For instance, an entire box of Little Debbie snacks are a dollar something. One tiny red pepper is almost $3.00 and if you like ranch dressing with your veggies that’s another 3 or 4 bucks. Look at how much a case of sodas compared to juice sometimes costs.

Although I am on a budget and somewhat, okay pretty much broke, I will not sacrifice eating healthy foods. It’s something I believe if I have to spend money on, I just have to for the sake of mine and my daughter’s health. There are ways to cut down the cost a little, but it still won’t make it cheaper to eat well than to eat junk.

1.  Portion Sized Shopping:  Fresh vegetables can get expensive and if you have a small family, you’re taking a chance on buying produce that goes bad faster than you can eat it. Unfortunately, in my case, I can only buy fresh veggies a little at a time for this reason. If they turn rotten before you are able to eat them, then they’re a waste of money no matter how cheap or expensive.

2.  Frozen Veggies:  Another tip for vegetables and sometimes fruit is to buy them frozen. I purchased a huge bag of frozen broccoli from Sam’s Club that lasted for months. So not only was it cheaper than fresh broccoli, it lasts longer because it’s frozen. Other good veggies to purchase frozen are corn and green beans.

3.  Calculate the Price Difference:  Some foods, the healthy version may cost more but not much more. For instance brown and white rice, wheat and white bread. If the difference is small, I can’t say there’s any reason to purchase the unhealthy version. Our health is worth way more than a couple pennies (in my opinion).

4.  Store Brands:  The store brand products are what used to be referred to as generic but are not anything like the days of the black and white boxes. There is almost no difference at all between the “name brand” food and store brand food.

5.  Cheap Proteins:  Staples like eggs and beans can be added to almost everything and are fairly cheap. It isn’t entirely healthy to eat only protein but if you’re on a ramen budget, (which I know isn’t really good for you) you can add things like eggs to not only make it a heavier meal but slightly healthier. Besides, there are a million and one recipes for eggs and beans so you can come up with tons of meals.

If you combine these ideas with standard tips to save money at the grocery store (ie coupons) you will find that it isn’t as difficult to still eat well when you’re broke. Keep your eye on the stuff that’s good for you and you may just be able to afford it.

Long story short, I think I gave myself food poisoning with the Company Chicken. I made it before noon and then left it on the stove until late that evening. Don’t worry, my daughter is practically psychic when it comes to that stuff. She wouldn’t touch it for some reason, but unfortunately I was sicker than I don’t know what the next day. Nothing, including giving birth to a child has been as painful as eating the Company Chicken that was left marinating in its own bacteria all day.

Since then, I have a paranoia when it comes to chicken. I found out afterwards that my made up 1 day rule was not legit when it comes to chicken. My theory was if I eat it the same day that I made it, it’s fair game no matter how late or long it had been sitting in the sun.

Well, Saturday I decided to take out drumsticks to try another friend’s chicken adobo recipe and I left the chicken out on the stove to thaw overnight. I didn’t realize until Sunday morning that it should probably have been in the refrigerator and I was stricken with the fear that the chicken was now rotten and I’d have to throw out a WHOLE package of drumsticks. That, my friend, is an unexplainable fear when  you’re on a budget.

Again, long chicken story short, I made the chicken and cooked the Aytch Ee double hockey sticks out of it (to be on the safe side). Apparently I fear waste more than pain but fortunately this time I didn’t get sick. I suddenly believed I had superhero powers and as I eyed two rotten bananas on the counter, I started to look into pressing my luck with other questionable items in my kitchen.

1.  Sour Milk- happens in my house quite often, there have been times when I’ve completely forgotten we have milk. Sour milk can be made into cottage cheese and biscuits. Some will say it’s not worth saving or trying to do anything with, but if there is a perfectly safe and easy way to make cheese out of it, why not?

2.  Rotten Bananas- Two very dark bananas are laying on my counter and of course, this is what everyone makes into banana bread. No, I’m not a baker either, but I’ve been told that you can actually buy banana bread mixes to keep on hand when you do have those bananas no one will eat.

3.  Stale Bread- There are lots of things to make stale bread out of including of course croutons and bread pudding. If, however, your bread is completely green and/or rock hard, I would suggest throwing it outside for the birds.

4.  Old Fruits and Vegetables- Didn’t find much to make with old fruits and vegetables except this article for painting with fruit. I didn’t see the word “rotten” anywhere though, so I’m assuming this is for fruit that is still good enough to eat. I won’t be painting with any perfectly good fruit any time soon. Same goes for veges, I’m afraid that once they’ve hit the limp, squishy stage, you can’t do much with them except throw them outside. It’s possible that old fruit and vegetables help plants grow.

Outsmarted by Chicken: When to Give Up

You can’t beat chicken though. Here are some rules regarding cooking and preparing chicken:

1. Keep hands and surfaces free and clean of any chicken juice. Do not cross contaminate by using the same plates and utensils for meats and veges. Wash anything that comes in contact with raw meat.

2. Chicken is supposed to have an internal temperature of 165°F and should be refrigerated immediately (there is no one day rule).

3. Thaw and marinate chicken in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can do with bad chicken. You cannot save it or use it in another dish. If you have left it out too long (as I have) too much bacteria has grown and will most likely give you the pukes, the poops or send you to the emergency room. I have gambled on 2 lbs of drumsticks, but it was a gamble that was worth it (this time).

The only thing you can do with bad chicken is throw it out and that pretty much goes for all meat, poultry and fish. I have heard that people give their pets bad food, but I’m not quite sure how bad the food can be so I won’t suggest that.

Otherwise, in order to avoid wasting food keep a close eye on it and make a mental note of the things that need to be prepared and eaten asap. No one hates tossing out food as much as I do, but sometimes you have to. It isn’t worth getting yourself or your loved ones sick.

Choose your battles.

Save what you can, and remember: Sometimes you eat the chicken; sometimes the chicken eats you. Just how it goes sometimes.

Instead, I’m going to tell you how a nap can save you money and imagine I am taking a nap.

Driving and Sleeping on the Road

Obviously, not a smart idea. According to this article, from 1989-1993 there were approximately 56,000 accidents annually caused by drowsy drivers. The problem is that if you are sleep deprived, you could pretty much be sleeping and driving. Um. How safe is that? Do I really need to spell out how expensive a car accident can be?

Take a Nap for Your Health

If you don’t get enough sleep you will get sick. Sleep deprived people are more prone catch flu bugs and other illnesses. Doctors and clinics and hospitals are not cheap. Save yourself some doctor’s bills and get a good night’s rest.

I Was Tired Your Honor

I can’t be the only person that wants to choke people when I’m tired. I suddenly have road rage and am more apt to snap at the cashier in Walmart for no reason other than I’m tired. Okay, there are a lot of other reasons I might snap at a Walmart cashier, but what it boils down to, I think, is mental health. Combine the costs of being bailed out from jail and having to see a therapist and it’s just not worth it.

Work Productivity

Can’t make much money if you’re tired and can’t focus or concentrate. In fact, you could possibly lose your job if you’re so tired you fall asleep on your keyboard holding a miniature Kit Kat. Not that I’ve known anyone to do that. Besides taking the risk of falling asleep at work, I can’t be the only person that can actually get a whole lot more done if I’ve had an adequate amount of sleep.

These reasons alone are enough to save you some money. Now I’m going to take a nap. Have a great weekend!

Once you get into a routine though, exercise does become a comfortable habit. It’s the moment you deviate from the routine that will mess up the progress.

This final post about saving money on working out will cover cheap ways to get the training and actual workout program, while in your own home and not paying for a gym or activity membership. So, if you weren’t interested in my fantastic exercise ball routines, maybe one of these ideas will suit your exercise fancy.

Search Craiglist and Classifieds for Exercise Gear

If you would prefer building a small mini gym in your home, you may want to look over Craigslist or your newspaper ads for used treadmills and exercise equipment. I am currently on the hunt for a treadmill myself but I’m holding out for really cheap and really fancy. Good luck, right? I have noticed quite a bit of exercise equipment available though for way cheaper than buying new. All you need then are a couple free weights (if you like) and of course your exercise ball and you have everything you’d find in a gym…practically.

Look for Used DVDs and VHS Exercise Videos

If you still have a VCR you can find a plethora of exercise videos for practically free at garage sales and eBay. You can find quite a few DVDs as well if you happened to have dumped your VCR in the last decade. Find videos that you’re actually interested in though, if you don’t like hip hop music, I’d stay away from exercise videos by rap stars or that take place in dance clubs. Not too many people are still interested in breakdancing anymore either, so I’d skip those videos as well…no matter how cheap they are.

Exercise With the Internet

Are you interested in yoga but not willing to pay for any classes? Many activities are available online so that you can not only watch and try it out, you can do stumble around in the comfort and privacy of your own living room. After all, who wants to try bending their bodies like that among a group of strangers? Just a google search came up with www.yogajournal.com which provides basically anything you’d need to know about yoga.

Believe it or not, you can also find a lot of exercise routines on Youtube and Hulu. This video is actually a no-exercise-equipment routine which is nice if you don’t actually have any exercise equipment.

Check Your Cable Package

As Jpkittie mentioned in the last post, you may already be paying for an exercise channel or two. Check your cable or satellite package. You may also be able to call and try out some of the channels before you make a decision to add them. Either way, it’s cheaper than the gym.

Above all, make sure you are safe. Obviously you don’t want to workout in crappy shoes so you may want to invest in a good pair of tennis shoes. When looking for used exercise equipment you should also make sure it isn’t broken and falling apart or dangerous to use.

Good luck, and I’ll let you know if I find my treadmill…

And since it’s winter and I’ve noticed my belly creeping slowly over my pants, I figure I better get back to getting into shape. Yes, if you know me you’re snickering, I am a wee bit of a lass but creeping bellies don’t look good on anyone and may even be worse on small people.

During one of my crazy get in shape phases I purchased an exercise ball at Walmart. If I remember correctly it cost me around $25.00 including the pump and has been durable enough to withstand begin kicked and dribbled by a group of small children. One of the main things I learned at the gym is that almost every exercise for almost every muscle of your body can be worked with an exercise ball.

Here are some examples of exercises to try with an exercise ball:

My Favorite Crunches: Okay, no one really has favorite crunches. We hate them, but these crunches don’t kill your neck and are so effective you can feel your abs tightening up immediately.

1. Position the ball near a wall.
2. Lean back onto the ball with your feet parked up to a wall and bent slightly.
3. With arms behind your neck or across your chest crunch up and down like regular situps.

I think these crunches are also more effective because you have to balance on the ball at the same time. It takes a second to get used to and you may fall off a couple times, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. I was also told that it’s still okay to put your hands behind your neck or head as long as you aren’t pulling your neck or head up. You’ll feel it in your abs if you’re doing it right.

My Favorite Push Ups: Again, push ups aren’t a favorite anything, but I like these better than the standard ones.

1. Place the ball on a wall in front of your chest.
2. Put your hands on the ball and push back.
3. Go forward with your arms and repeat in the push up motion.

As with the sit ups, it’ll take a second to get used to balancing the ball on the wall. My first tries I thought I was going to slip and smash my face into the wall as the ball rolled away, but it didn’t ever end that tragically.

So for a one time cost of $25.00 you can easily work out your abs and arms. Some exercise balls also come with DVDs and their own workouts. Even with the health insurance bonus for attending a gym, the exercise ball is going to be cheaper.

My next post will cover other cheap ways to work out and get into shape, so stay tuned…and get working on those abs!