And more on menu planning not working out..

Tonight we went to Double Dave's for dinner. Rod thought he was going to play there so we went right after he closed the shop and we ordered two stromboli, one cheese steak and one garlic and spinach. I only ate half of mine so while it wasn't a great dinner on the carb front it wasn't horrendous, either.

We hadn't really planned on eating out but he wanted to and we had it in the budget so that worked out okay. We haven't eaten out much lately but we still do it more than we should. We're on the right track, though, so we don't feel guilty about it. The bills are paid on time or early, we aren't behind on anything, and we have money saved so eating out tonight won't break us. But man, being human sure is a pain at times!

Tomorrow is my day off (oh really? errands, laundry, what day off?) and I hope to make the crustless meat pie on my menu plan. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Eat from the pantry challenge

Sara, over at Learning the Frugal Life, has an Eat from the Pantry challenge going on this month. I just learned about it but I'm joining and will plan our meals around what we already have for the rest of this month. Fortunately, the MPM entry for this week already uses things we have so I don't need to switch gears there.

Eating from the pantry is something we try to do on a regular basis. We buy virtually all of our food on sale and buy a good quantity so rotation of foodstuffs is a necessity. Of course, that means that when something is nearing its 'end of life' stage, we consume it! But that also means we don't spend money for food items we already have unless we need to stock up on them.

My goal for the remainder of this month is to buy only milk, eggs, and fresh produce. I don't know that I'll make it since the stockpile mentality causes me to become a whirling dervish when I see certain things on sale but I'll be happy if I just cut waaaaay back on what I buy.

If you'd like to cut your grocery bill, set a goal for what's left of this month and join the challenge!

Economic woes have you down? Town Hall for Hope might be the answer

A lot of people are unemployed or underemployed and struggling to make ends meet isn't generally fun or easy. In fact, it can really take a toll and make a person feel depressed, sad, and lonely. Economic crises can be the catalyst for marital problems and a lot more. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Dave Ramsey is having a live broadcast on April 23rd at 8 PM EST and as of this morning there are over 4000 locations hosting Town Hall for Hope. If there's any way you can do it, plan to attend this free simulcast. Dave's going to talk about the economy and your money and if its like his other events, it will change your life...or at least your perspective on the current economic situation in America. You can read the latest THFH happenings on the blog or go to the main site. There's even some nice videos at youtube that give a little information about the event. So really, do yourself a favor and check it out.

“I am an American, and I am choosing not to participate in this recession!” A lot of people are beginning to see they have the power to say this. You can have it, too.

End of the week...

I got my taxes done tonight. How is that for not procrastinating? I get a refund...a whopping $67! I'll take it.

I have a meeting at work tonight at 9:30. It shouldn't last more than thirty minutes or so, probably. And I'm off tomorrow. Yaaaay! But I plan to do laundry in the morning and run a few errands. Being off means I don't have to pack a lunch but I'll probably prepare some things for the weekend since I work Saturday and Sunday.

The edamame I took to work today was great and my co-workers who tried it liked it, too. Two of them told me they didn't like black olives or beans but they ate some of both and liked them. One of them said to me, "You're making me like stuff I don't like!". I thought that was amusing.

I'm working on a list of easy to tote low carb foods for lunches. So far, its a nice list but if you have suggestions please let me know. I can always use more ideas.

Another non-food post but still...

This morning I read this article about banks and the money they received in the bail out and just fumed. Hours later I'm still mad about it. Does anyone else see this is as patently ridiculous or is it just me? I simply can't fathom the reaction of the banks - what do you mean you don't know where the money is? What do you mean you won't comment? Absolutely irresponsible.

Can you tell I'm a little mad about this situation?

Are we obligated to pay old debts and charge off debts?

This is so not food related but I wanted to find out what others think. Do you think people have an obligation to pay a charged off debt?

During a conversation with one of my sons this morning he said he got his credit reports last week and there were two charge offs from almost seven years ago. They're both due to roll off soon and other than those two he has about $3,600 in non-student loan debt. Apparently he plans to tackle the two charge offs at some point down the road but not any time soon. He agrees we might have a moral obligation to pay such a debt but isn't concerned about it.

I, on the other hand, think we definitely have a moral obligation to pay debts, even old and charged off debts. So what if the company got a tax break on the bad debt - we still owe them that money and not paying it is theft.

What do you think? Do we or do we not have an obligation to pay old/charged off debts? Input greatly appreciated!

Depression era recipes & help with leftovers

I'm something of a collector of recipes, especially really thrifty ones. I suppose it comes from raising kids on a very limited income but even though it's just me and the man person now and we're doing okay financially (thanks to YHWH, Dave Ramsey, and our own hard work) I still cook frugally and collect recipes for very inexpensive dishes. In light of that, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Depression era recipes with y'all. Some of these I've found on the web and where I know the site, I note that by making the name a link. Enjoy!


Depression Cake

1 cup shortening
2 cups water
2 cups raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups white sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a saucepan combine the shortening, water, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease one 9 x 13 baking pan.

Stir the flour and baking soda into the cooled raisin mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter into the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This is actually a very good cake and it's excellent when frosted with homemade icing.


Another Cake Recipe

1 cup water
2 cups raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup lard (shortening)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Place water, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, lard, nutmeg and salt in a saucepan and mix. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir into cooked mixture. Place in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for one hour.


Rice Pudding

Grease a glass 9" x 13" Pyrex dish with solid shortening. Preheat oven to 300.

½ cup long grain white rice
½ cup sugar
1 can evaporated milk, diluted to make one quart
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon to taste

Place all ingredients except cinnamon in pan. Generously sprinkle top with cinnamon. At least once during the baking, stir cinnamon crust into the rice and sprinkle the top with cinnamon again. Let bake until rice is tender, approximately 1 ½ hours. Cool and serve or refrigerate and serve cold.


Meatless Loaf

1 cup rice
1 cup peanuts crushed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients together and bake in a loaf pan for 30 minutes or until loaf is set.

Meatless loaf sounds like a very odd dish and it is but it's tasty!


Homemade Dumplings
This is how my paternal grandmother made dumplings

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons shortening
3/4 to 1 cup milk
2 quarts broth or more

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add shortening then milk until thick batter is obtained. Drop by teaspoonfuls in boiling broth cover and cook covered 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid while cooking.


Bread For the Poor
That's what the same grandmother called this fried bread

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Water

Stir in enough water to make a batter and pour into greased cast iron skillet. Fry like you would a pancake until brown on each side. Spread with butter and jelly and enjoy. Its also nice when sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

And there's a new blog, Not Just Leftovers - Brand New Meals, about creatively using leftovers. Kudos to Janelle for starting it up!

Short article and this weekend

I read this blog entry this morning and though the suggestions are standard (use cash, don't throw things out, etc) a few commonalities between today's economy and the one during the Depression are pointed out in an effective way.

I've had a busy week and I spent Thursday with my family in Dallas. My mother, stepfather, sisters, youngest son, and nieces and nephews were there. Even my oldest niece, her husband and three children from Iowa were present and it was great seeing them. We had a lot of good food and great fellowship and my son and his girl surprised us all with the lovely engagement ring on her left hand! Woohooo! :)

I'm actually off the entire weekend and this afternoon we're heading to Natchitoches, LA to hear a good band and see great fireworks at the river. If you're ever there this time of year, do catch the festivities. You won't be sorry!

Wednesday's supper & great recession/depression information

It isn't on the menu for this week but tonight we're having red beans and brown rice. The man person has requested it so that's what supper will be. I have a lot to do today so I won't go to my mother's house and dinner needs to pretty much cook itself. Using the slow cooker will certainly make the beans almost cook themselves and preparing the rice in the microwave will finish it off. I'm going to season the beans a little differently than normal. Usually I cook them with chopped onion and some kind of meat, black pepper, garlic, and right before serving a little salt but today I'm going to use a little bit of onion soup mix. I haven't tried that before but it seems like they'd be good prepared that way.

I read about this quiz at Homemaking 4 Jesus and thought I'd take it. Here are my results:

You Are 64% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

"Even though you may not be expecting the worst, you're the type of person who prepares for the worst. You live a relatively modest life. You don't overspend, and you aren't very materialistic.

You are also quite self sufficient and independent. You have many useful skills. You can take care of yourself and those you love... which is crucial to surviving another Great Depression."

I'd much rather be 100% likely to survive another Great Depression but 64% isn't too bad. There are things I can do to swing the odds a little more in my direction and I'll work on them.

How likely are you to survive one? And what can you do to increase your chances of survival?

If you're interested in the hows and whys of the current economic condition of the United States and things you can do now to prepare for a severe financial crisis, here are a few good resources:

How to survive the next depression

How to survive the next great depression

IOUSA, a 30 minute video about debt in the U. S. *I highly recommend this video and encourage you to pass the URL on to others*

The Issue: Recession 2008

If you know of other good articles or entries about surviving serious economic crises, please let me know by leaving a comment.

A tale of two cities (and seemingly two depressions)

When I was a kid and whined, as most kids are apt to, about how hard my life was, a man I knew, DJ, would tell me about his youth in Faribault, Minnesota during the Great Depression. He was just a young boy in 1930 and lived with his parents who were farmers. But lack of rain and lack of work did their dirty deeds and after getting loans in attempts to keep the farm, his parents eventually lost the homestead and most of their possessions. His mother also lost her mind. His father turned to alcohol. DJ told stories about going to bed with the deep pangs of hunger in his belly, wearing shoes with the toes cut out of them, getting beaten for stealing corn from a neighbor's farm when he and his brother had gone without food one day too many, his wealthy aunt who committed suicide leaving behind several young children who were taken to an orphanage and never heard from again and other horrors. He had nothing positive to say about those years but again, he was just a kid and his family had fallen apart. He grew up to be a money-obsessed man who would stop at nothing to get what he saw as the elusive key to happiness and he ended up bitter and alone.

My husband's father, James, grew up in Marthaville, Louisiana and told stories, too. Percy, father of James, lost his land in 1929 and took off for Cleveland, Texas taking his two youngest sons with him. James turned 18 in 1930 and boarded in another family's home. And he and the remaining brother were industrious. There had been a cotton crop planted on the land Percy lost and James and his oldest brother slipped in and tended to the crop until it made cotton. Then they picked it and hauled it to the cotton gin where they sold it. James went to Shelby County, Texas and stayed with relatives, logging and working for chicken farmers. His oldest brother went to Sabine Parish, Louisiana and worked in the oil fields. Percy and the two youngest boys stayed gone three years and when they returned, Percy just wondered around visiting relatives and playing fiddle at dances and the two younger boys went into the logging business. At the beginning of WWII three of the boys joined the Army. James was the one who didn't. He came out of those tough years as a tough man. I'm sure his experiences influenced him but his family managed to stay intact for the most part and pulled together to survive. He raised two sons alone and never got rich but made a comfortable living and a nice home for his sons.

When my husband was in the seventh grade and studying the Depression, he asked his Dad what it was like. What James told his young son went something like this:

"Well, we didn't hear about it for two or three years. There wasn't much money around but nobody had any money before then. Jobs got a little scarce but we all logged, cut cross ties, and everybody grew their own gardens. We just traded stuff amongst each other. If we needed a horse, we'd trade corn or a plow to someone who had one. We hunted for rabbits and deer and we made out pretty good. Towards the end of it, it got hard to get shoes. If you had a pair of shoes, most of the year you didn't wear 'em unless you were on a date. We didn't even wear 'em when we worked."

James and his brothers logged for a living...barefoot, and walked 25 miles to town...barefoot.

So what's the point in my telling all this? Both men experienced the same basic situation in their youth but the outcomes were different for them and their families. There were some basic differences like the ages of the two men and miscellaneous family details but the two families handled the stresses differently.

Most of us are going through some very tough financial times and things are going to get worse before they get better. But now isn't the time to panic. Instead, take action. Stay calm and use your head and if you haven't done so yet, prepare for tough economic times. And remember that it can always be worse.

First, get and keep your priorities straight. Keeping a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back are the basic priorities. Your kids might not like it but they'll survive and be appreciative of the food, even if it is just beans. They might not be appreciative until they're 25 but at some point they will be. And they'll be grateful for parents who set a good example.

If you're experiencing financial problems or anticipate them, talk to your kids about it. You needn't give a lot of detail but don't keep kids in the dark. Even a six year old can understand money being scarce and just telling them money is tight is often enough. Give what you think they can handle but do include them, at some level, in the situation.

Do what you can to keep your home but know this: if you lose it, it isn't the end of the world. After 12 years of paying on our house and land, we lost it in late 2007 and though I wish we hadn't gone through that, we survived and have a lot less stress now. Foreclosure isn't a good thing but it isn't the worst thing, either. A house is just a house. The people inside it are more important.

Formulate a plan for a potential layoff or time of decreased income. Update your resume, figure out how much money you need monthly to get by, do a little networking, explore the possibility of a career change, take some college classes, learn a new skill or two, call in favors, etc.

If you haven't started accumulating cash, start. I mean right now, don't wait. If you can only put aside $5 a week, do it. Surely there's something you can do to get more cash or to spend less in one or more areas so you can put that amount aside - sell books online, have a garage sale, clean houses, mow yards, cut out the cable, switch to dial up (yuck, I know!!), forgo the manicure, magazine, or latte, hang clothes outside to dry, reduce or eliminate eating out, quit smoking, etc. It doesn't hurt to get your kids involved in such things, either. If they earn/save/don't spend $10 a week, thats less money they need from you and they learn valuable lessons in money management and family values.

Along with increasing cash, decrease your debt if possible. Personally, I think if you're facing a potential layoff having living expenses for a few months is more important than paying on debt but beyond the three basics listed above everyone needs to prioritize for themselves. I've been in the position of having little income and no savings and feeling I had no choice but to live on credit. At the end of a few months I still had little income and no savings but I owed several thousand dollars on one credit card. I never want to be in that position again so if I don't have cash to buy something I don't get it. Dave Ramsey's envelope system really got me going good in that department. It's simple, easy to understand and it works if making it work is a priority. On the other hand some people might feel more comfortable with paying more on debt and having less cash in hand. This is definitely a matter of preference and the only right way is the one that makes you comfortable. Find your way and follow it.

Don't incur new debt. Don't charge christmas presents or meals out for visiting family. In fact, don't charge anything. Get rid of the credit cards, put them in a bowl of water in the freezer, lock them in a safe deposit box, do whatever you have to but don't use them! For me, this is a huge priority, right up there with the basics. In fact, it is a basic in my book. We haven't observed christmas in over 13 years but even if we did, I feel so strongly about not acquiring new debt that I'd eat beans and rice and not buy a single gift before I'd charge anything.

If you have room for a garden, get your seeds (use heirloom seeds), and supplies, get the garden planned, and be ready when planting season arrives. If you don't have land enough for a garden, consider a container garden. With containers, some soil, seeds, and sunlight you can grow at least some of your food and if you're really blessed, might be able to preserve some of it for later use. If you have no means to garden, consider working out a deal with someone who does. Mow their yard or run their errands in exchange for produce. Don't be afraid to ask! If you can't garden or work out a deal to barter with someone who does, keep your eyes open for great deals on in season fruits and vegetables at the local store. Talk to the produce manager to get the best price on a case of this or a bushel of that and preserve what you get. Canning isn't hard but freezing and drying are often sufficient.

And finally, when the going gets really tough and you feel sad or depressed over the situation, remember this - you don't walk barefoot 25 miles to town. I know that doesn't help pay the bills but it really could be much worse than what it is. Just muddle through and be thankful for your friends and family and keep those priorities straight so you don't end up being used to make a point in someone's blog entry.

A few good blog entries to pass on

Since I'm off this weekend I've spent a little more time than usual reading blogs, mainly personal finance blogs. I found a few entries I want to share with you, either because I think they have valuable information or because they touch me in some way. I hope you enjoy them.

Paid Twice gives us easy and painless ways to pay ourselves first

SimpleMom gives ideas for earning money at home

Great tips on black friday bargains from Lance Landes, one of my favorite bloggers

Get Rich Slowly has 34 fantastic ideas for gifts you can make

Money Ning tells us why it's so important to enjoy Thanksgiving this year, even though times are tough

I really like the last entry as it pretty much sums up how I feel about Thanksgiving this year. Yeah, times are tough, yeah, it hurts to find yourself in a financial pit, and yeah, life really does go on and this is no time to forget the things for which we should be grateful. So let's all eat, drink, be merry, and share with others!

The Cost of Food in September 2008

DH and I are spending a little more on groceries than we have in the past but I'm not sure if the cause is that prices have gone up or we're buying more expensive food and trying to eat healthier or perhaps a little of all. Regardless, we manage to eat well for quite a bit less than the USDA Thrifty Plan and a lot less than Trent over at The Simple Dollar. (Of course, we only feed two!) But his recent article on what's an appropriate food budget for a family of four got a lot of comments and seems to have kicked up some dust! Personally, I think $770 a month for two adults and two children is outrageous (I fed two adults and four children four years ago for less than $250 most months) but what do I know? Anyway, we aren't the only Americans paying more for food, apparently.

According to the USDA Food Plans, for the month of September 2008 the "Thrifty Plan" cost for a month of food for a man my husband's age was $160.60 and for a woman my age it was $155.60. That totals a little over $316 for a month. In April, the cost was right at $300 and that $16 increase took place over only five months.

One of the things I'm doing to help keep the grocery spending under control is trying new recipes. Yep, trying new recipes! I don't try the ones with weird, hard to find or expensive ingredients but I search for those using tried and true, inexpensive, on hand staples from our pantry. So far it's working out very well. We've had a few new to us dishes lately that were tasty and thrifty.

There are a lot of great sites with inexpensive recipes but a few of my favorites are: Cheap Cooking, Cheap Eats, Eating Well, and The USDA's Recipe Finder. The recipe finder has a nice collection of nutritious and inexpensive recipes. The Broccoli Potato Soup is very good and with Autumn upon us it's definitely a featured item on some of our upcoming menus. I use fewer potatoes and add cauliflower so it's lower in carbs and a little more nutritious.

Are you spending more for food now than you were earlier this year or are you spending about the same? And what measures do you take to help keep your food budget under control?

Enquiring minds want to know!

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride

The state of the U.S. economy has a lot of people skittish and some say they're even afraid. A recent survey conducted by Decision Research shows that fear about our current economic state outweighs fear of terrorism.

I don't know that I'm afraid but I'm certainly concerned and more than just a tad angry about it all. However, being concerned, angry, or afraid doesn't solve the problems and doesn't make me feel any better. But what does make me feel better is knowing that YHWH is in control and I'm fairly prepared for recession and even a depression.

An article in The Modesto Bee has practical advice about saving during these tough times. The advice given is pretty standard stuff - cut back on expenses and save your money. Cook more and eat out less. Don't drive a gas guzzling vehicle. Buy used or sale clothing items. We've all heard this advice before yet most of us don't follow it.

Why?

I'm not sure but I think it's because most of us have a devil may care, play now pay later attitude about life in general and money in particular. When I was 20 I didn't worry about having money for retirement. I just assumed I'd have it. Don't ask me where or how I thought I'd get it because I don't know the answer to that. I was young, naive, married and raising children and with the day to day stresses, my future 40 or 50 years down the road simply wasn't a factor. It didn't dawn on me that someday I'd be approaching 50 and staring my golden years in the face. And now here I am.

It's taken me time and a lot of work but I have money saved and I don't have a lot of debt. I do have some old debt that I'm trying to pay off. I'm making dents in it a little at a time and it's working for me. It sure would have been a lot easier if I hadn't accrued the debt, though. If I'd saved/invested all the charges I incurred and all the money I've blown over the years I'd be quite comfortable right now and years down the road.

I have no credit cards and rarely use a debit card or check. I use cash for almost everything. To me, plastic just isn't money. It's something else, I'm not sure what, so I go to great effort to not even be around it. I know, there's something wrong with me to feel that way but a lot of Americans are like me. We simply can't handle credit.

If you're one of those, admit it now, cut up the cards, and get them all paid off. You know you should, you know you need to, and you probably know that your life will be a lot better in the long run if you do.

If you don't see plastic as something other as money, that's okay. You might be one of the lucky ones who could save quite a lot of money if you just quit using the cards. You might be one of the lucky ones who has plenty of money and just likes the convenience of credit cards. But at what price convenience? The credit card companies abuse you and you say, "More, more!" If that's okay with you, great. But if it isn't okay you know what to do about it.

If you aren't one of the lucky ones and credit helps you get through the month, like Dave Ramsey says, deliver pizzas, cut hair on the weekends, look into a paper route..just do what it takes to get those debts paid off and start saving money.

We don't know just where our economy is headed. It might tank and it might not. But there are some things you can do to prepare, even just a little.

Decrease your spending, increase your income, and increase your money reserves. Even if you can't increase your income, you can do the other two. You'll feel a lot better for it.

Don't expect the government to be there for you in the near future or your old age and don't just sit around wishing things would get better.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Maintaining finances in tough times....

I found this article on maintaining finances during stressful times in life and it touched me. I'm not sure why but the fact that my stepfather has early stage dementia probably has something to do with it. I think Mom is still in shock over the diagnosis and my stepdad is dealing with fear of the unknown.

Fortunately, they make good money but I'm not sure how much, if any, they've saved. I know that they've been paying on and not using credit cards for awhile and are faithful about paying bills on time. But I also know that they plan to quit their jobs in December of this year, with the intention of traveling awhile. Honestly, I'm concerned about their finances but don't know how to ask them about it. I mean, I can't just say, "So, how much debt do y'all have?" Well, not without starting a fight, anyway!

At any rate, the above mentioned article caught my eye and I recommend it to all. The author's recounting of her mother's death, her father's handling of finances, and how the benefits were reaped during a very difficult time of life should be a lesson to the rest of us. We really don't know what the future holds and financial preparation is not just for our benefit but for that of those left behind.

How to eat on the cheap!

I've spent some time this morning perusing sites looking for advice on cutting grocery expenses. I do pretty well as it is but it's good to keep abreast of such things and I get email fairly often from people new to budgeting and frugality asking if I'll post more "how to" entries on those topics. Not only that, who knows when and where some miraculous suggestion will appear?? It could happen! And I don't want to miss it when it does! Most of the sites say the same things - do this, do that, etc. But some of the advice is so good (and so overlooked) that it really does bear repeating.

One of the spots with such advice is About.com's Frugal Living's hints for cutting grocery expenses. The guide's advice is sound and thorough. Make sure you check out the additional resources toward the bottom of the pages. There are some golden nuggets there!

By the way, the article on recession proofing your finances is very good, also. Mmmm, maybe the Fed needs to read that!

Blood sugar and regular insulin..or why I've been MIA

Okay, so back in the middle of June I realized that although I was using my Novolog as directed, it didn't seem to be working well and basically not working at all. My BG was still ridiculously high, even after a very low carb meal. I was exhausted, had no energy at all, and was depressed from it. If I ate a few pieces of celery or cheese I spiked. If I ate a baked chicken breast I spiked. Even a leafy salad caused a spike and I was very worried...not to mention hungry and tired of being hungry! I was at the point of practically tearing my hair out in frustration.

Eventually, being the nerdy girl that I am, I googled 'ineffective Novolog' and the word 'cause' and found out that one cause could be the insulin getting too warm. I suspected that's what happened and was devastated because in my fridge I had 5 pens of the stuff which had been provided free of charge via a PAP and it was time to re-apply. Getting approved for the program and receiving more insulin would take awhile and I didn't (and still don't) have the funds to spend almost $200 for a pen or even $90 for a vial. Add to that the fact that I'm now working and though I don't have insurance through my job yet, it's just recently been offered to me and the PAPs insist that if it's offered, one must take it. It won't even touch the cost of insulins but just having it will more than likely disqualify me for the PAPs. Talk about a catch 22 situation!

Throw in my oldest son getting married in early August and we've been very short of employees where I work and what do you get? Long work hours and high stress, which for me mean higher blood sugar. I simply haven't been online much and haven't felt like blogging or doing much of anything. The lack of energy and exhaustion have kept me on a very short leash. All of this brings to mind the saying, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." That's exactly how I've felt lately.

I knew I had to do something but didn't have the money for even a visit to a physician (who would want to run so many tests that I'd be fortunate to get out for less than $400) and regular 'old fashioned' insulin came to me as a possible solution so I returned to the ever trusty google and found a great entry at the Diabetes Update blog, which in turn led me to the same author's bloodsugar101 site. I spent hours over the next few days reading both sites. While much of it is stuff I already knew there's quite a bit of new to me information. I have to admit here that I haven't read much on diabetes in the last three years or so. I'd become complacent in my own care and treatment and rarely tested my blood sugar. And yes, I even became lazy about my diet and exercise. To top it off, I knew I was killing myself, literally, so I stuck my head in the sand. Given those things, why would I read the latest and be reminded of my own failings? Errr, I wouldn't.

My last excursion a few years ago into the land of regular insulin was far from successful. I either shot too much or not enough and after a few days of spikes and hypos I gave up. I simply wasn't willing to do the work it took to figure out when and how much to shoot and was very afraid of the hypos so at the urging of my physician, I opted for Novolog and Lantus. However, this time I had to come up with a quick, inexpensive and effective solution. I knew that low carb eating helps the blood sugar but low carb alone wouldn't work for me. Recent experience had shown me that.

But when I read the entry at Diabetes Update I realized that regular insulin might be the answer I sought if I was willing to give it another chance. It was at least worth some further investigation. So I called the local pharmacies to find the best price, which it turns out, is at Wal-Mart. A vial costs less than $22 and requires no prescription. And I spent more hours reading up on regular insulin.

I started Novolin R on the 3rd of July, with apprehension I might add! However, we know that desperation leads us to do things we might not otherwise do or to do things that frighten us and in this case my desperation did just that.

But the big question was - how much to shoot? I found a sliding scale on the internet but the miniscule amounts of insulin recommended don't seem to affect me so this has pretty much been a crap shoot. The first few days were rough and reminded me of my first attempts to use R. I either under or over shot and had a few very high spikes and a few bad hypos, the latter generally between 2 and 4 AM but I stuck with it. I started with 5 units and have worked my way up to shooting between 15 and 20 units an hour before meals and 5 to 15 units before bed.

I still haven't quite figured out the corrective dose but am close.

The before bed dose seems to work for me just as well, or better than, the very expensive Lantus. I have a real problem with Dawn Phenomenon and generally can't make myself eat until I've been up an hour or two so mornings are the hardest times for me to manage. But shooting a few units before bed seems to tend to that morning high. This morning, my BG was 113 upon rising which is a tad higher than I like but manageable. Yesterday it was 86. I can't tell you the last time I had such a nice FBG. Starting the day with a decent number just makes the whole day go smoother and if I can wake up with it under control I can generally keep it under control the rest of the day.

My goal is to have an A1c of 5.0 or below and to get it there, I need the BG to run around 97 all the time. It's hard to get it there but it's harder still to keep it there.

So for now the regular insulin is working beautifully, better than
Novolog and Lantus ever did. And at a fraction of the cost. I have a long way to go to get to my goal but I see light at the end of the tunnel again.

There you have it - my blood glucose in a nutshell and some idea of why I've been MIA.

If you have experience, good or bad, with taking regular insulin, I'd love to hear from you.

And of course, if you have some good low carb recipes to share I'd love those, too. Meat, cheese, and vegetables get really old after awhile!

More low carb meals in my future! H-E-L-P!

Well, lately my blood sugar has become a real issue. It's either way too high or way too low and its really starting to chap my buns! So, in an effort to get better control of it, I'm eating a much lower carb diet. This isn't fun, folks! But if it has to be, it has to be. I don't want to lose limbs or eyesight (much less my life) and I'd like to live to see the grandchildren I hope to have someday so if low carb, more exercise, and more or different medications are what it's going to take, so be it.

One thing I really dislike about low carb eating is the cost of it. It ain't cheap to eat lean meats, fish, and good vegetables. The cheaper foods like rice, potatoes, and pasta are going to be rare treats for me.

Another thing I dislike is that I get bored with it and fairly quickly. I can eat only so much baked chicken and fish! I'm going to get back to scouring the Internet looking for low carb recipes so if you have a favorite or two or ten, please share with me.

The next menu I post will be a little different, I'm sure. We'll still have rice and other higher carb foods but even though I prepare them, I won't eat much, if any, of them.

So, here's to lower blood sugar and better health in general!

Stretching the grocery budget dollars

According to experts, food prices are higher than they were in March of 2007. Umm, I think most of us know that, though we're not 'experts'. But do you know how much higher? A loaf of white bread has increased 16%, milk has increased 23%, and eggs have climbed 35%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Americans spent an average of $1,926 per person on groceries in 2007, up 4.2% from 2006 and they project another 4.5% increase in 2008, to $2,013.

Obviously, food prices are an issue here as in many other places around the world. Food shortages are a worrisome possibility (probability?) and many U.S. food banks are struggling with rising costs and plummeting donations. But is it time for those of us in the U.S. to panic? I think not. I do think, however, we need to take stock of what we have, what we need, and what we might need in the near future, and maximize our purchases.

I already do those things but am in the process of creating a plan to enable us to stretch our grocery dollars even more. I'll hammer out my thoughts on that here and will post the final plan.

As a side note, I peruse the USDA's food plans regularly and for April of this year, their "Thrifty Plan" figure for a household of two adults the ages of DH and I is $300. We spent less than $200 on food in April and the only times we've gone over their "Thrifty Plan" amount is when we did huge stocking up two or three weeks in one month. The figures in the USDA charts aren't representative of our household but they seem to be a good average for the typical American family.

Where does your family fall in those averages? If you're above the average, why do you think that's so and what could you do to change it? And if you're below, what things do you do or not do that put you there?

Shame, shame, shame!

I didn't get off work until 5:00 tonight and we had our 10th Financial Peace University class at 6:30 so we stopped at Taco Bell on the way for dinner. No, that isn't healthy and no, eating out didn't help us pay any debt but it was good and fast and not too expensive at $11.00 for the two of us.

Tomorrow night we're having chicken and cornbread dressing with gravy, green beans, and tossed salad.

Yum yum!

By the way, I highly recommend the FPU class to anyone who wonders where their money is going or wants to get out of debt. We're taking it at a local church and the $100 we paid for the class is well worth it. In the 10 weeks since the class started, we've learned a lot, paid off some debts, and have managed to get some money saved. We have a long way to go but we didn't get into debt overnight and we won't get out of it overnight. We have hope now and that's definitely worth a lot more to us than $100.