Necessary Skills

This month's visiting teaching message is titled
"Managing Resources Wisely and Staying Out of Debt."

Each of the church leaders quoted in the message talks about skills we need to take care of our families and avoid debt, among these are cooking, learning "emotional resiliency," saving money, and having faith.

Trying Not to Spend

My cousin (who is a lot smarter than me) once told me that she used to think she would not have to budget as long as she didn't spend very much. She had since discovered that a budget was a necessity.

It took me a few years to figure out she was right.

Why doesn't the try-not-to-spend-too-much method work? I think there are a couple of reasons. First, without a budget we have no reason to prioritize. It is easier for us to justify purchases as something we need or deserve, and we have nothing to curtail us but a vague sense that we have spent too much. Second, we forget. I never feel like I have spent much, but the record we keep of our expenses tells me otherwise. It's a good reminder to count the extras I have and be grateful.

A Delicious, Less Costly Recipe for Pesto

I love it when I find out I can replace an expensive ingredient with something more practical. We just tried out a this recipe for pesto, which calls for pistachios ($4 a pound) instead of pine nuts ($20 a pound). It was delicious. Life is good.

Feel free to leave out the Kalamata olives if you don't like them or don't feel like buying some. You can also replace part of the olive oil with water to make a reduced fat version.

Creamy Pistachio Pesto over Whole Wheat Pasta

Growing Up

God sent us to Earth to learn things we could not in His presence. To put it simply, we are here to grow up. This idea has been on my mind a lot lately. I am glad I don't have to have everything figured out yet, but I know I need to keep working on it my whole life.

The February issue of the Ensign has two separate articles about growing up. The first, "Grow Up unto the Lord" focuses on spiritual things. The second, "That They May Grow Up in Thee" is about the practical skills we need as adults.

We are in charge of our own lives, and that is both thrilling and intimidating. I know I'll need the Lord's help.

Variations on Split Pea Soup

We ate this soup last night for dinner. It is warm, comforting, and cheap. The potato pieces in it add nice texture, and it's a prettier green than most split pea soups! I added some extra butter (I guess that makes it vegetarian and not vegan), salt, and lemon to get the flavor just right, and I cooked it half an hour less on the final step. You can find the recipe here: Vegan Split Pea Soup

Here is the other recipe I use for split pea soup. This one has ham in it. It has a different flavor and texture, but it's still yummy and inexpensive. Incredible Split Pea Soup

Go to the Movies Instead?

The stock market can be really fun. Of course, I've also heard that Vegas can be really fun. The New York Times' Bucks Blog suggests that you should go see a movie instead - it's fun with a much lower probability of ruining your life:

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/investing-is-not-entertainment/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Buying Store Brand, Love It

Buying store-brand when the price is right is one good way to free up money in your grocery budget. And you may be surprised how high the quality can be. Check out
Store-Brand Foods That Save You Money Without Sacrificing Taste