Frugal Village Forums banner
21 - 40 of 40 Posts
If you have cable or satellite, watch the Food Network. Not all of them are complicated. Rachel Ray has some pretty simple things you could start off with.

I'll agree with a previous post, check out the recipes here on this site and if you have questions on how something is done, just post them and you'll get your answeres.
 
Also, I must confess that I am not the best cook. I have several meals that I cook reasonably well, or at least that my family is used to. My husband tells me I should just stick to them and not try cooking new recipes.
Here's a tip I figured out as a newlywed when I was learning to cook to my husband's taste...

Try one thing at a time and have a backup. So if you are looking at new recipes just do one dish and make the rest of the food on the plate familiar favorites. This way if the chicken whatsit doesn't come out there is plenty of rice or mashed potato and a familiar vegetable for the family to eat.

I would suggest, since your DH seems to be uncomfortable with new things, to not try new recipes more than once a week. Also, look for recipes similar to what you make now. So if he likes chicken noodle casserole, try chicken noodle soup, or try a beef noodle casserole. That will be within your comfort zone for both taste and cooking skill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KimberlySi
Discussion starter · #23 ·
Some encouragement from Husband!

Yesterday, while talking with my husband, he admitted that he isn't seeing any savings because of our His-and-Hers checking accounts. I was able to show him that I was nearing the end of the month and I still had some money left over due to my savings. (I'm paid monthly.)

I am going to take the advice given here and begin keeping an accurate account of my savings. I can then show him more clearly exactlly how much I am saving. He should be more open to changes if he is seeing the end results.

Kim
 
So you guys maintain completely separate finances?
 
My DH took my frugalness as a stab at his manhood and his ability to support us.
After I figured out that the less he knew the better.
As for the cooking, I stopped catering to him. He ate it or made himself something to eat. When someone is used to prepackaged foods, HM stuff tastes funny because they had less fat, sugar and salt in them. He'll come around.
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
So you guys maintain completely separate finances?
We do keep two different accounts. He has an account for his business and I have the personal account. He spends from the busines account (He does keep accurate records to know what is farm expenses and what is personal. Remember as a farmer, he shows a profit only once a year.) I deposit my salary into the personal account. I pay the mortgage, my vehicle payment, buy groceries, tithe to the church, pay for life and health insurance, pay for medical expensess, and other misc. things for the home and family. He pays the other bills. If I am running short, I speak with him and he transfers money to my account. I very rarely have to ask him for money. I budget my salary well. We've been married 19 years and have slowly evolved to this situation. We pretty much know who is paying for what and when. It probably doesn't work for most families, but it does for ours.

Kim
 
I pay the mortgage, my vehicle payment, buy groceries, tithe to the church, pay for life and health insurance, pay for medical expensess, and other misc. things for the home and family. He pays the other bills.
What of the other bills aren't farm related?
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
What of the other bills aren't farm related?
House and car insurance, energy, cell phones, house phones, water, property taxes, home and car maintenance, gas for all the vehicles, eating out, vacations, major purchases such as furniture and children's vehicles, his vehicle, satellite internet, Direct TV, etc...

Kim

I know, it's weird the way we divide things, but it works for us.
 
I dunno - if I were him I'd want farm and personal completely separate. But hey - if its worked for you for 18 years, more power too you...
 
I didn't get to read all the posts yet, but I'm in agreement with the idea of ~showing~ him just what you COULD buy or pay off with the savings that you're accumulating. I know for myself, I HAVE to be doing it for ~something~, otherwise, because I don't exactly ~love~ cutting coupons, I probably would only be doing about 1/4 of what I'm doing now.

For instance, next month we're going to a Disney Resort for the weekend. And how do I do that on my small budget? Yup and absolutely! It's from cutting coupons! OK, the family member discount we got helped too :shhh:, but....:lol3:

So maybe you can get him on board with some kinda incentive that the both of you can enjoy. He might just surprise you and add a few of his own dollars. :rockon:

I know most of us on here are trying to pay down bills, but remember that we have to find the time to enjoy life too. It's not always easy to find it, but it does take a balancing act to keep it going, kwim?

Hoping the best for you! :thumb:

Theresa :coffee3:
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
I dunno - if I were him I'd want farm and personal completely separate. But hey - if its worked for you for 18 years, more power too you...
LOL Farming is a whole different way of living. Our taxes even require special forms just for farmers. Basically we borrow money at the beginning of each year, live off part of the borrowed money and use the other for farm expenses. Then at the end of the year, after selling our crop, we pay the loan back. If, and that's a big if most years, there is any money left over, we get to make the major purchases we need for our family. Most years however, we either break even or we spend the extra money purchasing new equipment for the farm which both the farm needs and we need for a tax break.

My DH keeps his expenses in a great financial program which he uses to seperate all purchases into farm or personal.

Kim
 
LOL Farming is a whole different way of living. Our taxes even require special forms just for farmers.
I'm aware. I come from farming stock - 2 generations removed.

Doesn't mean it shouldn't be separate from personal. It's still a business. But that's me.

Basically we borrow money at the beginning of each year, live off part of the borrowed money and use the other for farm expenses. Then at the end of the year, after selling our crop, we pay the loan back. If, and that's a big if most years, there is any money left over, we get to make the major purchases we need for our family. Most years however, we either break even or we spend the extra money purchasing new equipment for the farm which both the farm needs and we need for a tax break.
If you all weren't paying out all that interest on borrowing money every year, I wonder if you could actually net more? I know there are big expenses that need to be met every year - but if you can make a profit, you can gradually transition to running a debt free farm.

But this isn't the DR forum so I am not gonna belabor the point.
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
I'm aware. I come from farming stock - 2 generations removed.

Doesn't mean it shouldn't be separate from personal. It's still a business. But that's me.


If you all weren't paying out all that interest on borrowing money every year, I wonder if you could actually net more? I know there are big expenses that need to be met every year - but if you can make a profit, you can gradually transition to running a debt free farm.

But this isn't the DR forum so I am not gonna belabor the point.
You're correct. We would love to farm credit free, but in the 19 years we've been farming we've made a profit of more than 20,000 only once. (I count profit as what is left over after paying back all farming loans. This includes what we've lived on during the year.) Most years it is less than that or it is at a loss. I can remember one year when the loss was more than my yearly salary! $20,000 is only a tiny portion of what we borrow each year. Even if we could cut our living expenses by 1/2 each year and therefore make a better net, it would still take us 20 to 30 years to ever become credit free.

The snowball effect should kick in each year, but unfortunately we're talking about profit and the snowball on taxes enlarges almost as much as debt reduction.

kim
 
Cooking

As someone who took up cooking after she was an adult I wanted to suggest something. At the hospital where I volunteer they have healthy cooking classes available to the public. I haven't gone to any, but many of the employees have and love them. They are usually only about 10$ and show you healthy dishes. In addition to highschool/community colleges/ adult learning I want to suggest you check out hospitals in your area for cooking classes!

KB
 
The best basic cookbook I've ever read (I buy copies for all my girl friends who get married) is "How to Cook Everything".

Amazon.com: How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition), Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food (9780764578656): Mark Bittman: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BqXL93GpL.@@AMEPARAM@@51BqXL93GpL


Not just recipes, but actual best techniques for roasting chicken, or whatever.

BTW.. a lot of times the stores that sell those roast chickens also sell the "spice rub" that they put on it. I think I've probably saved $1000 over the last 5 years just by buying whole chickens on sale and roasting them with the store's mix on them. No one can tell the difference in taste.
 
OK, being totally devils advocate here... Are you spending family time doing the coupon thing? Is he feeling neglected? If so that might need to be addressed.

Edie
This thread is a year old. I'm thinking they probably figured it out by now. :)
 
I agree. My husband is on board as long as it he can get the credit. Before, he would make comments about my savings and using coupons and we don't use or need that. Now he asked for coupons for some things. I usually just leave him at home and go by myself. I don't understand men. They should be glad that they have a wife who is watching the bottom line to take of the family.
 
21 - 40 of 40 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top