave me some space for breakfast, lunch, and cooking ahead. Feel free to print and share, but PLEASE give credit where it is due, and link back to my blog! Thanks so much for sharing your time with me today! I’m looking forward to building binders together!


*I was having some trouble making this link click through, so to print my Weekly Menu Plan, copy and paste the link to your browser! file:///H:/Home%20Management/The%20Modern%20Girl's%20Guide%20to%20Proverb's%2031-%20Meal%20Plan.htm

Money Modays: Mind Your Own Business {at all times!}

I am not talking about the idea of not worrying about other people. I am talking about being mindful of all of your home economics at all times. You are running an establishment: your home. A Proverbs 31 woman looks well to all the ways of her household, as we've been talking about. What's the number one thing that Proverbs 31 talks about? Yup, money.

Can you answer each of these questions?

1. Exactly what is your total debt that you need to pay off?
2. When are each of your bills due?
3. How much of your income is going toward expenses, debt, and necessary bills (like electric)?
4. When will you pay off your next debt?
5. How much extra money do you have for expenses after paying the bills?

If you aren't sure on some of these answers, it's time to do some research...on yourself. It's scary to rip off that band aid, and see exactly where you are financially. Sometimes people will be pleasantly surprised, and sometimes not. I'm guessing if you are avoiding this crucial step, it may not be good. Do it anyway. You can't move forward until you know where you are now!

I love the clip from the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic where Beks has to go through her credit card bills, and see how much she owes! Hopefully in our real lives, it's not quite so painful! She makes it hilarious, but there are definitely those of us who throw out over-the-limit warnings and final payment notices just hoping they will go away. You can try to budget and "do better" all you want to, but until you dig in and get involved with your money, your efforts will be futile! So what's the solution if you really don't know where you are financially?

START WRITING IT DOWN! Last week we talked about tracking income and expenses, and this just takes it a step further. You not only want to have, in writing, your income and expenses, but also things like your balances and minimum payments.

This is what I track, in writing, on a CONSTANT basis in our house:

1. A calendar dedicated to our due dates. This means everything- rent, electric, credit card payments, Netflix. Every single thing that has a due date goes on the calendar. These are your planned expenses. Your constants.

2. Our written budget. I split our month into halves, due to the way our paydays are, and I plan for the bills that are due during that "half" and also the expenses, like gas, grocery, etc. I absolutely could not do this step without having my payments calender! We will talk about budgeting more in coming weeks.

3. Our checkbook. I balance it about every other day. If you wait, and gather a stack of receipts, you will be sorely disappointed when you have finished the task of balancing your checkbook. Know what you have at all times. This is especially important for us, since we use a virtual "envelope system." I prefer my debit, and I hate carrying cash. I love the digital age. I know lots of people out there would disagree and say that cash is best. I may change my mind someday, and switch to cash- I definitely see the benefits! But for now, our "envelopes" are in Excel. My checkbook MUST match what my Excel spreadsheet says, always!

4. A running balance of our debt "snowball." I always know the balance on everything. This is so vital if you want to pay off debt. You will be able to see clearly which debts make steady progress as you pay, and which ones you are just throwing money at every month. You will be overjoyed at seeing the list get smaller and smaller as you pay off your debt! Always know what you owe, who you owe it to, and how soon you can be done with owing them!

5. A list of monthly expenses, and about how much you need for each one. This list will be born as you track your expenses, in the pre-budget step. You will get a good understanding of how much you have to have for gas, instead of just hoping you make it to payday. Now that we plan for the expense of gas, we don't waste time and money by putting a few dollars in the tank to get us through. You will have the opportunity to see how much you spend out to eat at restaurants, and you will be able to decide if that is a practical amount, or if you should be putting some of that money to better use.

You will need to have all of these factors in place as you begin to make your finances work for you, instead of being enslaved by them. The Bible says that we can't serve God and money. Most of the time, we think of serving money as spending lavishly, or being greedy and materialistic. Have you considered that it can also mean that you are trapped by money? When we are constantly concerned about money, or where it will come from, or how far we can stretch it, it is enslaving us. Sometimes life circumstances are such that these worries are not going anywhere soon. I understand. In our economy of unemployment, you may find the idea of financial peace unreachable. But let's at least do what we can to make our money work for us. To be the masters of money, instead of it being our master. We start here, by having a working knowledge of everything that we have. By taking inventory of our financial lives, and getting the good, the bad, and the ugly down on paper.

What's on the Menu: 1/22-1/28

Here is what we're eating this week! I have actually done pretty well with my grocery budget, and I'm excited about that. I'm being forced to get creative and see if I can make something rather than just buy it. I'm down to $65/week, but I think I might go over a little bit; I still need a couple of things that I don't think I can avoid buying.  :( Without further ado....

Sunday: Broccoli, Cheese, and Potato Soup w/Biscuits (We actually had this for lunch, and it was really good!)

Monday: Maple Roasted Chicken w/ Sweet Potatoes, Homemade Bread (From a mix, but hey, it's Bob's Red Mill, so it counts as "from scratch," right?)

Tuesday: Small group! We are bringing an appetizer and a dessert. I am probably going to make these interesting meatloaf cupcakes for our appetizer, and some cookies for dessert.

Wednesday: Chicken Rollatini w/ Spinach, Garlic Toast, and Tossed Salad

Thursday: Mike has band, and will grab something on the road, and I think I might be going out with a friend. We had to cancel last week, and band was also cancelled due to the weather....so we ordered a pizza. :)

Friday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Roasted Potato Wedges

Saturday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake 

Can you tell how much I like skinnytaste.com this week???? AWESOME healthy recipes! I was a little bored and needed inspiration when I stumbled across this site. So amazing. What are you eating this week? 

{friday's featured female} :: The Proverbs 31 Woman, vs. 20

Proverbs 31: 20 -"She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy."

I love this verse. I love that the Proverbs 31 woman makes the time to help others. I don’t ever want to be too busy for others. I struggle with that at times: working so hard on having my life just so, that I forget what it’s really about.

In her book, Beautiful in God’s Eyes, a study of the Proverbs 31 woman, Elizabeth George explains this verse so well. Although the verse seems redundant, it’s not. This author points to the different actions used here.

She stretches out (or extends) her hand- This is an action of giving: financially, from the variety of products that the Proverbs woman makes and sells, food, clothing, etc. She is reaching into her own pockets, to use the author’s wording, and extending her hand to fill a need of someone less fortunate than herself.

She reacheth forth her hands to the needy- She takes it a step further! This is the action of “getting her hands dirty.” She doesn’t give simply to be charitable or to do good deeds, but out of a genuine desire to serve and love. This action is one of doing, rather than giving. She visits the sick, she opens her home, she talks with the hurting. Here, she gives of herself, not just of her resources.

Isn’t it easy to do one and not the other? People like to do good in order to feel good. The Proverbs 31 woman does good because there is a need for good to be done. She takes the needs of others seriously. This is a woman who is a caregiver. We see this throughout her story- she minds the needs of her husband, her children, her maids, her self, her business connections, and her community. Her influence is far reaching. She gives from a genuine heart, and not from a desire to be lauded for her deeds. Her own works praise her, as the passage says, and she doesn’t need to make a show out of her charity.

Notice that she is keeping herself healthy and not stretching herself thin. Her careful planning and organization allow her to free up time to help the needy. She also starts at home and increases her circle of influence. First mentioned is her husband, then her family, then her household staff, then the poor, then herself. I don’t think this means that she always put herself last, or had unhealthy boundaries. I think it points to the simple joy that can be found in giving of yourself to others.

I am challenged by this passage to give out of love and obedience, and not for a show. To always check my heart’s motives. To make sure I’m not praising my own works- and that can come in many forms, including false modesty or humility! Do I desire to stretch out my hand and reach out my hands? Is it easier to look like I am giving more than I am?

And here’s the kicker: Do I organize my home and my life in order to look like I have it altogether, or for the purpose of freeing myself to be more available for the things God would have me do?

Creating a Home Management Binder- Part 1: Make it Beautiful & Functional!

I am a binder person. I love any excuse to categorize things into a well-categorized, pretty-colored notebook. Take my wedding, for example. You know what was more exciting to me than the ring, the proposal, or telling everyone the news? My elaborate, detailed Wedding Planning Binder, which of course matched my wedding colors. I need help, I know. (The most romantic moment was when my fiance said those words I longed to hear after the wedding….”This was a lot work, baby. I don’t know what we would have done without a wedding planning binder!” Yep, that’s why he is meant for me!)

But, although you may not want to become quite as neurotic with organization, I would still encourage you to consider creating a home management binder. As we talked about on Friday’s Featured Female, a wise woman “looks well to all the ways of her household.” What better way to know what “all of the ways of your household” are than to create tabs and sections for them?!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I get excited about using new things that are pretty. Pens, spreadsheets, plastic bins, office supplies- you name it! If it’s cutesy and functional, I want it.

The first thing you’ll want to do is select a binder that will be functional. It can be cute, too, but functional is definitely the most important. Ask yourself how sturdy it will need to be - will you be lugging this around with you all the time, or will it sit neatly on your desk? Does it need to be a zip-up binder- will you have scraps of paper and receipts tucked away? This is what you need to know before you spend money buying the prettiest notebook on the shelf!

Next, I like things that are adorable. It makes me want to use them more. Target has super-cute binders from Greenroom that I love. I didn’t choose this one, because I wanted inside pockets and a place to insert a cover sheet. But I am looking for a great excuse to buy one of these! 

Finally, you will need dividers. To determine how many you will need, you will want to decide on your categories. Everyone will have different sections that they deem important. For example, since I do not have children, I obviously don’t need a section for keeping up with my kid’s appointments and homework. (This is why I’m not a huge fan of pre-made organizational tools! I like to be able to use every part of what I buy!)  Be thinking about your categories, because I will soon be talking about each of my sections! I will also be showing you some great printable worksheets, both from my own work and from other very organized ladies across the blogosphere!

To give you some ideas, here are the sections of my Home Management Binder:

1)      Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping

2)      Cleaning and Organization

3)      Our Home Finances (I have a few different tabs in this section!)

-Bill due date schedule

-Debt payoff

-Medical debt payoff

4)      Stockpile Inventory

5)      My Wishlist

6)      Home Decorating

7)      Car Maintenance

8)      Christmas Planning

9)      Birthdays

10)  Addresses

I would eventually like to add a section for Vacation Planning! These are the sections that are functional and important for our tiny family! I’d love to hear the sections that you are using or plan to use! I hope you join me in creating an organizational tool to help you “look well to all the ways of your household!”

 Here is my binder!

Money Mondays: Track Your Spending

Last week, we talked about the importance of creating a budget. However, that can be really overwhelming if you don't know what you're bringing in and what you're spending! The first step toward sticking with a budget needs to be tracking your income and output.

You can start as simply as writing down your expenses in a spiral notebook. Just make a page for each category of your soon-to-be budget, including a page for your income. At this point, don't worry about trying to set limits on your spending. Proceed with "business as usual" for about a month, just to see what your habits are. Write down everything that you make and that you spend. Don't just write amounts from your receipts, but try to be a little more detailed. Later, when you are examining your budget, this will be helpful. Are you spending a lot fast food, or impulse buys at the grocery store? You will be surprised how fast purchases like that add up.

Some categories you could include are: out to eat, grocery, gas, bills, debt payments, entertainment, etc. If you spend some money that doesn't fit into one of the categories you made at the beginning, that is a clue to you that you may need to create a new page. For example, my husband's hair is pretty high-maintenance. As silly as it might seem, I knew we needed to make a separate category of our budget for this expense, so that it wasn't a surprise every other month.

At the end of a month, you should have a good overview of how you spend money. You should also have a good idea of whether or not you are spending less than you make, or if you need to make some drastic changes!

Now look through your pages carefully. What percentage of your income went toward gas? Toward debt? Toward clothes shopping? Look at where you could afford to decrease your spending. If you commute, decreasing your gas category may not be practical. But could you skip the fast food breakfast on the way to work? You'll save time, money, and calories if you can make something at home. How about your grocery shopping? Is it excessive, or are you already pinching pennies in that area?

The first time I tracked our money, I couldn't believe how much the spending was outweighing  savings and debt payoff. We could immediately adjust certain areas to reflect more balance. There were also categories that I knew we could not decrease, and may even benefit from increasing.

If you can look at your spending, and honestly say there is no area where you can cut back, you will need to look at increasing your income in some way. You may have to get creative. Dave Ramsey talks a lot about this, and I love the ideas he throws out there. If you need encouragement to get radical about increasing your income, and decreasing your spending, I would really suggest visiting his website.

However, I believe that unless you have already taken drastic steps, and have already created a nice, tight budget, you probably have somewhere in your spending that you can pare down. I know that even now, while working on being accountable and maintaining a budget, I can still cut back. I can still stretch myself to be more creative, more frugal, and more accountable to my budget.

The most important things that I hope you take away from this post are to WRITE IT ALL DOWN, and ASSESS YOUR SPENDING. Until you really evaluate where you're at, you can't go anywhere. After this vital step, you will be ready to set your budget! Don't be discouraged if you don't "find" wads of money that you didn't realize you had. Honestly, only the people that are making a lot of money, and don't have to worry about how much they have to spend are going to find wads of money. In our current economy, there are not many people who don't have to think about limits on their cash flow. Even the wealthy incur debt, and I believe everyone is called to be a good steward of finances. It doesn't matter if you don't have to budget; you should. That's how you stay wealthy! Don't be fooled- people live at or above their means. It takes just as much discipline and hard work to be on a budget when you are making $100,00 a year as it does when you are making $40,000. The percentages of income spent in people's "categories" are probably pretty similar, even if the dollar amount is larger. Does that make sense? There are millionaires in debt. So don't worry if you don't make a lot. You can still be a good steward of what you do have, and you can still find some extra cash in your budget that you can re- prioritize.

So- what are you spending? Is it more or less than what you make? Are you doing great in some areas, but a little shabby in others? Do you have some areas that you simply need to plan for so that you can afford to put your money toward what you love or want to have? I'd love to hear your comments, and see how you're doing!

What's on the Menu: 1/15-1/21

This is what we are eating this week! Since it's now Monday, and I've already made Sunday's dinner, I posted some pictures of my yummy results of a new pizza recipe! It was good! Not quite as tantalizing as the picture looks, but still really yummy.

Sunday: Grilled Tomato Basil Pizza

(I "grilled" mine in pan, since I had no desire to go out and use the grill in this weather!)

 








Monday: Chicken Parmesan, Pasta, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Tuesday: Small group! I'm bringing the tortilla shells and chopped tomatoes.

Wednesday: White Bean Chowder, Biscuits, Salad

Thursday:  I'm possibly going out with a friend, and hubby will be fending for himself on the way to his band practice.

 Friday: Lemon Chicken Breast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, and Rolls

What are you having this week?