In the last two weeks, we have discovered that Rick’s work cut back that started about two months ago had a nasty effect on our recent finances. So I’m trying very hard to cut back on our spending, making everything last longer and cut back on things that may turn into expensive surprises later such as electricity.
Today or tomorrow, I will be off to my favorite store Central Market – which I have been avoiding because they have such fun stuff on which I tend to blow money – to get soup bones and roast for our next meals. I am concentrating on using everything in my fridge before going back for more.
Last weekend I bought organic chickens and roasted one for one meal and some left-overs and then used those bones for soup along with the second chicken. For the recipes check out these links: My Favorite Chicken Soup Notes on Chicken Soup The perfect roast chicken
This week it will be a beef soup and roast. Bones do not cost that much and roast is a cheaper alternative to the steak Rick would prefer. I have only made beef stew/soup once before so this time will be yet another experiment. It turned out well last time, but sometimes things do not translate into a successful second try.
Yesterday Rick and I were talking about things we can do to make things easier financially. Turning down the heat would be one. We live on the first floor in our apartment complex. It is much more different than living on a third floor apartment. Heat rises so in our old apartment we hardly needed the heat on. Here it seems it’s never warm enough. We have resolved to put on another layer of clothing, turn off the wall heater unless it’s unbearable and use the oil heater first. I do a lot of cooking with the oven so that helps warm things up on most days. It is just a little cooler on days we have left-overs.
Aside from putting on a sweater at home and sitting on the couch with a blanket, wear a scarf are great ways to stay warm in winter. I am a huge fan of scarves. I have a huge pile of them that my cat loves to sleep on. You loose a lot of your body heat through your head and neck and feet. So wear socks, slippers, and a scarf at home to keep you warm and cut back on the electric bill.
