Budgeting Journey - part 1

 

Budgeting Journey - part 1

I am the first to admit that I used to spend a lot of money on unnecessary things. Food and coffee deliveries mostly. And not just me but my husband as well. However when you have two bundles of joy depending on you, your monthly expenses add up. To a lot.

Flashback back in May when we were close to coming out of quarantine. I was trying to figure out how to start saving and tracking our money. I stumbled upon a blogger on Facebook "The budget mom" and I was intrigued. I had never budgeted before. So I thought I would give it a try.

Now not all things on her website are applicable for me (different countries plus I don't have any loans or credit cards to pay back) BUT! her way of budgeting made me feel that it was easy and accessible.

So the basic idea is that you write down all your expenses and at the beginning of each month you put the money for each one in a separate envelope so you know where to spend them. Then what you are left with is the actual amount you have to spent or save on other things.

I discussed this with my husband who was not so excited to be honest. But he agreed to give this a shot. And so in June I begun using the cash envelope system. Since I did not want to spend a lot of money on fancy envelopes or diaries I ordered these from amazon:

A6 envelopes with zipper

Planner with a ring binder

For a total of €20! (depending on how many envelopes you need)

And thus begun my journey! 

I wrote down everything I could think of! And boy it was a lot! Kindergarten fees, speech therapy for my eldest, groceries, gas, gym, insurance fees and utility bills to name a few! I also added a savings expense so as to force ourselves to start saving. Even if it was just a tiny amount per month it was put aside. 

The money left for our personal expenses was shockingly few. However at the end of each month, all our bills have been paid, a small amount has been saved for a rainy day and before spending any money from our personal wallet we at least know if it's something we can afford.

Part 2 coming soon!

Make sure to check out The budget mom's tips!

Back Again!

 Hello again!

I can't believe it's been so many years since my last post.

I was just beginning my journey to being responsible for a household and now, 5 years later, I find the need to post again.

Many things have changed, including two bundles of joy as well as the current situation with covid and lockdowns, however I still find myself looking ways to make my life easier in order to have a working household and a life!

Stay tuned! I have many things to share!

How to do the laundry the easy way

One of the first and basic things one must know when moving on their own is how to do the laundry.

For me it was a struggle since I had never done such a thing before. So a week after moving in with my fiance I found myself in front of a washing machine whose brand I did not know and whose symbols meant nothing to me. Half an hour later and after an unsuccessful attempt to find a manual online I called the one person who knew. My mom. I described the unknown symbols on the machine and discovered that "e" stood for economy wash. Since that day I have developed my own system for washing, which for me works in the best way:

1. Unless the clothes are made of wool they can all be washed in the economy wash.

2. I have 4 main categories. Clothes, sheets, towels and underwear. Since we don't have many white clothes to have it as a category on its own i usually wash them with the dark ones and use a color catcher.

3. Sub-category: Divide the above by color. However,  I always use a color catcher. Since there is only 2 of us I cannot always fill up the machine with one color of clothes.

4. Degrees. Clothes, sheets and towels at 30-40 degrees Celsius. Depends on what is written on the labels. Underwear 50 degrees.

I have also discovered that there is a wash for delicate clothes which I rarely use since most of our clothes go in the washing machine.

Conclusion:

Find a basic wash program that will work for most of your clothes. Use it for most of your clothes etc. Change the degrees accordingly.

Hope it helps!

Vintage Living Room - How to guide

One of the latest trends in furniture is Vintage style which a lot of people want but are not sure how to achieve. One of the first things you need to decide is how much of it do you want. Do you want for example a house that looks as if it came out of the 1800's or do you want a modern version of it? Do you want classic heavy furniture or simpler lines that combine minimalism and vintage? The choices are many so here are a few things to help you through:

1. Sofas:

Your sofas don't necessarily need to look like this...

(Ducal Sofa - Bowerhill)

just so they can be vintage. Here is a more modern version of the vintage sofa:

(Manhattan sofa - Top-Line)

Most vintage sofas have a lot of back cushions, depth and certain details that set them apart (like the buttons in this case). The look you should be going for is cozy and comfortable.

2. Cushions:

If your sofa has a printed upholstery then you need simpler cushions to compliment it. If the sofa is plain then you can play with it as much as you want. Think of it as a white canvas that you can paint on with printed patterns, flowers, fur and knits. Here are a few options:

If you like bright colors then turquoise and pink or green with yellow are good options:

                                                   

For winter time, darker colors like burgundy can also work:

 

                                                   

Neutral knits, stripes or even animal pictures can compliment all of the above:

 

(all cushions are from Dutch Decor)

3. Last but not least. Wood. 

Wood completes the vintage mood of your house. You can have it on the floor, on the wall or in your furniture and see how it transforms the place. The more rough and worn out it looks, the better! Just make sure that you don't overdo it. Get your inspiration from the pictures below:

(Westerly cabinet by Actona)

(Sofas from Top-Line)

Just remember that a house should reflect your personality so choose based on your preferences!

Repurposing Jam or Nutella empty bottles!

We buy all sorts of glass bottles that most of them just end up in the trash or go for recycling. There are however so many ways for you to "recycle" them on your own that it's worth to take a look at the following pictures to get inspired! So whether you buy nutella, jam or as we have it here in cyprus "glyko tou koutaliou" when you are finished with them wash them and re-use them!

1. Excellent for home made jams.

Their purpose is to be airtight and preserve so why change it? If you like making your own jams just use the ones you already have! Just make sure to boil them in hot water to sterilize them first.

2. Drinking cups!

Whether you choose to keep the lit or not you can use them for your drinks especially during the summer time. Keep them covered so you can take them for a picnic, make a hole so you can put a straw or just use them as they are!

3. Mixing a salad dressing or a marinade.

You put the ingredients in and shake it. Simple!

4. Decorate them.

The sky is the limit! Glue stones or a rope around it, put sand in it and some candles or fill it with seashells. Be inspired!

What you should have in your freezer at all times!

Having certain foods or items in your freezer can be a big help especially if you do not have much time to cook. The good thing about having frozen food is that they last for a long time, they can be cooked much faster and usually they need very little preparation. Here is a list of items that I always have in my freezer:

1. Ice cubes.


I know it's not edible but here in Cyprus we use ice cubes almost all year round so they are a must have item!


2. Vegetables.



I prefer to have sweet corn and mixed vegetables separately since I like the first more! I also prefer tesco's mixed vegetables that can be cooked in the microwave in 2.5 minutes.

3. Meat and chicken.



Since we both really love meat I always have chicken breasts and pork chops. If you are cooking them for dinner just take them out in the morning and by dinner time it will be ready to be cooked.

4. Potato wedges.



What can I say? I love them! And I can cook them within 20 minutes just by putting them in the oven!

5. Onions.



Life savers! I buy onion cut in small pieces and just use it directly in my recipes. No more tears!

6. Mushrooms.



Cut, washed and ready to be cooked!

7. Homemade food.













Whether a traditional food that only moms can cook or just a food that I really love but it's difficult to make, there will always be something in my freezer ready to be put in the oven and cooked.

So remember to have:

Essentials for cooking
Favorite foods
Homemade meals

Be prepared!!!

Pork chops oven baked

Even though I am currently fasting my fiance who really loves meat does not follow into my steps so I need to cook other foods for him. So last night I bought some pork loin to cook for him. It's a very simple recipe and you can add the vegetables or spices of your choice.

Ingredients:

Pork loin chops (depending how many people are eating)
Olive oil
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Onion

How to:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 Celsius. In the platter you are using put some aluminum foil and some baking paper (less mess to clean afterwards).

2. Wash the pork chops and put them in the platter. Add oil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix it all together. Cut the onion and put it on top. Put the platter in the oven.

3. After 20 minutes take the platter out and turn the pork chops on the other side. Leave them in for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave it in for 10 more minutes. Serve :)

Enjoy!