Happy Leftover Day!

It also happens to be "Black Friday" but since the blog is about food, I thought this subject was more apt.

I work at an electronics store, and today was HUGE for us, so we were working solid for about eight hours helping customers. We opened at 5:00 am, had people working at 2:00 am. Since it was so busy, the company bought us breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was coffee (desperately needed) and bagels with cream cheese. Lunch was ham sandwiches from the Honeybaked Ham Store, with chips and soda's and bottled water. Definitely beats the pants off of pizza, and way healthier.

Dinner was, of course, lots of leftovers. Turkey, stuffing, broccoli and potatoes (sweet and whipped). There was also blueberry and apple pies which were amazing yesterday, but the leftovers proved to be too filling. I might sneak out for a midnight slice, but the tryptophan in the turkey will probably freeze me in place for the night.

The dog also had thanksgiving leftovers... If Katie didn't mention it before, we found a can of wet dog food that was basically the doggie version of thanksgiving dinner including turkey, potatoes and other treats. He's a tiny little guy so he didn't eat it all, so the leftovers were chilled and he had them today.

The meal was originally pretty costly as far as dinners go with turkey and stuffing and several sides, but it was all put together by my mother and didn't actually cost us anything as far as I can recall.

Total cost for the day: $0.00

Happy Thanksgiving.

Getting ready to take the blog world by storm, coming up with a few more posting ideas. :)

A lot of people have expressed interest in this blog, and we seem to have a lot of non believers!

Today we are having a feast, and running it off later. Yesterday I (K) ran 4 miles and did 30 mins on the elliptical...As well as some free weights. 900kcal total, just to get ready for today. Hopefully tonight I can get in some Plyometrics and cross training.

The key to this $20 a week journey is planning. At the start of the week we will show you what we are buying, what our plan was, and our food shopping trip. We will do a blog, youtube video, and a podcast. So every week you can follow along. Its going to be fun, and a great way to save money.

People are wondering what exactly we are going to do with the money, firstly, we are going to put some in to a 401K. Secondly, we are going to be improving the house we are hopefully buying, and working on our goal to have it paid in 9 years.

Eventually, I would like to get health insurance too. As a sufferer from Crohn's disease, it would be great to eventually be insured.

We are very lucky to have family and friends supporting us through this journey, and people have to realize we cannot eat out anymore. We are going to be the most annoying people for the entire year! But hey! We got a point to prove in todays economy.

What else was there..... This is a very unplanned blog post!

Oh yes! We are kicking the soda habbit. Only teas and water for a year. :) I wonder how that will feel... Another thing is that we will be working on 3 books on eating cheap and cooking. There are so many cookbooks, but none address the cost factor.

So this weeks goal for my reader:
Get your spice cabinet organized. Spices are the key to "Spicing it up!" Haha! They are essential to making food interesting.

Ask for a slow cooker for Christmas, and also some food storage containers.

Think of 10 goals you would like to accomplish next year. Write them down, and stick to them. Put them on the mirror. Put them on the fridge, and put them on your door!

Find your local farmers marker too. This is essential to eating cheap.
We will also start planing vegetables once we are in the new house.

That's it for now!

What are we doing for fitness in the New Year?

Since I am a PT, our fitness will consist mainly of marathon training. Burning around 500-600kcal a day.

We have tried body building and figure diets before, but to be honest....Its so expensive!
We spent around $200 a WEEK on good quality protein. Not to mention, the 3 protein shakes a day that we made. Until I can figure out a way to get a high amount of protein cheaply, I don't think this is a good option for us.

Running has always been my weakness, if I am honest, I hate it. But I know often, its the things we hate that get us the best results. I will be averaging around 20 miles total a week, with some cross training thrown in there. I will be also training my clients on a daily basis, and often joining in with them.

Its been a dream of mine for a long time to get rid of my hips, I really REALLY hate them. Hopefully a years worth of solid working out and eating cheap and good will help.

That's all for now folks!

Introducing, Nick! The husband and leftover-eater-upper.

Greetings, viewers!

I'm Nicholas, but most people call me Nick. I'm Katie's husband whom you will undoubtedly hear a lot about in the coming weeks on the blog, since I and my appetite will be making it difficult for her to keep her budget under control.

That's what I think is the most interesting thing about this idea. Is it possible for one person to survive on a minimalist budget week-to-week? Of course it is. I was a bachelor once, I could eat ramen noodles and cheap pizza for months at a time and spend peanuts by the end of the week. The real challenge comes from the circumstance here. We're feeding me, Katie, and on the odd occasion we need to refill the dog's dish (he's a pig, but a little one. A piglet.)

That stretched along seven days, plus the fact that our schedules are NEVER in sync, plus the business with the house we're working on purchasing, plus school for both of us, plus homework for both of us, divided by stress... How easy is eating cheap sounding now?

This reminds me of the Good/Fast/Cheap triangle. You can only pick two. So I can try to work in my crazy schedule with something fast and good, but it won't be cheap (e.g. a nice microwave dinner from the supermarket, about 4 bucks, every day for lunch for a week equals 20 bucks already) or i could go for fast and cheap, and suffer the stomach punching consequences of a knee-jerk taco bell run.

To reel it in a bit, what you should expect from me on this blog is how I fit this new 20 dollar idea into my (our) schedule. Talk again soon!

Easy ways to save money.. COUNTING DOWN TO $20 A WEEK!

We are getting ready for the $20 a week challenge starting January 1st… We are both A little bit nervous, but very excited.
In the run up to this challenge we will recommend you splurge on a few items before the 1st.
• Stock up on any 2 for 1 deal you can keep in your pantry for the year. For example, we stock up on diced tomatoes, jarred pasta sauce, pasta, and tuna. You have no idea how often this is going to save your day!

• Buy some flour for making bread in bulk. It’s going to be a lot easier to make your bread from scratch than to buy it. Not to mention it will not be full of garbage to keep it “fresh”.

• Take some measurements, including your weight and waist size, before the 1st January. This will be a starting point to see how much you can lose in 365 days.

• Practice saying “No!” You don’t need to go out and spend $5 on a premium beer, or $1 on a McDonald’s item. Keep it fresh and healthy.

• Take out $20 CASH for your first week, and find an old calculator to keep with you for those shopping trips. The $20 is all you are allowed to take.

• Start meal planning, get used to planning your meals for the week, and what you can take to work for leftovers.


• Think of a exercise goal for next year. Whether it is running a marathon, or simply walking up the stairs without gasping for air.

That’s it for now kids…Sorry it’s been quiet the past few days. We have had company over and have been busy preparing the new Podcast.

If you view this please comment.

We have been getting a lot of hits, but no comments. Let us know if your out there!

Also please let us know what you would like to see on the blog....Another entry is coming up!

Busy People.... Still able to survive on $20 a week!

A typical day in our lives is very crazy. We are both really driven to get our degrees; however, we realize we need to work too (Just to survive in this economy.)
Sadly, we are living in one of the most depressed areas of the USA, with little or no opportunity. The wages here are low, and the opportunity for promotion is low.
We spend our days between work, other work, and school. We hardly have two hours together sometimes (Awake time that is…)
One of the comments people have said to us, (Upon mentioning this blog idea) is that “You are too busy to eat on that little of a budget”… Well here we are proving everyone wrong.

Let’s take a look at a typical day for Nick and me:
Tuesday:
5:00AM- Nick up, shower, dressed and out the door. Grab packed breakfast+lunch.
6:00AM- Dogs wake up Katie, take them out, go for a walk, come back in and make coffee.
7:00AM- Read news, update blog, go over homework due, write emails, check up on training clients.
8:00AM-Clip Coupons from newsletters, check out coupon websites, put dinner in slow cooker.
8:30AM- Katie Head to work (Nick eats early brunch which is packed)
9:00AM-Work, I have the best job in the world though!
2:30PM- Nick home, take puppies out, Nick does homework and cleans.
5:00PM- Katie heads from work to college, Nick heads to class (Or on a night off, does homework!)
10:00PM- Finished for the night, come home, eat dinner. Katie pack lunches for next day, prep dinner for slow cooker in the AM, watch some shows, groom the dogs, play with dogs, and pass out.

Our sleep schedule is REALLY bad right now. Some nights its 11pm before we are in bed, other times its 9pm. It’s an exhausting schedule but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Although most people would grab fast food and rack up a huge bill, we choose not to. I like to be in control of what I put in my mouth, and especially in to my husbands. We love running and working out. Fast food just is not good for us.

While we were trialing our $20 a week diet. We ate a lot more vegetables, and at our work we got a lot of compliments on how healthy our food was.
The key for busy people is preparing the night before, and SLOW COOKING. I can’t emphasize how much I love my slow cooker. I make everything in it.
It’s actually really energy efficient too.

Another great idea, is buying certain vegetables in bulk. I use onions in everything. Until I can grow them next year, I will be buying a huge bag of these every month to keep me going.


These are just little ideas that we will go over day by day in the New Year. Just to give you a idea of where this is going.

Sunday Morning Coupon Clipping...

Money saving tip of the week:

Every Sunday morning I coupon clip.

From there I organize them in to categories.

1: What I need this week, what I can use this week to feed us
2: What is on sale at the store, and what coupon I can use this week to get more savings on top

From there I sort them by expiration date in categories:

Grocery- This week I had; soy milk, green giant veggies, mayo, butter, yogurt, green tea, coffee etc

Health+Beauty- This week I had; Body wash, Nauzene, Tylenol

Cleaning: This week I had; A huge amount of Lysol coupons, dishwasher tablets, resolve, hefty bags, detergent, paper towels, and so on..

Alcohol: This week I had; Vodka, Wine, Baileys….Mmmm

Meh, not good coupons this week. But it’s worth stocking up on some of these things before the New Year!

It may seem obvious, but this is essential to saving a LOT of money.

What are we doing in the run up to new year?

After a huge freak-out about a car insurance payment last night, we have decided to start a little bit early. Just trying to get in to some better habits.

We are currently going through gas/petrol like crazy. With 2 jobs each and college it’s almost at $40 a week for both of us. Which I know is great compared to some large truck's gas... But these cars are tiny!
 

So, how do I lower the amount I spend on Gas?

1. Take out any extra weight in the car. I know I am the worst at this... I carry round a set of kettlebells for my job!
2. Use cruise control. It’s easy to flick on and off again, and it actually saves a lot of Gas. I love CC!
3. Turn of the engine when waiting. Especially if Nick is late out of class. If its hot or cold, open a window or wrap up!
4. Stop revving your engine... Especially young boys. Its just not cool.
5. Use higher octane gasoline if your engine allows it.
6. Take good care of your car. Do a once weekly check on your engine, tires and clean it out! This is something I do every Sunday morning. I also do a lot of repairs myself. There are so many good videos on you tube to watch about fixing cars. 
7. Make sure you have some good tires, and that they are replaced when they need to be. The pressure in the tire needs to be kept at the recommended limit too.
8. Drive at the speed limit. This helps us out a lot with the Gas limit. It also helps us to be safe.
9. Turn off the A/C when you don't need it.
10. Buy half a tank instead of a whole tank. That weight adds up eventually!

I hope this helps some people. We will be starting up a podcast soon. 

 (Hopefully next year our insurance is lower...)

Our Egg cooker

I love this egg cooker. Its going to be used a whole lot on the $20 a week mission. Its very energy efficient, it matches my kitchen (Big point for Miss Katie!) and it cooks my favourite type of egg.
Soft boiled!
Theres nothing better on a Sunday morning than Toast and Soft boiled egg. Dip the toast in to the egg yolk... Awesome...

Well.... Lucky for me I have no cholesterol problem. But if you do, you can also take out the center of hard boiled eggs, and eat them as a snack with a little pepper and mustard on.



Some other items you may want to invest in are storage containers for food. This will be the main way to save money. Its absolutely key to use these through the whole process. I use Rubbermaid, because it stops Nick rummaging through all our cupboards for one lid.

A great way to save money with Pets

Making your own dog treats! It sounds silly, but often I will spend about $25 a month on my 9lb Maltese... He loves any "Hoomin" food. Especially anything that's bad for him! We are very very strict with what we feed him, he is our only fur child so we do tend to spoil him. But sadly, this pup needs to cut back.

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container.



This recipe works out great. We always have Peanut butter and milk in the house too.

Lets do the math!
Flour   $0.25
Baking Powder $.05
Peanut Butter $1
Cup of milk $1
Total $2.30
(Based on the purchase price / amount used )

This Yielded me about 30 mini treats.
It costs around $.07 per treat! That's a whole lot cheaper than the stores. If we factor in the cost of energy its around $0.10 per treat which is still not bad.

Welcome to the new blog

This blog will be started on the 1st of January 2011. It is going to be a 365 day journey of a young couple proving to the world that you can survive on $20 a week. Not only that, but it’s also possible to lose weight, tone up and feel great with that $20.
Our names are Nick and Kate; we were married on New Year’s Eve 2009. We have spent the last year spending quite a bit of money and now need to cut back. Both of us have 2 jobs, plus full time school, and one hyper puppy/fur kid.

This is K right now, I am a 21yr old female who moved countries to marry N. :) After paying for all our visa expenses, we saved up to buy a house and pay off a car. It wasn't easy but when N married “Miss Money Saver” it made it so much better.

Every day we will be showing you: How much food we ate, what we ate, and when. I will also be doing some Podcasts starting January 1st and some Vlogs.
I am a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach. I spend my weeks convincing clients over, and over again... That they can eat healthy for just as cheap as eating sugar. I hope to now be able to prove it.

Before the year begins we are allowed to make some big purchases to supplement our eating. They are the following:

* A vegetable Patch
* Two fruit trees
* fishing equipment
* Some Herbs and Spices
* Bread-maker
* New cook wear (Trust me, we need it!)

All of this is on our "Santa" list. It’s also going to help us eat healthy, and keep our food at $20 a week. We also have a slow cooker, and an egg cooker.
Once a month we will also be having a themed week. Such as "Vegan week", "Raw food week" "Meat Week" etc. It will be good to change it up a bit, and I would be interested to see how our fitness levels do.
We will also be composting, recycling and working out at least 5 days a week.
One other thing we will be using is weekly coupons. For anything from Groceries to Medication.

We would love it if anyone wanted to follow along with us. :-) This is something we are very passionate about.
It’s a huge change, I hope to start a movement eventually... This sugar eating environment needs to be stopped somewhere.
So around now you may have some questions….

What does the $20 a week buy you?
You should be able to get $20 worth of food only. If you can do it on less, and still afford necessities, so much the better!
We will be setting aside $10 a month for items such as detergent, toilet paper etc. I will also be doing some videos showing you how to make detergent and cleaning products yourself. 

Can you eat out?
We are actually going to try and not eat out for a whole 365 days if we can. If it’s something that we cannot avoid at all (Nick is in the Navy Reserve) then we will allow for this and show you how he saved money.

What about Alcohol? 
 Both of us have made a commitment to stop drinking as much by the New Year. We are thinking of actually eradicating it for 365 days…But we have too many nice friends who buy us beer and wine…
That being said, on New Year’s Eve we will give you our decision. We are thinking of going T Total and making our own beverages for cheaper….We shall have to see.


My family is bigger than 2 people. Can I still do it on $20?
I would recommend $10 for every family member, if you feel as though you still need another few $$ to get better food for children and babies. Go ahead. I do not endorse starving your children.



You can’t possibly eat enough food for $20 a week?
Actually yes you can. Nick and I trialed this for 2 weeks and ate like kings. We roughly had 2100 calories a day each, and burnt off 400 calories running. We didn’t actually think it would work either, but somehow it did.


Meat is more expensive, how are you going to get enough protein?
This is one of my biggest concerns. It’s a dream of mine to compete in a figure competition one day. I believe where there is a will, there’s a way. We will start of the year with some protein shakes that we have left over. Hopefully we will be able to find some new methods for getting in protein, without having to pay huge amounts of money.


I will add more when I think of it. But that’s all for now!
Until January 1st 2011, I will up updating this blog with how to save money on cosmetics, and what big purchases to buy to help you on this journey.

See you next time!