Thursday ~ January 21, 2016

Lunch today was fried rice, which I made since I had a couple of bowls of rice in the refrigerator. I started out by browning onions, scrambled two eggs, added the cold rice, soy sauce, seasonings, and a package of stir fry vegetables. We served it with a choice of white or soy sauce. 
This lunch used up some rice that I had on hand, so I did not have to use any new ingredients, which helps me to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my resources. Using what I have on hand to make meals rather than going out and buying more food helps me to save money by not wasting the food we have. It is the little things like this that help me to stay on budget. 

$25 was deposited into my Paypal account thanks to earnings from Swagbucks. I also earned an extra $15.00 this week from my blog, so I'm ahead an extra $40 this week. 

My paycheck came this week and the first thing I always do is pay any bills that are due. In January I always have more expenses as this is the time of year when my auto insurance, license plates, and yearly insurance membership are all due in addition to the other regular monthly bills I have to pay. 
Those items were all paid in full this morning, then money went into savings, and what's left over is what I will use for gas and food until I get paid again. Paying the bills first gives me peace of mind and allows me to sleep better at night because I don't have to worry about having an unpaid bill hanging over my head. That is no way to live in my opinion. 

The weather looks good for us to return to school tomorrow and I have a job lined up, and I'm grateful after losing two days of work this week, three if you count the MLK holiday on Monday. Lunches are already made, the snow has been brushed off the car, the steps have been salted, and our clothes are laid out. 
After school I need to go to town and run by the bank, pharmacy, and Food City. They are having a Friday only sale on 28 ounce cans of tomatoes for 88¢, which is a great price. They also have bleach for 99¢. I plan on stocking up at that price. 

Belinda ~ Living within my means in Southern Tennessee ~