Smart Budgeting

While we're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, many of us have taken a beating financially from the recent economic crisis. Job losses, underemployment, student debt and credit card debt undertaken from investing in what would hopefully eventually be beneficial are crushing millions of us. But there's plenty we can do to make the day-to-day easier. We're all already familiar with cutting back. Here are a few tips on using your budget to get the most from your paycheck for your future.

Keep Investing
Paying off debt or keeping afloat may be your highest priority. However, if you can afford it, keep putting aside a percentage of your paycheck towards investments and retirement, especially if your employer offers a matching investments. Spending one year not putting aside money can result in spending hundreds more a month later down the road to make up for it.

Pay More than the Minimum
Paying the minimum balance on credit cards and loans is a good way to barely keep your head above water. There are plenty of online calculators to determine how much your monthly payment needs to be to pay off your cards completely in your chosen number of years. Try to aim for paying off your debts in 5 years or less. Balance your payments by how large the debt is. Let's say you have $200 a month you can put towards credit cards, and you have one card with a balance of $1000 and another with a balance of $3000. 25% of your debt is on the lower card. So pay $50 (25% of your monthly payment budget) to the lower card and $150 to the higher card. It will get paid down a lot faster and you can avoid hefty interest fees by paying more. Of course, the higher the interest, the faster you want to try to pay down that card.

Make Smart Purchases
This may seem obvious, but be discerning when allocating your money to extra expenditures. You may be able to live with a beat up old couch. But a leaky drain can turn into a flooded house, and a toothache can turn into a root canal. If you must spend extra money, be sure you're investing in something you really need. And especially spend on things that can turn into a problem later. It's better to nip it in the bud.

Buy Secondhand and Fix What You Have
You can get tons of good quality items if you give yourself a little extra time and keep a discerning eye out. We didn't have anywhere to sit in our living room and were in the market for a couch. We had the option of buying a new discount couch for $800 at a wholesale warehouse, but didn't really have the budget for it. We found a nice worn-in leather couch at a second-hand store for $300 and spent $100 and a few hours of elbow grease to restore the leather. That's half the price for a nicer couch! Same principle applies to clothes. Nice quality slacks and jeans that may just need to be dry-cleaned, dyed, patched or hemmed get dropped off at Goodwill because the last person didn't want to bother with it. Look for consignment shops in nicer neighborhoods for the best quality deals. Keep an open mind and see what you can find. If something you already have is wearing out and you don't know how to fix it, take it to a tailor or a dry cleaner to get it like new again for just a few bucks.

Keep an Eye on Your Credit Score
Make sure you always pay your bills on time, and if you can't, call and see what kind of deals you can make. Many loans and credit cards offer deferred payment programs, especially if you're unemployed. Try to avoid opening any new accounts and if you must have a card, keep the one you've had the longest for the most positive effect on your credit. If you can, pay your full debt instead of negotiating down. A chargeoff can really hurt your credit and be much worse for you in the future than just being in debt.

It's OK to Rent!
A lot of people think that purchasing is the soundest decision you can make, but purchasing an item new can devalue it instantly, just like driving a new car off the lot. That's a big dent in your investment. An even bigger dent comes from maintenance. Avoid the headaches of repairs by letting someone else do the work for you. Azuma covers all maintenance and installation at no charge for refrigerator and washer and dryer rentals, giving you one less thing to worry about.

Don't Get Caught Up in the Little Things
Oftentimes financial advisers will tell you to cut back on little stuff, like the fancy coffees or basic cable. It's true that these things add up, however sometimes that cup of coffee is the only thing keeping you sane through your workday. You know what you spend the most money on. Eating at home, using a prepaid phone instead of a smartphone and re-watching a DVD instead of going out to the theater are all things we already know save money. You still have to live your life, so don't tear your hair out over the small stuff. Sometimes having that small reward that you earned at the end of the week, like a cup of coffee, is what reminds you that you're working towards long term goals and are still doing okay.

Hopefully these tips will help you all continue to be wise with your money. Until next time, keep it clean!

Keeping Your Clothes Like New

It's always a little bittersweet to finally part with a piece of clothing, whether it's stained, colorless, the fabric has lost its luster or it's gained a few holes along the way. Sometimes you're ready for it to go, but sometimes  there are pieces you have to repeatedly replace like socks and underwear or that favorite rock concert t-shirt that you just can't seem to let go of. You don't need fancy detergents or dry-cleaning to keep your clothes perfect. Here are a few tips to extending the life of the clothes you have, and saving a few bucks while you do it!

Fading Away
Nothing makes a piece of clothing look old like faded color. To prevent fading, wash colors on cold, avoid hanging colored pieces in the sun to dry, turn pieces inside-out during washing (especially jeans) and consider adding 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash cycle to preserve the color. If the color has already faded, you can add new life to your clothes by dyeing similar colors. Black clothing is great place to start. You can find affordable fabric dye online or in most grocery stores in the laundry aisle.

Hard Fabric
Everyone knows the unpleasant feeling of a scratchy towel or crusty socks. For thicker fabrics, be especially sure that you're not overloading your washer with too much detergent. You can run the washer on a rinse cycle with towels, socks or sweaters and if it looks sudsy, you're using too much. Another good prevention technique is to avoid overloading the washer to begin with. Keep lighter weight clothing and heavier fabrics in separate loads, and don't put more than 5 pairs of jeans or towels in one load. Only loading the washer 3/4 full and not packing in or pushing down the clothes are good rules to remember. Make sure socks are completely unrolled when you throw them in the wash. To soften your clothes, add a big scoop of baking soda to the wash water. Using hot water for sweaty clothes like socks and workout gear and purchasing natural fabrics like cotton, bamboo or hemp help keep things softer too.

Threadbare or Stretched Out Fabric
Hot air is great for fluffing up towels and sweaters and making your clothing feel soft, but most clothing can take a beating if they're heated for too long. Try to line-dry or lay flat your more delicate clothing, anything with elastic or spandex blends and thinner fabrics like shirts. Elastic does not mesh well with heat, so be especially careful with socks, sportswear and underwear. Check the dryer periodically when drying and take out the clothes immediately when they no longer feel damp. Smaller loads, line drying before using the dryer for fluffing or splitting up large loads into smaller ones all insure less exposure to heat and a longer life for fabric and color.

Dingy Colors
In time, lighter and brighter colored clothing can get dingy, grayish or pinkish. For whites, soak in hydrogen peroxide or an oxygenated detergent overnight. Many colored fabrics can also withstand oxygenated detergent, however be sure to test an inconspicuous spot first or use an oxygenated detergent formulated for colors. Always separate your colors into like colors when washing. It can be a pain, but it's worth it.  Wash new clothing items the first few times separately or by hand to avoid the new dye mixing with your older clothes. Did a red shirt sneak in to your load of whites? The minute you notice your clothes have encountered color bleed, take out the offending odd-colored piece of clothing and re-wash the load with oxygenated detergent or bleach. If you let the clothes dry first, chances are the color will set and there's no turning back.

Follow these tips and your clothes will stay with you for years to come! Until next time, keep it clean!

Homemade Sandwich Bread!

   Last week, you were taught how to make a delicious homemade pizza crust using simple ingredients.  I love this idea because the more basic the ingredients, the healthier the outcome. This week, I would like to provide you with another easy, yet extremely satisfying, homemade bread recipe for a white sandwich loaf.
   If you are an avid label reader like myself, you have probably noticed the lengthy, unpronounceable list of ingredients on store-bought breads. This is very unsettling and I much prefer to make homemade bread whenever I get the chance. The following recipe yields three loaves of sandwich bread. That way, you will have a couple of loaves to freeze for a later date or give away to friends!
   First you will need to gather your ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 cups warm milk or filtered water (or half and half)
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 cups bread flour (more or less depending on consistency of dough)

   Now for the fun part. Mix together yeast, all purpose flour, oil, and milk and/or water. Rest for about 20 minutes. Now add the salt and enough bread flour until the consistency is no longer sticky. Knead several times and allow to rise until doubled (about 1 hour) in a warm area. Shape the dough (I usually flatten the dough and then roll it up like a burrito almost, pinching the ends in and the bottom until there is no seam.) Place in pre-oiled bread pan ‘seam’ down and allow to rise again for another hour or so. Bake @ 375 degrees F for around 35 minutes until tops are nice and brown. If you do not have a bread pan, you can also just shape the dough into 3 rounds, slice an X on the top, and bake it the same way! Either way you do it, this bread is a winner.

    You can use this loaf for sandwiches, but don't stop there! This bread is wonderful for bruschetta, french toast, and bread pudding. You can also use leftover bread to make amazing croutons or breadcrumbs for your next fried endeavor! Use this recipe and help eliminate the processed, store brand breads with all of their additives and preservatives. Eat homemade bread the healthy way! Because is there anything better than warm bread and butter? Happy eating! :)

Getting Fit on the Cheap

Fitness has become a growing market in the United States. With all the advertisements for weight loss plans, equipment, gym memberships, TV shows about getting thin fast and celebrities selling shakes and "superfoods", on top of advertisements for regular supermarket foods touting their supposed health benefits, it's no wonder that most people are confused. Some of the information we're getting is downright contradictory. Here's a few quick and easy tips to bypass all of that, and save a few bucks too!


Ditch the gym. Depending on what membership you get, fitness clubs can range from as little as $20 bucks a month to upwards from $100 or more. That's a lot of dough! If you have a pair of running shoes and a sidewalk or a not-too-busy road, just walk out your front door and start jogging. Cardiovascular activity is the surest way to lose weight fast (and show off muscle tone!). Check out free programs such as Walk to Run or Couch to 5k if you're new to running for tips on building stamina. Ideally, running 45 minutes to 1 hour consecutively in your heart rate zone will burn the most calories, build the best heart health, strengthen your memory, boost your creativity and improve your mood. Yep, exercise does all of that, even after just one run! If you're new to working out and having trouble figuring out how hard your working, invest in a basic heart rate monitor and learn what your heart rate zone is. Continually running in your zone will get you used to the difference between feeling the burn and hurting yourself by working too hard. It takes 21 consecutive days to build a habit, so put a calendar on your wall, sleep in your gym clothes, roll out of bed and put on your sneaks and get out the door. It's much easier than packing a bag and driving, then working out in front of a bunch of strangers.

You don't need fancy gear to sweat. I admit, it's tantalizing to try out moisture-wicking technology and compression gear that's supposed to make you more aerodynamic and your muscles recover faster. But actually, scientific studies show that a lot of that gear doesn't help by much. Unless you're a professional athlete, shaving 0.12 seconds off your race time isn't going to do you a lot of good. If it helps you get over your embarrassment to work out by wearing good looking clothes, check out a local thrift store, browse a big box store for comfortable pajama pants, and dig out those rock band t-shirts from the back of your closet. Get the most basic sports bra that will support you if you need it, even the expensive ones will warp and stretch out quickly with daily use. Pajamas are basically the same drawstring pants but $5 or $10 cheaper. Get clothes made from natural fibers such as cotton and wash them on cold to keep the smell out and keep them lasting longer. The only thing you should spend your money on is a good pair of shoes, especially if you're running in an urban area. Shoes should be replaced every 500 miles or about 6 months to a year. Bad shoes or bad running form can result in shin splints, which will set back your running routine fast.

Stick to simple foods. Though sometimes convenient, the calorie content and ingredients in sports foods are usually more harmful than helpful. Some sports bars have just as much sugar and calories as a big cookie. Companies will try to sell you on the sciencey superiority of their formulation, but in actuality this is just another thing that really only benefits hardcore athletes who are working out 3 hours or more per day. Electrolytes are amazingly found in fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, coconut water, and good old pickle juice. Pickle juice is even more hydrating than the average sports beverage! Save your dough for a good salad with lemon juice and oil for dressing, or a fresh fruit smoothie. Packaged foods are usually at least 3 times more expensive than making something yourself. If you like having something to grab and go, don't underestimate the power of your refrigerator. Baking whole grain breakfast bars, or meal additions like brown rice and saving them in your freezer will save you time during the week and money that might have been misspent on frozen dinners or boxed and processed foods. Cut up fruits and veggies and store them in water or lemon juice in the fridge to keep them fresh and easy to snack on. Stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store and get veggies, fruit and bulk grains and nuts before you venture down the aisles. If you commit to picking up the healthy food first, you'll be less likely to spend your remainder on a bunch of junk food.

Use your surroundings creatively. You don't need weights or machines to build muscle and stretch. Use the curb, a wall or a table to press against to get the maximum stretch. If you can't touch your toes, wrap a belt or a towel around your feet and pull yourself forward. Chin ups can be done on stable supported surfaces, like door jams, stairs or monkey bars. Put your feet on the bed and your hands on the ground for an assisted push-up, or flip on your back in the same position for a greater range of motion sit-up that will work your back muscles as well as your abdominals. And you certainly don't need assistance to do yoga poses. In time, everything will start to look like something you can work with.

Working out is a part of life and a part of maintaining balance and a healthy body, just like brushing your teeth and getting a good night's sleep. Hopefully these tips will help you to treat it like an easy, normal part of your daily routine. Until next time!