Top Ten Tips For Controlling Expenses (and Claire's Awesome Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe)

Did you know that Forbes has a new section of its Web site completely dedicated to women? Yeah, pretty cool. I am enough of a feminist to think that this seems unnecessary, however, after reading through it and joining the Facebook group, I've decided that its a good thing. Forbes Woman is looking for female bloggers to participate in a discussion about how you handle your personal finances. That's where the inspiration for this post came from.

After losing my full time job in April, I re-evaluated my finances to determine where I could save money. But the truth is, three years before that I had already taken decisive steps to turn my financial ship around.

Here are my Top Ten tips for aligning your financial life for greater stability and peace of mind:

1. Get out of credit card debt. Three years ago, I had two credit cards that were basically maxed out. A couple of times I had paid late by a day, and since credit card companies are basically vultures that would just as soon peck your eyes out of your head than help you, I consulted with a local consumer credit counseling service. They helped me renegotiate my debt and lower my interest rate. I just finished my program, which took about 32 months to complete.
2. Save as much as you can in your company 401k, or contribute the max to an IRA every year. I subscribe to the Suze Orman rule of "paying yourself" before you pay other bills.
3. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR RETIREMENT MONEY. I made the mistake of loaning myself money from my 401k to pay for a car for my daughter. When I lost my job, that loan needed to be payed back before the end of the year so that I did not suffer tax consequences.
4. Save a six-month cushion (emergency fund) in a savings account in case you lose your job. It will take real discipline to do this. I suggest using an online service like SmartyPig.
5. Refinance your mortgage. Rates are at historic lows. Try to use a local bank or credit union so your business stays local. Big banks are busy right now due to all the mortgages being processed for the real estate tax credit.
6. Stretch your grocery budget by using coupons and not going to the store as often. When supplies run low and you would normally go to the store, try going a few more days and preparing meals with what you have left. Go to discount grocery stores to stock up on staples once every three months. Utilize a pantry space to store extra non-perishables. Mine is just a wire baker's rack that I bought at Costco.
7. Switch brands of personal care products. Try replacing half of your personal care products with less expensive items.
8. Lengthen times between personal grooming services such as hair cuts, manicures, pedicures and waxing. If you normally go once a month, go every 6 weeks instead. Use home-based touch up products if you need to. Don't forget Fido. Dogs can wait another two weeks for grooming too.
9. Skip the $5.00 latte. Make coffee at home and buy a nice travel mug.
10. Eat at home and make extra to freeze. A gigantic pot of chicken noodle soup (recipe below) costs about $23 dollars to make and can make more than 25 individual servings. Bring your lunch and carry a couple granola bars and a bottle of water where ever you go, so you're not tempted to buy expensive convenience store items.

Claire's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 32 oz. cartons of Swanson chicken stock
5 lb. bone-in chicken thighs (skin on for flavor)
4 large baking potatoes (Yukon Gold is not a good choice for this recipe)
8 large carrots
2 large white or yellow onions
4 large celery stalks
2 12 oz bags of frozen Reemes egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock base (yellow paste-like stuff in a small jar)

In a large soup pot (extra big) or two smaller pots, place chicken thighs in pot and cover with water until submerged at least three inches under the surface. Add some salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a very gentle boil and then simmer for 40 minutes. Be sure the liquid does not violently boil. I use chicken thighs because they're cheaper and more flavorful. Breasts can be substituted, but make sure the chicken has bones. Bones are what cause the soup to be full-bodied and have the right texture.

After cooking the chicken, remove from the liquid and place flat on a baking sheet to cool. Add the stock to the soup pots and bring to a gentle boil. While the chicken is cooling, chop the vegetables in this order, and add to the pot once prepared. Onions (medium dice), carrots (I cut into coins or on a diagonal into slices about 1/4 inch think), potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes (or whatever you consider bite-sized), celery. Add salt and pepper to taste and the bay leaves. Add the chicken stock base and give it a good stir. Taste the broth again and make sure it has good flavor. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. If it's too salty, add water. You can also add water to add more broth to the soup at any time.

Pull the chicken off the bones. Discard all the bones, skin and fat. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot. Break up the Reemes egg noodles into smaller pieces and add them into the pot while frozen or semi-frozen. Bring the pot(s) back to a simmer, and then add the peas and carrots. By this time, your pot should be very full. Sample the vegetables and noodles to make sure they're almost done. Simmer for another 10 minutes before serving.

Allow the soup to cool significantly, and then ladle into serving-size plastic freezer containers or even freezer bags. Try to remove most of the air before freezing. Place a piece of masking tape on each container and write the date. To thaw, defrost in the microwave or place into a warm water bath and then heat to boiling. Enjoy!

Comments

[jason]

great recipe thank you, i might use it in my webstite

www.halfgrocery.com