Cheapness

I have arrived because Dave Ramsey would be proud of me. For the first time I took great joy in shopping at Goodwill. It's a little like "dumpster diving" for clothing and I LOVE it. I spotted a pair of perfect pants for Simi two racks away and dove THROUGH the racks of clothing to get to it first (never mind there was no one within 15 feet of it). It was a stellar good find. But I would say the crowning moment of thriftiness came when I tried, unsuccessfully, to scam a Goodwill employee. I backed off when she said she could lose her job for doing what I suggested. Beth, I would have made you proud in that moment. Since you are THE Queen of Free.

Money, Money, Money....Oh, how I hate money!

How can you loathe something so much, when you've never even had it enough to get to know it? Although I do appreciate the millions of dollars God filters through our lives over a lifetime, I still haven't figured it all out. Like how to make it work for my family and stop making us work for it! I came across this article in our recent Reader's Digest issue and thought it was quite reassuring that there are crazy people like us out there! It is all very worth it and we will be the better for it, and hopefully our children will as well! Check it out! Reader's Digest

what's for dinner?

Hey yall here's a recipe for those of you, like me, who have run out of grocery money and it's only 1/2 of the way through the month. So in honor of roadkill here's a recipe for you out of A Husband's Guide to Home Entertaining (1978). There is also another recipe I chose not to print here for you because of it's disgusting factor....involving a calf head, brain, and a sharp knife. I am not regretting my vegan-ism.

BRAISED SQUIRREL
2 squirrels cut for stew
1tsp salt
½ freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp butter or peanut oil
¼ cup brandy or Cognac
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 cup grated sweet onion
3 finely minced shallots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ tsp dry crumbled thyme
¼ tsp dry crumbled marjoram
½ cup dry red wine
1tsp cornstarch

Rub squirrel pieces with salt and pepper, brown in butter over very low heat. Drain butter from pan, heat brandy; pour over squirrel pieces and light. Lay flames burn out, then add all remaining ingredients except cornstarch. Cover pan, simmer at very low hear until squirrel pieces are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dissolves cornstarch in cool water, stir into pan, simmer until pan liquids thicken.
Serves 8

Introducing....

A slacker...me! That is what I know about myself. In the context of not doing this group anymore I know that I, thus forcing my hubby, will slack off on this Ramsey plan. As much as we have dissed Mr. Ramsey, I really am enjoying his plan. We have learned a lot in the short time we've been at it and don't know how much change is going to affect our group. Change is good, but like sandpaper, really. It's rough going through but comes out smooth and pretty in the end. This group has been a great group to be involved in with accountability and such. I feel as though we're just getting started in some respects, though. Like we've barely uncovered the surface and now we're changing. I hope we find a way to stay as a group, this small one, through what's coming down the pike. Eventhough, Dave and I have a very long way to go I realize you guys are almost there and we could potentially be boring you to death or holding you back in some way. We are committed to being better stewards of our blessings that God has given us. We also are well aware of the fact that even when, and I know it's a matter of when, we slack we'll know when and where and how to get the support to get back on track! We love you all! :( :) ........I love roadkill and ramen! Long live roadkill and ramen!?!

missing you already

Everyone keeps telling me that the Ramsey study at church will be great and I suppose that's true once I can get past not eat ting lunch with you all every Sunday afternoon. I have so enjoyed knowing more about you all in finances, life, and general knowledge (thanks to Billy). I am missing you and your not even gone.... I think our tradition should continue even if lunch on Sunday's won't work anymore.

Nutty Peach Crisp

1 (29 oz.) can sliced peaches, undrained
1 (18 1/4 oz.) Pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. chopped pecans

Arrange peaches in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with coconut and pecans. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

Hello Fellow Ramsey want-to-beeees:
I have a new sure fire system to spend less at the grocery: Walk to the store and carry re-use able bags.
As I was walking though the Lion today I knew that I only could buy what I could carry home in my three bags. That means no impulse buys, kid toys, or anything with liquid (no beer, juice, bottled water, wine, etc because it's too heavy).
SO here's my rational. If I buy more it's like weightlifting (exercise), if I buy less my budget thanks me. It's a win/win situation :)

I would include a pic but my camera died today......it'll be 6 months before I can save up enough to purchase it, thank you, Mr. Ramsey.

Ramen and Road-kill casserole!

The one and only Ramen and Road-kill casserole!

Nasty name, but good to eat! Cheap Too!

3 pkgs Ramen
1 bag frozen veggies
1 can corn
3 eggs
5 strips bacon
Total cost = $4.69

Goin' green on the line!

Well, so far I have two lines up on my clothesline and I am a happy woman! What a beautiful site. It really brings back memories for me of when I was rather young hanging clothes on the line with my grandmother. We are trying this new drying technique to cut back on energy costs as we "Ramsify" our monetary situation. Hopefully this will cut back!

Cut your ac costs by 30%

Cool-N-Save Energy Saver from Cool-N-Save on Vimeo.

Links for Losers (Losers of debt, that is)

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

http://www.thecouponclippers.com/index.html

http://www.clotheslineshop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=C


Check these out to add to your money saving list of things to do!
LY guys,
Shan

Carport Folly in VA

Again, tell me why we leave our AC off during those 98+ days? I am just glad I wasn't here to experience that one! Yes, when I hear that hot weather is coming I just leave....leave the state that is! I spent the last week in VA with my sister who does believe in AC and doesn't care right now. I felt a little like I was harbouring a secret from her on how much she could be saving! I am a bad little sister! Anyway, the funny thing was that we (Melissa and I) spent most of our time outside! Sitting on the carport or under the umbrella table. My bro in law thought we were crazy and out of our minds and just plain funny. The last day he actually joined us! I found it quite cold in the house and loved that my room was the warmest room in the house when it came to bedtime! But, my sister just called me and asked, "What's the name of that money book?" She was investing in the Ramsey phenomena as we speak! One more convert! I doubt that her AC will go off anytime soon, they will find other ways to cut back. I sincerely missed all of you and hope that your week was wonderful!

Here is a fact to help you feel better about no ac:
One of the most intriguing factors listed in the study is the “reduction in variability of ambient temperature.” The widespread use of central heating and air conditioning means that most homes and offices are now kept at a relatively constant temperature year-round. Allison’s group found evidence that this causes the body to expend less energy, because it does not have to work to warm up or cool down, potentially leading to increased fat stores. In the South, where obesity rates are the highest in the nation, homes with central air increased from 37 to 70 percent between 1978 and 1990.

Also, check this page out for some awesome tips to staying cool without air conditioning. I'm thinking with all this $ we will save on no ac we'll put in a pool!
http://www.wikihow.com/Cool-Yourself-Without-Air-Conditioning

Hace Calor

93 - was the temp at the Johnson house Tuesday around 2:00pm - It went up to 97 but I didn't have a camera handy. Whew - sweatin' it out!

Electricity

Last night during our weekly meeting, (which I can say did not really go that well) we noticed that our electric bill was much higher than hoped. Well after much investigating I found the following.

1. I goofed on the budget, I think I only put down the electric and not the gas bill for the month. So much for higher math.
2. We are using much more electricity than we expected with the A/C off. (If you are going to sweat the summer out, you'd like to have some nice reward for it, eh?)
3. Due to the laws of supply and demand, when people use more electricity, as in summertime!, the rates go up! So if everyone turned off theit A/c the rates would be less. Ahhh, live like no one else......

I even called the electric company, but they said the meter was working. So it was time for a new plan. I closed up all the windows at 8:00am, shut the bilnds but left the celing fans on. I did not run the noisy box fan we have been running for 24/7. Then about every hour I've gone to the meter and recorded the reading to see what we realy use. So far it is just under 1KW/ hour.

The good news is that the house stayed relativly cool Some may argue that 83 is cool, but compared to the 93 it was outside, it is cool. You see, everything is relative. It stayed 10 degrees cooler ll day until the outside temp. started to drop. The temp. on the thermomitor was inside upstairs just before we opened up all the windows and turned on all the fans. God was even helping, as a storm was rolling in and the outside was dropping quickly!

There is a first time for everthing

We really enjoyed having everyone here on Sunday. Thanks for driving out to see us! Good news-when I figured out how much we spent on dinner, it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. We spent $41.44 before sales tax. That was only $2.31 per person (we were planning on 18 people). I hope to do better next time.

More good news-we picked up the insurance checks today! Now we can get started rebuilding the apartments. The bank has put an eleven business day hold on the larger one, then they will release some of the money. I feel like we are sitting at the top of a roller coaster ride just waiting for it to start. I really do see God's hand in all this, but it is hard to be patient.

Hope you are praying for us-we are praying for you. It is getting easier to pray as we learn more about each of your situations. Isn't it amazing how each one is so different and yet the same? Thanks for including us.

in a rut

I don't know about you, but I am seriously missing Jenny's air conditioning right now. Thank you Ryburns for the wonderfully perfect meal and nice climate. I had heard folk-lore about the Ryburn estate: bountiful gardens (turns out that was true), Billy's animal collection and knowledge is endless (true), and their library was in fact a serious library (true, too). Thanks again for sharing your home, food and friendship with us - it was the highlight of my day and thats saying a lot.

Thank you Kirk for your lesson. The three questions made me think so here's my thoughts.....
Where am I going?
Debt-free. But right now it's at a crawl. I don't feel passionate as I did in the beginning and something you said today drove that point home. I'LL BE ON THIS PLAN F-O-R-E-V-E-R. This is huge for me since I have only committed myself to two things in my life forever: marriage and kids. Commitment is very scary and un-fun for me. I have to stay focused on the here and now. Thinking about the *F* word (forever, no 4-Letter words here) I lose hope that I'll be able to maintain that level of commitment for the long-haul. Remember when the debt bug first bit? I was ready to sell everything right down to the lint balls under my bed. Now that's faded and I need a jump start in excitement. If I am to be totally honest, this is a common pattern in my life. I leap from one thing to another. Maybe it's the character flaw in me that needs to be removed. Prayer please.
Where am I now?
cutting any corners I can and trying no to become overwhelmed. I like stuff, but I want to lose my love of stuff so the Ramsey plan can be freeing not confining. So Pray for me that *STUFF* will becoming meaningless to me.
I forgot the last ?.........can you jog my memory?
Thanks again, and I hope you all have a wonderful afternoon with minimal spousal fights.

So what do a group of friends do when they all realize that they need to change they way they use money? The get together and buy a book, creat spending ploans, turn off their air conditioning, eat meals together, and laugh a lot. Oh yea, they pray. Pray for each other to suceed, for others in similiar circumstance, and they they would not kill each other in the process..

A Cooler....WITH WHEELS!

So I cannot top the cast iron thingamajigger, but I can tell you about my out-of-wagon experience. I can totally justify the purchase! As a matter of fact let's start at the very beginning. You see, I was buying my new sneakers with which to exercise, seeing how my others have fallen apart! I thought they would be great for walking to the store. The one that is getting ready to open up at the end of this month, less than 1.5 miles from my house! So in my infinite wisdom I just thought of course it would only behoove me to purchase a mid size cooler, which we didn't have and have said we "needed"(whatever that really means!) so when I saw this one on sale at Target (nothing of importance never goes on sale at Target) I had to snatch it up! It was six dollars off and it HAS WHEELS! Do you see where I'm going with this? To the store, that's where! What a great way to haul my frozen and refrigerated purchases back to my house from the new store, right? Whatever...it'll never happen, but it sounded like a great plan in the moment! I am so ashamed...My name is Shannon and I have a problem......

This is a test-only a test(Am I really blogging?)I change my mind-This is not a test

Yep - I fell off the wagon today. Sorry fellow Ramsey believers - I couldn't resist enameled covered cast iron - it's my weakness in life. How do I justify this you ask? Le Creuset costs $320 for a 6qt. casserole, Emile Henry $180, but at Walmart I spent $50. Not to mention that I REALLY, REALLY needed one. Well that depends on what the word *need* means to you.

Lasagna recipe

Lasagna
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I used turkey)
3/4 pound lean ground beef (I used turkey)
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Carrot Cake
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (used coconut oil because that's all I had)
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used the 1/3 fat creamed cheese)
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake

ummm lasagna

lasagna $8

carrot cake $4

living on a budget: priceless

PB&J

I never grow tired of the PB&Js! I can't wait to see what my wife mixes with ramen noodles tonight!

Day one

Hi Everyone,

here's the blog we talked about at our lunch yesterday (thanks again Kirk and Beth - it was perfect). Below is the email conversation that took place a day before the yard sale. Can you believe we made it though?

I think blogging will be a good way for us to keep up the support when it gets super frustrating and we don't *feel* like sticking to the Ramsey anymore. I plan to post cheap recipes, my ups and downs of budgeting and all that. Also, you all are free to make posts on this site - so PLEASE post.

Can you all refresh my memory on our possible skit content may be? Here's the nuggets I remember:
1. Road Kill and Ramen (hence the name of our blog)
2. If you don't bring dinner you better hit it on the way home
3. Is your AC out?
I know there is a TON more so jog my memory

Elizabeth starts:
I just want to let everyone know how much I HATE the process of yard selling. It's all about my emotional attachment so pray for me that this process speed up and I release all of my bonds with inanimate objects, instead of pout and moan.I have done everything to avoid this project including trying to solve a rubic's cube for an hour (no luck although I did get the cross figure down pat). The upstairs rooms are in disarray and if it's up to me right now, I vote to just burn my house down. It's currently hot enough inside my house to spontaneously combust but the humidity has got to be somewhere in the 200% neighborhood. There is a thunderhead forming in the living room so I expect a little relief in the next 20-30 minutes when it blows through. Second best procrastination technique: arson. Remind me why we have elected not to turn on the air conditioner?I neeeeeeeeed prayer and a venti soy green tea latte from starbucks,E

Shannon tells her side:
OK, so I am only writing to you girls because some of this content my not be suited for others, but AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Yard sales, where do I begin? It's really a twelve step process like AA, and it goes like this:
1. Admit you have a problem
2. Crawl into every oriphus of your home and drag out every item covered in dust, older than dirt, something you would not even consider giving to your children and put a price tag on it.
3. Cry
4. Sweat
5. Bitch and Moan
6. Procrastinate
7. Hold your breath
8. Clean everything off, wash it, dry it, polish it like you love it!
9. Look at it and ponder,"How much would I pay for this?" Oh, yea, I already fell for that once.....
10. Find a box to organize each item into certain categories, i.e. crap, old crap, crap I still like, and c....r.....a.....p
11. Put out a sign directing people to your crap
12. Sell your crap and take your profits of $11.50 and splurge on a new...................pack of gum.
Was it worth it? Heck yea!

I started early this morning with pleading and prayer with God. Please dear Lord make me want to do this (kinda like my sex prayer, but not really). Then I walked for the first time in months, not procrastination but exercise!!! Then I dove in head first. Great, you say, way to go, you add, awesome...... Here's my dilemma: When I dove in I forgot to remove my exercise clothing of which contained a sports bra... Now you may wonder why this is a big deal. Remember our ac is off. O - F - F, off. So I realize I'm like the proverbial frog in cool water this a.m. that has during the day been turned up unbeknownst to me. Now I am sweating so hard and dripping that the tape I'm using for pricing won't stick! Which I think has to do with the friggin' humidity index in my house as well. I'm working so hard that I don't realize that within my tshirt a chemical reaction is happening so severe, so scary, so horrible that only when I contemplate taking a shower do I then have a fear like no other......... HOW THE HELL DO I GET THIS DAMN THING OFF WITHOUT PUTTING MY SHOULDER OUT OR WORSE STRANGLING MYSELF!!!!!!!

Elizabeth says:
I LOVE IT!!!!!! I can so identify. This whole process SUCKS. I love the part about the sports bra. I absolutely hate bra-entrapment. Thoughts run through my mind of cutting it off or worse having to be buried in it because there's no way this sucker is coming unglued from my skin. In my height of boobie-ness when my boobs were a DD I wore 3 sport bras at once to control the jiggle and that was insanity getting those off.

My hubby came home from work and helped me evacuate the upstairs. Mind you, I can only take about 15 minutes of purging before I want to hang myself. My tactic is this: point out what needs to go where and then quietly disappear (which is what I am currently doing) and hope that he doesn't notice that I've been absent for the past 45 minutes. I am in residing in step #6 and don't see any hope of leaving it today or even tomorrow. Earlier this week AOL had a scrolling message that jumped out at me "Aries beware, worst day all year: July 10" I'll give you two guesses what my sign is, hint you'll only need one. Crap, hubby just busted me,E

LETS PRAISE GOD FOR 83 DEGREES TODAY!