February 2011 Controlled/No Spend Thread

[ses]

I am accomplishing NOTHING today. Calleigh went to the vet last night for her spaying today and Onyx hadn't left my side or lap since she realized Calleigh is not around. I'm not sure if she afraid she will be the next to be "taken away" or just taking advantage of the lack of competition for "Mom time"
Did anyone else have trouble getting on proboards today? Kept getting a "busy signal"
Now that my taxes are done and I only have to come up with an extra $288 for the state it is time to project for the other annual expenses for the year. In the past I got a tax refund that helped, but this coming up with an extra $288 for taxed as well as increases in all the other expenses are going to make for a tight budget. Especially since my income was also REDUCED 2%. This budget planning is NOT FUN!
Honey--Excellent guide for fried chix, and a super letter.

[MittenKitten]

Thanks for the ideas and help. I am going to submit pictures. We have a certain amount of money to use for him for staffing, paid parent, environmental modifications etc. The hard part is we are going to need blinds for the whole house excluding our bedroom and DS#1s room as he does not go in those rooms.

He has torn down his sister's curtains, soon the bonus room and his room curtains are going to come down on his head. We can't put curtains in our family room and can't afford the blinds we need due to the western exposure and lack of trees so that side of the house absolutely bakes.

The really frustrating part is we get the amount REGARDLESS! We just have to allocate it to another category. I really don't want to take it as paid parent since we have to pay taxes on it and have higher fees.

Honey: Thank you for the letter. I am working on modifying it then I will think about it for a day or so and see what else I want to include on it. I am hoping with a strongly written letter and pictures it will help.

mizbear: Yeah DS#2 is very attached to his routine, has a ton of sensory issues and is non verbal. But you have given me the idea to purhaps video tape him and submit that. Thanks for the idea!

You gals rock!

DS#2 did pretty well in school today. I am keeping him home from therapy since I don't want to over do it and have him relapse, again.....

[redwagon]

Ugh my weight is up AGAIN this week. I need to get my eating habits under control and start really working out again. I keep telling myself I "deserve" this or that treat but then three times a day equals a pound a week. One treat a day should be enough. I used to be so good at this...

So, question: What are you favorite portable healthy, filling breakfasts? I've been eating the fiber one muffins but those are 5 points and that's a lot for their size, and they're no more filling than a 3pt fiber one bar. I do oatmeal some days, but that's 4 pts. I've gotten into yogurt as an afternoon snack, but used to have that for bfast. Just feeling really lost at the moment. Trying to come up with a healthy dinner plan, since my inkling to do sweet and sour chicken would just be a horrible start to a new WW week. Sigh.

mitten - good luck getting things squared away with DS#2 and the blinds. hopefully they come around.

[gldnluvly]

startsmart-Great!! Look forward to meeting you!

red-Try eating 5 small meals a day and spreading your points out that way. You know if you want the treats, you have to take those points from another meal later. What low point foods do you really like that would satisfy that snacky feeling? That may help. Last night, I just didn't feel like cooking. We had pizza which means that's it for the week unless I do some serious activities between now and Sat. Also, look at those snacky things and see if it is really worth it. When I was doing weight watchers, I saved my snacks for something big at the end of the week like a good brownie. There's nothing wrong w/your sweet and sour chicken. We just need to find you a lighter version.

[azmom]

Hey these fellow No Spenders, well I am more of a wanna be these days. Ugh I have been bucked off the wagon and have been trapped under the wheel, being used as a continual speed bump!! This month continues to be a emotional roller coaster for me.

Yesterday was my DS birthday...I made him pancakes and sausage for breakfast, packed him a special lunch with a happy birthday note, took donuts to his class, DH left work early and met them here as they came home from school with a slushie from Sonic ($1.50) for three. We took him to the candy store in the mall to spend a gift certificate he received a while back and then took him to a Pizza Place DH grew up going to (we spent less than $10 for pizza and video games) we came back home to sing happy birthday and serve Chocolate Sheet Cake (recipe courtesy of PW) and mint chocolate chip ice cream. My MIL came over to sing with us and give him his gift. His gift from us was a $10 bat bag and put all of his gear he already has in it for him. He loved it.

SES and EVERYONE: Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and tips regarding freezing. With DH's next check, I plan on implementing several of your suggestions as I will be able to stock up some. I do have one follow up question: I do not have a sealer or any other Tupperware or extra dishes to use. For now, I will be using the tin pans they sell (I use them to take other woman meals in) My question is how would I seal that up so it freezes it correctly. Do I do plastic wrap and then foil and what is the expiration of frozen meals?

Sheila: Okay so I am very interested in E-Bay given your success. I do not have many items to sell and do not plan on profiting as you have but I do need to make about $100 before next pay day and I have been brainstorming some ideas. I went on e-Bay just to see if they are selling any items and one is selling for $30 which gives me a little bit if hope. That is the first time I have ever been on that site. Is it pretty self explanatory as to setting up and getting started? Anything I should be aware of?

All: Does anyone sell their children's clothes/items at those consignment stores? Have you had any success?

[sheilaincali]

azmom: It's pretty easy to get started. If you run into any problems email me (screen name at gmail dot com). DH does most of the photos and listings but I do the q&a and shipping out of items.
We sold mostly some of DS' lego, used, broken ipods, misc toys, etc. No one thing was super valuable.
I keep my auctions to like 3 or 4 days (you can pick) because most people don't start to bid until the last day.
Beware of the regular scams. Setting up paypal is really easy and the fastest way to get paid. If you decide not to do paypal I would only accept postal money orders.

Good luck

We are up to just over $1300 so far.

[oklady920]

I'm in I would like to try for 10 NSD and 5 CSD's .

[redwagon]

gldn - I am a grazer, so I do spread things out over the day. People at work think I eat constantly, but it's never a lot. That's one reason I don't like eating lunch with everyone, because they would ask if I was sick or whatnot. They'd fill up their plates and I'd have a small salad with half a hard-boiled egg, and 1oz of chicken and be full. An hour and a half later I'll have the yogurt or some pretzels. In the morning I have my coffee (I admit 2-3 pts go here) and either oatmeal or yogurt or the fiber one muffin/bar (even though I might really want a horrible for me donut, lately). Two hours later a banana or a few graham crackers. Dinner I eat pretty small portions unless it's heaven in which case I eat more even though I'm full. Pop Secret Homestyle popcorn is my downfall. I'm trying to convince myself the 100cal packs taste the same, but they don't. and then after the salt I need sweet, trying to just have a spoonful of marshmallow fluff and not a bowl of ice cream haha. I'm a work in progress...

[redwagon]

Oh, i forgot to mention (I think) that we got our car insurance bill for the next six months and it went DOWN. Either they counted the accident as no-fault or they missed that note when they came up with their premium. either way, i'm not arguing and will quickly and quietly pay. Such a relief though!! I thought I'd need to pull from other funds but I had exactly the right amount saved up!

[dakota4600]

AZmom- I sell mini-D's clothes at consignment sales, not stores. Around here we have several different outfits that do it they have spring and fall ones. You go on-line and enter the clothes and price them. Then print out pricing labels and drop them at the sale. You get 70% of the sales price and they will donate the rest to charity for you. I tried the store once and just felt like they had too many rules (they handed me a full sheet of paper about the rules for dropping off and then it could take them up to 2 weeks to go through your clothes) and paid you pennies on the dollar based on the prices they sold stuff for. (If I remember correctly it was a 100-150% markup over what they bought it for.) The ones here also don't want generic or discount store clothes, they had a list of brands that they would take. I just didn't have a good experience. Now with the sales I made about $120 each on the first 2 I did and $60 on the last one. I'm going to try once more this spring and if it stays at $60, then I'm going to just donate the clothes. It is a lot of work to get them ready.

On the freezing of meals. What I did with the enchiladas this weekend was put aluminum foil in the pan first then prepped the enchiladas and froze it in the pan. (I left enough foil hanging out that I could cover the top with the foil.) Then when the are frozen pull the aluminum foil and enchiladas out of the pan and pop that into a freezer bag. That way your pans aren't tied up in the freezer. I mark mine with what pan it goes into so it is easier when I take them back out. Then take the package out of the bag and pop it frozen into the pan and either cook it frozen or let it defrost. I just leave the aluminum foil on while it cooks.

SES- Yes I got the busy signal this morning too!

[ses]

AZmom--I use regular ziplock freezerbags for relative short term(1-2 mo). Close the bag except for a space for a straw and suck out as much air as possible, then quickly seal the zipper. I also have a small hand sized foodsaver(about $30 at Target) and the bags that go with it. It is not marked for freezer use but I have had success for short term storage. They are washable and reusable. Even the quart bag is too big for me at times so I put my portions in cheap sandwich (not zipper bags) then freeze them until the juices are solid then put several in a foodfresh bag and then vacuum seal.

If you don't want to use up all of your foil pans, try lining your cooking dish with foil, enough to wrap the food with, and freeze until the food is frozen. Wrap the foil tightly around the frozen food and remove from the pan and stash in the freezer. When you remove it from the freezer plop it back in the pan you prepared it in, thaw, bake and the foil provides easy cleanup. You might want to use the heavy duty foil for really long freezing. Look around the kitchen for freezer containers....ice cream tubs, cool whip tubs, margarine tubs. I even used a 2 liter soda bottle for pasta sauce once (I'll have to try that next time I make enchilada sauce). I once made a roll of refrigerator cookies and after I rolled them into a log I froze them in a Pringles can. Be creative. Be sure to leave some room for expansion during freezing. I like to use freezer tape around the lids for a little extra protection and be sure to LABEL what the contents are and when you froze them.

Don't spend the money for tupperware, frequently I see coupons for ziplock and glad containers. Especially around holidays (leftovers). You will get several tubs for the price of one tupperware container. When they are the same size, as a package of those bowls are, they are easier to stack and store. If you do buy something remember squares and rectangles stack and store easier than round bowls.

Many of the people on the Once a Month cooking sites just use regular freezer bags. You might check them out for more info.

If you decide to do more of this type of cooking you might want to start saving for a larger Foodsaver machine that can vacuum stuff for up to a year. About $125 I think, but could cause BIG savings over time. I think startsmart or dakota has one, perhaps they will chime in.

If you have ways to freeze or store, cooking ahead and bulk buying can really save money. Throw coupons and sales on top of that you will soon be RICH!! Or not, your kids still have to go through their teen (empty pit) years.

[gldnluvly]

red-Make your own snack mix that blends sweet and salty. I'm a popcorn girl, too. And I love that Pop Secret Homestyle. However, I really like making hot air popcorn. It was a nightly snack w/DOM. I think I'm going to have to do this for myself.

azmom-Oooo, chocolate!!! Don't mind me I am just pmssing. Craving sweet and salty.

HEY!!! The new dishwasher gets delivered tonight.

[gldnluvly]

azmom-I have an older foodsaver I am not using. If you would like it, I would be happy to ship it to you.

All-As someone who worked at one of those make a meal places. A regular storage bag is good for 2 months in the freezer. If you don't feel comfortable, just double bag it.

[mizbear]

red- I don't do well with points- I get too hung up on the points and end up starving LOL. Have you tried a WW whole bagel with WW cream cheese? Or thomas' makes these cute little mini whole wheat bagels. Very tasty and soft. I honestly drink SLim Fast a lot of days or eat Zone bars or eat scrambled eggs with cheese (2 with about a tbs of shredded cheese).
My grandmother and aunt and cousin have all loved their Food Savers.

[mizbear]

red- Sweet and sour chicken have you tried the Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine?

[redwagon]

mizbear - thanks for the suggestion but I love to cook and try to cook dinners with fresh ingredients. I'll look into ways to healthify it though (although I'll still have to have the "bad" version from time to time because it is divine). My problem is I am an extremely picky eater and am generally averse to fruits and veggies. Trying to eat more of those to fill in the "blanks" in my day now that they are "free" points. I think if I can get the popcorn situation under control, and start working out, and set limits on pastry consumption, I can get back on track...

gldn - see I'm odd in that I don't want to mix salty and sweet. Hate choc. covered pretzels, etc. I want one and then the other. I'm bizarre, what can I say. I think if I can get into snack packs, or make it in our oil popper and then NOT add butter, I can do this. Again, will reserve homestyle for special occassions only.

Thanks a lot both of you!! I'm staying motivated so far (it's been 6 hours haha). I had a quesadilla sans queso with light sour cream, and just decided I will put in a Biggest Loser workout video. Those are always a workout!!!

[ses]

Redwagon--I have a recipe for Orange chicken that is very similar to sweet and sour (290 cal/6WW points) if you want it. I haven't tried it yet, so who knows.

[redwagon]

SES - that'd be great! thanks!

[mizbear]

red- air popped popcorn is very low in fat and calories and you could sprinkle it with a salt free seasoning
I also love to cook- my freezer often looks like I am a Meals on Wheels customer because I have all my little containers and bags stacked up. I found the nice heavy washable rubbermaid sets on sale right before Christmas and my DM bought me one. But I prefer zip bags for certain items. Ziploc twist containers are great for sauces and soups.

[constanz22]

Update 4 NS, 4 CS

Well, I definitely have some sort of head cold, sinus thing going on and feel like total crud. I'm sure it doesn't help that the temperature in my office has been over 80 most days, and I'm in and out several times a day, going from 20 degrees to 80 and back...not good...I'm sure.

red I did WW many years ago, probably 7 or more. I lost weight and even became a lifetime member, but, I really struggled with it. I have a really hard time eating foods that I don't care for and I was ALWAYS hungry on it...ALWAYS...you can only eat so much sugar free jello with fat free cool whip. I definitely need to lose weight again, but I'm not sure I want to go the WW route again. Lots of people love it and do great on it.
Oh, PopSecret Homestyle popcorn is my weakness too! OMG...I kind of found it by mistake and I was hooked. I don't care for any other popcorn now. Yeah, I've tried the 100 cal. too and it doesn't do it for me...

Honey Loved your letter! I know who to contact if I ever need help writing a letter...LOL!

I bought a Foodsaver before Christmas...saw a great one day type sale on a blog for like 70% off. I'm sad to say, I haven't even taken it out of the box yet...that, or my Shark steam mop that I bought Black Friday. Yes, I have issues...

All this talk about freezer meals. I've always wanted to try it, but, my problem is, once a cooked meal goes into my freezer, it never sees the light of day again until I throw it in the garbage. I'm not usually crazy about the taste/consistency, but, I still want to try. I actually got Taste Of Home "Freezer Pleaser" cookbook for Christmas. I ended up with 2 of them and would be happy to pass one along if someone is interested...you can PM me.

ses What do you hear from sharing? I thought she was going to rejoin us? I really miss her around here...it doesn't feel the same...

[redwagon]

constanz - I've done WW several times over the years, the first time before the points system even existed. I've had success every time, as long as I stick with it. It's when I go off of it and start eating only junk and stop exercising that I gain it back (much like the past month). I've never denied myself things I want, I just try to teach myself that I can't give in to every impulse, and work that into my points. I also refuse to eat foods I don't like. I do like fruit, I just need to train myself that fruit is an acceptable snack, that snacks do not always need to be baked goods or greasy chips. It's more a mental block than anything. I like certain veggies, and am trying to expand my palate as I get older, and find new ways to cook them. I now rather enjoy broccoli, asparagus, and surprisingly enough, brussels sprouts, if cooked in certain ways. I still allow myself indulgent breakfasts once or twice a week, and my morning coffee with half and half. I still eat plenty of cheese. But instead of regular OJ I'll have Trop 50, and I cook far less fried food and enjoy finding new recipes that are healthier. It's a lot of give and take, and finding the right balance. Which I had been doing. Until the donut brain took over. I think working out will help too, because I know I make better choices when I'm working out regularly. Tonight I worked out, then I had the 100cal popcorn and added a bit of extra salt, and it fulfilled my need for salty/crunchy. It's not the homestyle, but if I'm honest with myself, I feel satisfied and am not hungry. I stole a bite of blue's chocolate chip cookie, and have thus satisfied my sweet urge for one point instead of 5. I think I am good for tonight, maybe a cup of tea without sugar just before heading up to bed. Sorry this is long, but it's really helping typing out what my problems are and how I can address them. It's always been a very vague thing in my head, but typing it out, I really think this is doable for me. I eat the extras not because I'm hungry but usually because I'm bored or "deserve" it or it's just an old habit (hello bag of popcorn followed by ice cream).

That said, I'm sorry it didn't work for you long-term. Have you tried SparkPeople? It helps you get all your important nutrient categories fulfilled or reduced, depending (I tend to eat too much fat and not enough fiber or protein, things that being on WW has also brought to my attention). I lost about 5 pounds using it last year before heading to WW, and the message boards are really supportive too. I still use those even though I don't track on there.

As far as Homestyle popcorn, the semester I was abroad in Scotland, I had friends ship boxes of it to me because they know of my obsession and the UK has crap for popcorn (no offense UK). Pretty much every one I know has standing orders to buy every box in sight if it's ever announced that they are discontinuing the flavor. When my dentist told me I had to stop eating popcorn I cried in the chair (stopped for two weeks until my follow-up and picked it right back up again). It's sad, really...

And now I'm done. Sorry for taking over to talk about non-money-related things. Although it is, because I shell out $40 a month for WW and have been essentially wasting that money since July (my lowest weigh-in, 9.4 pounds lower than I am now. God that really sucks to write out). So I'm going to try to make it worth it from now on. Otherwise, if I haven't lost back at least to my July weight by May (my one year anniv.) I will quit.

Okay, all done.

[muttleynfelix]

Red- I'm not doing any program and not really trying that hard, but back in May I was 10 pounds below my preg weight and I have just slowly gained it all back. I know what I have to do to lose it (cut out soda and start exercising a bit), but I just can't seem to do it. I'm in my BFF's wedding in March and am now worried my bridesmaids dress is not going to fit.

[MittenKitten]

Okay I surrender. I totally give up!

[Honeylioness]

*scooting over to make room for MittenKitten on the bench and handing her a white flag to match mine*

Sorry to see you also are having a rough time ... you can sit next to me as I sidelined myself also

[redwagon]

muttley - it takes 11 times to make a habit, or something like that. start with one thing at a time, then slowly add in other changes. easier said than done, I know... Can you go for walks at lunchtime? I find that by at least doing that I feel better overall, even if I'm not getting in a killer cardio workout.

mitten - hugs

honey - thanks for making me laugh. sorry you guys are having a rough time!

[shanendoah]

[glow=blue,2,300]Welcome Oklady!![/glow]
We love getting new members. As you can see, we're a chatty bunch that takes the holistic approach to money (in that money effects just about everything in our lives, and just about everything in our lives effects money) so we talk about a lot of stuff. Feel free to jump right in.

Update: 5 of 11 NSD, 1 of 8 MOAN
I'm going to try and do some Wii again tonight. The coughing fits seem to come and go, so we'll see.
Pretty happy that after today we should be over halfway to our NSD goal, though I must admit that its a lot easier to get those days when you have a limited diet AND feel like crud. I'm getting better at figuring out restaurant wise what I can eat and can't, but right now, I don't want to do anything other than go home and lie in bed with my puppies.
I am losing about 1lb/wk thanks to the braces/bite plate. If I can keep this up for the whole ~6 months I have to wear the bite plate, I'll be down 26lbs - under 250 for the first time 7 years or so. And hopefully by that time, the limited snacking will be a true habit and I can keep losing.

red_wagon: I love dried fruits, so I used to eat a lot of dried mango, apple, apricots, prunes, etc. A snack I found that worked really well for me was yogurt covered raisins. I'd get them in vanilla and chocolate. If you need crunchy, apple and banana chips are good.
I am a salt addict. Have been all my life. My family switched to a lite salt when I was still a pre-teen because my father and I were both so bad about it. One of my biggest challenges has been eating my salty snacks in reasonable quantities. I have found that low sodium (or fat free) triscuits/wheat thins and a little bit of neufschatel cheese works really well on those cravings for me. Or some cheddar and crackers.

honey & mk: Take a seat, get yourselves some oxygen, but the second half of the month is coming up, and we need our key players to make plays here.

[dakota4600]

Another no Spend!! While I hate the crappy weather it really is curbing in my spending. My CC bill from January was about half of what December's was. Now part of that was Christmas presents, but not all of it. I may go out tonight and get birthday presents I need for this weekend.

AZmom- A couple other freezer tips. I find freezing sauces works best in a ziplock, put the sauce in the bag and get the air out. I have a really good method, though I'm having trouble figuring out how to describe it. Basically you pull the bag up over the edge of the counter top to get the excess air out. Then lay it flat in the freezer once frozen I stand them sauce bags up on a tiny shelf next to my ice maker.

SES- My seal-a-meal is just one of the $30 dollar ones and works well. My rule of thumb about using the vacuum sealer, is it is for longer term storage. If it is something we will use in a couple weeks, it goes in a freezer bag, if it is going to be longer than that it gets vacuum sealed. Even though that doesn't seem long, I think the food keeps better in the vacuum sealed bags and has less of the taste and texture issues. I did try your straw method with the ziplocs, when I was packaging up some short term freezer food last night. It seemed to work pretty well.

Red- I know how you feel about the weight loss. I've joined spark people months ago and have yet to actually log anything. I've done it with a different program before and had success, but just can't find the motivation to forgo those chips or cookies. I've been doing better with portion control. At dinner I've been splitting my meal with mini-D, so I eat 1/2-2/3 of a chicken breast instead of the whole thing. My weakness is the late afternoon munchies at the office. Especially if things are slow. I'm like you I don't eat because I'm hungry I eat because I'm bored or I see the food.

MK & Honey- Hugs to both of you!

Has anyone heard from Sharing? Is she going to join us over here on the new boards?

[muttleynfelix]

Red - We use to walk at lunch all the time, but then with fewer people a lot of times it is just me walkig now. The last couple weeks the weather has been too bad to walk. I gave up soda for lent 2 years ago and Easter morning after sunrise service I made DH stop by Casey's so I could get one. Sigh. My problem is that I've been having 2 a day instead of one. Even at home, which I never use to do.

[redwagon]

muttley - About two years ago I told blue that most people drink the weight on with juices and full-cal sodas. At the time he drank iced tea like water and several cokes a day. He stopped both cold turkey (coke zero does the trick now) and has dropped probably 20 pounds, maybe more (he refuses to weigh himself, but went from a 42 waist to 36-38) without changing anything else. I'm SO jealous. I almost wish I drank full-cal soda to begin with so that switching to diet would make a difference, but I've always preferred diet coke (regular is too sweet and gives me headaches). Sigh. Men. The plus of working in the city is the sidewalks HAVE to be cleared within a day of the snow, so there's always somewhere to walk. Still weary about trekking through Central Park and very eager for Spring so I can resume my nature strolls. Hopefully Spring comes for you too so you can get out there and walk again!

shanen - i love raisenets and yogurt raisins!! I do cycle through those as a snack, but only for boredom urges. I don't find them filling enough to get rid of afternoon hunger pains, sadly.

[ses]

Honey & MK--hold your white flags high. I will be there momentarily with my bright red marker to give you both bunches of OXOXOXOX (hugs and kisses) on your flags.

I talked with Moneysquirrel a couple of weeks ago and she mentioned that Sharing had hunkered down to just get through January dealing with her extensive dental issues (root canal?) and nasty weather issues and then she was going out west to visit DS and DGkids. I think she plans to be back the last part of the month.

Calleigh got home from the vet last night and is still moving kind of slow. She likes to hunch down on top of the heat duct and look out the window at the snow. Onyx tried to initiate some playtime earlier and didn't quite know what to do when Calleigh didn't want to participate. With her belly shaved she looks so bony and skinny, even though she is eating well. I guess she is just going through her gawky "teenage years."

Red-- I'll get that recipe posted sometime this afternoon. It looks really tasty.