A change in direction! I saw something more interesting on the map.

I have often wanted to blog. To have a bit of a diary (not putting personal details) somewhere in this big world for people to see and to be encouraged. I had often felt that perhaps I would talk about frugality but everyone seems to be doing that. I am not much for the typical "organization" blog. There are plenty of those out there and they are ALL doing a fine job! They are tidying up across the world. More power to them. :-)

It is hard to be yourself sometimes. In a great big ocean of everything.....being yourself is exactly what you need.  There is something about the day to day life that is missing. A need to be encouraged. To remind people that there is something so precious about today. Let's be out there looking for it!

So my blog will change with these thoughts in mind......a Susan Branch/Gladys Taber way of thinking... Keep Calm and Carry On and be Creative and Precious while you do just that!

Making meals.

How to Use Elements of Leftovers.

Last night for our dinner we had red beans and rice with buttermilk cornbread and broccoli.

From that, I fed six of us with an extra serving for my husband to take for lunch the next day.

The items left were 2 cups of red beans that I will use to make chili for tonight's dinner.

Also remaining were about 2 cups of cornbread (that I crumbled to fit in a Ziploc bag) I will make Cornbread Salad for lunch. By adding chopped bell pepper and diced tomato and mayonnaise to mix.

There was also a 2 cup portion of cooked rice that I used for todays lunch by making a "stir fry" and adding sautéed green peppers and 3-4 scrambled eggs and soy sauce. It made large portions that was filling, had a starch and protein along with the peppers for a veggie.

All of that from the first meal. I call it a creative use of leftovers. I love trying to exercise my skills in
leftover creativity.  Happy Efficient Living!!!!!

Why I started this blog and why I am back to posting.

I started this blog with the clever idea of putting my ideas somewhere to help others who
may see exactly what I think I am seeing and that would be troubled times ahead.

My family and I , due the work Mr Efficient is in (which is the energy sector) have had some difficult times. Looming layoffs and cut hours. The BIGGEST thing in my budget I can change is our food budget.

First of all, I am stepping out here to admit this but we really don't have a budget. Not one of those cute printable binders with divider pages and printed pages....at least not anymore. ;-)

I need things simple. Pay the bills. In all honesty whenever I tried to get "control" of our finances years ago....anything I put on "paper" really just showed me that we couldn't make it!  We literally live by faith. Then and now. Our budget can't be put to paper.

It is just that simple. The Tightwad Gazette referred to budgets as well. The author didn't think it needed to be made difficult. Tedious things like filling jars or envelopes may work for some or even most but not everyone! That is okay. Don't feel bad....just keep it simple. Know what needs to be paid and when. Now that is easy.