Being Cheap…But Doing It In Style

An Email: Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers…

Tuesday 10 March 2009

Sometime you just get an email that you think the world should see, This is one of those. We will start any of those with An Email at the beginning.  This one was sent mass mail a couple of times so I really have no idea who started it but if you do thank them for me it was a great reminder, especially in these hard times.

Here is the story:

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
 in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
 
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
 front of him.
 
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
 
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
 
They agreed that it was.
 
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
 jar He shook the jar lightly.
 
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
 He then asked the students again if the jar was full..
 They agreed it was..
 The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
 
 Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

 He asked once more if the jar was full.
 
The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
 
The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured
 the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space
 between the sand.
 
The students laughed..
 
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to
 recognize that this jar represents your life.
 
The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children,
 your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything
 else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
 
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house
 and your car.
 
The sand is everything else—the small stuff.
 
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no
 room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
 
The same goes for life.
 
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never
 have room for the things that are important to you.
 
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
 
Spend time with your children.
 
Spend time with your parents.
 
Visit with grandparents.
 
Take time to get medical checkups.
 
Take your spouse out to dinner.
 
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

 Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter.
 
Set your priorities.
 
The rest is just sand.
 
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer
 represented.

 The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’
 
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,
 there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
 
We encourage you to share this with everyone and anyone that learning to not let the little stuff make less room for the truly important in your lives.  Dancing while it’s raining is the best advice you can give someone when nothing else can be done. 

I once sat in my van with my children signing Kids Bop songs watching  my house burn…guess what my children have no fear of fire and we all cameback stronger from the experience in the end.  We couldn’t help as the firemen were doing what they could and we couldn’t just walk away.  So we had a choice scream cry and lement or sing my childrens favorite songs and make it a postive example of how firemen and police come to help when called. 

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ

Monday 27 October 2008

For a warm home-cooked meal at the end of the day I love to use my slow-cooker/crockpot.  I can put all the ingredients in quickly during the morning rush and then just turn it on.  That way while I’m working, doing errands, doing yard work or any of the million other things that fill my day I know dinner is taken care of. I enjoy a nice filling meal at the end of the day as well as my family only this way it doesn’t make me too tired to enjoy it after a busy day.

This recipe is a favorite as it’s simple, fast to prepare and can be tweaked and changed into many different dishes.  You can change the meat to almost anything and it works.  I have to admit that I’ve even tried it with venison and it was delicious.  You can go hot and heavy on the seasonings or light for just a hint of flavor so that all dietary issues can be accommodated. Another plus is you don’t have to get the best cut of meat to make this dish.  Go for the cheapest you can find because being slow cooked will make it just as tender as the more expensive cuts.  Also don’t worry about getting it pre-sliced or cutting it up yourself because it will just fall apart with a fork when it’s done!

In your slow cooker put your choice of beef, chicken, pork, venision, etc. Season with meat tenderizer and if you want a littole more flavor some mesquite seasoning. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Then shred the meat with a fork.  You can do this either inside the cooker or take it out and for easier access and put back in slow cooker.  Don’t empty the juices, broth,  you want to keep that. Then you can add your favorite sloppyJoe/BBQ sauce. Wait until the complete mixture is hot then serve.

Rolls are my favorite will a little coleslaw on top and served  an open face sandwich.  Some great sides with this is french fries and applesauce.  A complete meal that will fill up your whole family and won’t empty your pocket.

10 Great Tips On How To Budget And Save Money!

Monday 21 January 2008

Saving money is one hard task. There are lots of things to be considered, primarily on how to budget your cash on hand that would somehow, if not manage to have excess left money, be exact of what it should be used for. Budgeting is really a pain in the neck.

Allocation of electric bills, water bills, phone bills, etc. is just few of the many things being considered on how to utilize your cash wisely. Food is no exception. Being the most important of all house responsibility, we prioritize on how to budget our money, reducing the money spent without sacrificing the food allocation.

We mainly buy necessities in groceries. It would be of help if you list down goods you have to buy together with their prices (if possible) so as to ensure yourself that the budget allotted for food is exact or there is a shortage. If so, you could trim down your list or think of a better replacement. To furthermore avoid shopping shortages, here are some tips.

1.List goods that should always be found in the kitchen. Examples of which are coffee, milk, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, onion, garlic. These goods are necessary, so they are always being bought.

2.Plan your weekly meals ahead of time. This would avoid you overspending on goods invaluable or missing some ingredients that are needed. This would not just clear your worries but it would also save your time.

3.Don’t buy branded goods; instead choose a product that has the same quality of those expensive goods. You’ll get the same benefit without spending more.

4.Buy goods that have dual purpose. A good example of which is mayonnaise. You can use it as a sandwich spread or make macaroni salad instead. In a way, you could enjoy eating both without spending too much.

5.Buy less expensive cuts of meat. List recipes that the cuts won’t matter. At least, you won’t be sacrificing the taste of the food and at the same time you’ll have the chance to buy a larger quantity.

6.Pay in cash. You might be tempted to buy unnecessary goods. This would avoid you from going over your card limit.

7.Try to be inventive and creative at the same time. Leftovers could be precooked in a way that it would look appealing again to your appetite.

8.Bring some snacks whenever you travel. This could be a good reliever for your hunger along the way and chances of being tempted to stop in a mini store; if not be impossible, at least be lessen.

9.Keep a list of prices of goods you always buy. At least, with those products you’re sure of how much you’ll be spending and you could do just a small amount on goods you wish to buy.

10.Shop only once or twice a month. In that way, less time will be spent on going to a grocery store and at the same time, chances

Author Resource:
Visit http://www.ceramic-straighteners.info. Visit http://www.luxury-hotels-in-barbados.info. Visit http://www.bank-reposesed-cars-for-sale.info.Best-Articles-Online