However, for some folks, the simplest budget method may work the best. If you have been making a budget, but still run out of money every month, you may want to give a ‘low tech’ method a try. Perhaps you saw your grandmother or mother organizing her budget this way. It’s the envelope budgeting method.

This is basically a method to control your family’s flexible spending, since this is the type of spending that often gets the budget in trouble. Unlike fixed expenses (mortgage, rent, utilities, insurance, etc.) which are usually paid first, flexible expenses can be like a slow leak in your budget bucket. The money keeps trickling away – checks are being written, debit cards are being swiped, and worse, credit cards are being used to buy everyday items. This is really when the trouble starts.

How do you avoid this? By setting up envelopes with cash to cover the flexible expense. Yes, I said cash.

Some people may feel a little uncomfortable at first with this method. It may be a bit old fashioned, but if your budget keeps failing, this may be the only way to plug that leak. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Are you ready to finally put an end to over-spending and ruining your budget each month? You may want to give the envelope method a try.

Here is the basic idea:

1) Start with the budget you already have. Be sure you subtract your fixed expenses from your income to find your net income, also called discretionary cash, available for your flexible spending. Make an envelope for every flexible expense you have in your household, using your existing budget as a guide. Flexible expenses include things like groceries, gas, lunch money, haircuts, entertainment, etc.

2) Once you have determined how much discretionary cash you have to spend on flexible expenses, get cash out of you bank account and put the cash allotted for each type of expense in the corresponding envelope. Use the cash only throughout the week or month to purchase your household and personal items.

3) Any money left in the envelopes when the month is over should be used to pay down debt, if necessary, or put in a savings account. You’ll want to routinely re-examine your budget to take into account any errors or new items for the month.

The system will work if you keep one thing in mind; when the money is gone, it’s gone. That means no digging into the credit card to make more purchases. By limiting your spending to whatever amount is in the envelopes naturally puts a halt to over-spending, and will finally put a cork in that leaking budget bucket!

What do you think? Have you tried using a method like this for budgeting? Please share your thoughts by commenting below. I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s face it – making a family budget, and sticking to it, can be very difficult. But what makes living within your budget almost impossible is having credit card debt.

Consumer debt can be blamed for most failed family budgets. Credit cards will send any budget into a downward spiral very quickly.

If you’re serious about your family’s financial security, start right now, right here, and Get Out Of Debt For Good!

This guide shows you how it can be done. And this is not just a theory – this is how I did it. And you can, too!

Please click on the link below and order your copy today so you too can say; “This will be the year we are finally debt free!”
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/debtfree.html

So, I decided to start experimenting with making my own.  This process works pretty well, and you can tweak it quite a bit.  I do think the sugar helps reduce the tartness, but you can omit it entirely if you like.  Give it a try and let me know how it works for you, and please share anything you did to make the recipe work better.

Oven Dried Cranberries

• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1 to 3 Tbsp sugar or light corn syrup (optional)

Put the cranberries into a colander and rinse well, then dump out onto a paper towel covered surface to dry and sort.
Pick through the cranberries and remove any that are not plump and ripe.
Fill a large soup pot about 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil.

Add the cranberries to the soup pot when the water boils, and watch closely as their skins pop. You’re actually just blanching them so be sure they don’t come back to a rapid boil and cook, but you want all the skins to pop.  Turn the heat down if necessary to keep the water from boiling hard. This process shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Keep the cranberries in the hot water, and stir frequently, until each one breaks open because any left whole won’t dry very well.

Pour the cranberries into a colander to drain.

Now, turn your oven on to 200 degrees so it can preheat.

Put fresh paper towels on your baking sheet in order to dry the cranberries.
Pour the drained cranberries onto the paper towels, then take another sheet of paper towels and lay on top of the cranberries and gently pat dry.  The more moisture you get off at this time will help the drying time.  If you’re adding sugar or corn syrup, now is the time you want to add it.  Sprinkle or drizzle on and use your hands to gently coat all the cranberries.

Prepare a baking sheet for the oven by covering it with several layers of paper towels, then place a piece of parchment paper on top.
Put the cranberries on the parchment paper and spread out into a single layer.

Turn the oven down to 150 degrees and put the cranberries in the oven.
The drying time will be anywhere from 6 to 10 hours, depending on if you want them chewy or crunchy.
Ovens vary, so you want to check on the cranberries often.  Reduce the heat if you need to, or take them out earlier.  Watch them and stir them around occasionally so they dry evenly.

Remove and allow the cranberries to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use when you like.

Notes: 

Because the oven is on so long, I double this recipe. One thing to remember, though, is the drying process relies on air circulation.  So you will need to rotate the baking sheets around several times in the oven; switch up and down and spin front and back.

Also, some people who have tried this say freezing the cranberries after blanching them helps prepare them for the drying process.  I haven’t tried that yet.  If you do, let me know how it works.

Can you tell us a little more about how you found Sergiy and what made you invite him to spend the summer with you and your family?  

Sure!  When we learned about New Horizons for Children’s Summer Hosting Program, we printed off around 10 kids to think about and pray for.  Sergiy is the one who stuck out to both my husband and I.  We then decided the timing wasn’t right for our family.  However, just a few days before hosting commitment closed, he still wasn’t chosen.  At that point we just knew that we had to jump in with faith and host him!  We felt if we didn’t we would regret it for a long time.

I’ve heard a lot about the “New Horizons For Children” program. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Sure.  New Horizons for Children (www.newhorizonsforchildren.org)   is a Christian International Hosting Program for Orphaned Children. Two times a year (Christmas and Summer) they bring orphaned children from Latvia and the Ukraine to visit the U.S.

The goals of the program are:

• To share the love of Christ with the children
• To care for the children while the orphanages close for the summer
• To help them learn some English (they often learn in 5 weeks what they learn in 5 years in their homeland)
• To gift them with the love of a family – something many have never felt before
• To build their self-worth
• To advocate for the possibility of adoption

Any fun plans for the summer? I’m sure there’s a lot you look forward to.

Yes, we plan to swim lots, teach Sergiy how to ride a bike (that was one of his wishes), just relax, take a few day trips in the area, and also take a trip to the Wisconsin Dells.

Hosting a teenager from another country for the summer will certainly have its challenges. Do you have some tips on how to prepare and put a support system in place? 

Teenagers do not scare us tooooo much…(I know, I should be careful what I say!)  My husband has been working with teens for 10 years, so we have an idea of what to expect.  We have also been told that the orphaned kids from Ukraine are much smaller and “younger” than the U.S. kids.  So most likely he will have a similar mentality to our almost 12 year old.  I’m not sure anything can totally prepare us for this, but we are excited for the adventure!  As far as a support system, we have family and friends that are very supportive, and NHFC also has support in place.

I’m sure Sergiy will have a wonderful time this summer, but this is also an awesome opportunity for your kids. What do you want them to get out of this? 

I am hoping they will learn to give.  They have to give up a few things to make this happen.  When we first talked to them about it, they were all for it, but as they are beginning to have to live out the things they have to give up, it has been a bit harder.   I am hoping this will be a summer they will never forget!  I am guessing they will learn some Ukrainian, they will learn patience as they try to communicate, they will learn to share all they have – their things and their parents, and they will learn to love.

What else can we here at HBHW do to help you bring this boy to the US for the summer?  

Well, I am sure most of your readers have heard by now that we have a donation site available here:  https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/eJ3d9  We also have a great “Fire Sale” going on through May 22nd here:  www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sergiy .  It is hard to guess exactly how much we will need for the summer – we never know what type of medical things will come up etc.  If we end up raising extra, we will either put the extra money towards adoption (if we end up going down that road) or we will donate it to New Horizons for Children to help other families experience the joy of hosting.  We would also love for your readers to share about Sergiy with their friends.  We of course could use prayer support.  And, we invite everyone to follow our journey at www.themenumom.com  I have started an orphan hosting category to make the posts about this experience easy to find.

Ukrainian Borscht Soup

• 1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage
• 3 medium beets
• 3 carrots
• 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 medium head cabbage
• 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• sour cream (topping)

Start by peeling and shredding your beets. Lay some old newspapers on the table and put on your apron before you start. Beet juice will stain anything and everything! Do the same with your carrots and then peel and dice the potatoes. Chop your onion and shred the cabbage while you’re at it.

I cook the entire soup in one large pot. Start by crumbling up the sausage and cook it until no longer pink. Add the chopped onion while the sausage is cooking and continue to saute until the onion is tender. Drain off all the fat. Fill the same pot about halfway with water. Bring it to a boil. This will go faster if you add a lid to the pot.

Once the water is boiling, add the beets, and cook until they are tender. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and then drain the juice from the canned tomatoes and add them as well.

Mince the garlic and add it to the soup along with your tomato paste. Turn off the heat, add a lid and let the soup stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Season it with salt, pepper and a bit of sugar, then ladle it into bowls and top with a bit of sour cream.

Ukrainian Babka Recipe

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk
•  1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup raisins

Start by getting the yeast started. Mix the sugar, water, yeast,  milk and the cup of all purpose flour together in a small bowl. I use a fork to whisk it all together. Set it aside in a sunny, warm spot for about 30 minutes or until it starts to bubble up.

Next, get out a large bowl and crack your eggs into it. Add the sugar and salt and beat with a hand mixer until they are fluffy and a light yellow color.  Add the melted butter (I melt mine in the microwave) and the lemon zest. Stir until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and stir again.

Gradually add the flour, stirring with a large spoon at first, then using your hands as the mixture becomes harder to move around. Once all the flour has been added knead the dough for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this and don’t cut the time short… give it your all for those 10 minutes. It’ll be well worth it in the end.

Work the raisins in (kneading again until they are distributed well throughout the dough), then form the dough into a ball and cover your bowl with a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place until it’s twice as big. Time will depend on how warm it is and even humidity. This could take anywhere from one to three hours.
Punch down dough and knead for a couple of turns then let it rise again for about 30 more minutes.

Grease 4 smaller coffee cans with butter. Add enough dough to each to to fill them about 1/3 of the way. 1/4 of your dough should do the trick. Cover the cans and let them sit in a warm place until the dough has risen all the way up to the rim.

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place the coffee cans on a cookie sheet and bake the babka for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 F and bake for another 35 to 46 minutes. If needed, cover the tops with aluminum foil (if they start to brown to quickly). Take everything out and let the finished bread cool in the coffee cans. Slice it and serve with butter and jam. Yum!

Long story short he recommends NO animal protein, NO dairy NO nuts or seeds and NO added fats of any kind. WHOLE grains, fruits, vegetables beans and legumes are all OK. I know what you are thinking but the diet is surprisingly easy to follow.

If this is something you think your readers (the sick ones or one who want to prevent sickness) might be interested in, I urge you to think about it.

I have no connection with the Dr. or his book except that I, like Bill Clinton, am a follower of his diet.

Thank you for your time.

Dave Khaliel

Make Life Easier Without Eating Out
by Jill Cooper
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

Going out to eat frequently is one of the biggest mistakes people make with their money. Most people would experience a radical change in their finances if they would cut back on eating out even a couple of times a week, let alone all together. The main reason that people go out to eat is for the convenience but eating at home can be convenient too.

Make meals easier by using convenience items. Even if you use nothing but convenience items for your entire meal, it is still less expensive than going out to eat. You don’t need to make homemade bread, muffins, biscuits, or cookies. Buy them already made. You can even buy things like French bread that is already sliced and buttered and ready to heat. It’s perfectly OK to use bagged lettuce, baby carrots, or anything frozen.

Keep it simple. Our grandmothers didn’t spend as many hours slaving away in the kitchen as we think they did. Instead of homemade bread or yeast rolls, the everyday meal included store-bought white or wheat bread on a plate with butter and jam. Grandma would open a jar of applesauce, a can of green beans or a jar of assorted pickles. She would toss a simple salad and have all her side dishes for that meal prepared quickly. For years our family raved about my grandmother-in-law’s great homemade noodles. One day when I asked her for her recipe, she pulled me to one side, laughing, and said “No one else knows this, but I always use frozen noodles!”

Our grandmothers knew the secret. It didn’t have to be complicated, gourmet, or elaborate for our families to enjoy a meal. It just had to be good, there had to be lots of it and it had to be made with love. It takes only a couple of minutes to slice an orange, apple or banana and lay them on a platter. Throw in some unpeeled small red potatoes to boil, slice pre-cooked ham, heat up a box of fish fillets or lay out a variety of deli meats and cheeses for everyone to make their own hoagies. It can be as simple as that.

Make clean up easy. I line almost every pan I use with aluminum foil or parchment paper, whether I’m roasting a chicken or baking biscuits, cookies or tater tots. I line every casserole dish too. Use paper plates and bowls if it helps. Use disposable pans when you can. You can usually find lots of them on sale around the holidays. Many people feel a lot of guilt connected with using anything disposable. If you are one of them, I give you permission here and now to use these things. Besides, when you eat out, just as much stuff gets thrown away (probably a lot more). It’s just that other people throw it away for you. I would much rather see you at home using paper plates and disposable pans with your family than having to work many hours of overtime to pay for dinner out. Relax and enjoy your meal! Your family and your pocketbook will thank you.

Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm, sign up for our free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!