If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love, give these homemade hot pockets a try!
These Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets will be a new favorite!
Today’s recipe is one that was one of our favorite law school recipes.
Our budget was so tight when Jesse was in law school, so I only made this recipe when I was able to find ham on some amazing closeout price. Every once in a while, Dillon’s would have it marked down to $0.49 to $0.99 for the small packages of thin-sliced lunchmeat.
I usually had a coupon to pair with this deal, so I rarely paid over $0.50 per package of lunchmeat. I could stretch one package to 5-6 Ham & Cheese Pockets and they were a special treat since we didn’t eat a lot of meat during that season of life.
Since we have more wiggle room in our grocery budget these days, I splurged on thick-cut ham this time around, and these turned out SO good!
Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket Recipe Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups flour
- 4 Tablespoons dry milk
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons yeast
- 1 cup warm water
For the filling:
- Sliced ham (or other deli meat)
- Shredded or sliced cheese
Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket Variations
If you don’t want to make your own dough, you can use storebought refrigerated dough (pizza crust dough, crescent roll dough, etc.) You could also buy frozen bread dough and defrost it.
For the filling, you can use almost any type of deli meat or leftover meat for this recipe — and almost any type of meltable cheese works too. Feel free to clean out your meat and cheese drawer and see what combination your family likes best!
Meats like sausage, salami, and pepperoni taste great with mozzarella cheese and a little pizza sauce are also a tasty treat.
How to Make a Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
To make dough in bread machine:
1. Add ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle.
2. Check about halfway through to see if you need to add a little extra water or flour to make a soft dough.
To make dough by hand:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Stir in salt, sugar, and dry milk.
3. Add flour and stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for around 5 minutes, until a soft dough forms.
5. Add a little more flour, if needed.
To make Ham & Cheese Pockets:
1. Divide dough into 10-14 balls.
2. Roll each ball into a rectangle.
3. Put ham and cheese on half of the rectangle.
4. Fold dough over and pinch sides to seal tightly.
How Long to Cook Ham and Cheese Pockets
Bake pockets on a greased cookie sheet at 350º for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.
Ham and Cheese Pocket Recipe Tips
Make sure you pinch the dough tightly to prevent the melted cheese from escaping.
Also, watch the tops of the dough pockets so they don’t burn — especially your first time making them if you aren’t exactly sure how long to bake them.
What to serve with Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
These honestly taste great with almost anything. They are a filling main dish on their own, but could also pair wonderfully with soup, a salad, raw veggies, fresh fruit, etc. They are a great meal for cleaning out the fridge — just serve these with whatever else you have on hand!
Storing leftover Ham and Cheese Pockets
These leftovers taste amazing warmed up for lunch throughout the week. Simply store them in an air-tight food storage container (or ziptop bag) in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Let cool completely. Freeze in airtight ziptop freezer bags for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating this Ham and Cheese Pockets Recipe
Remove desired number of pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated through.
Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350º oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Freezer Friendly Ham and Cheese Pockets Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups flour
- 4 Tablespoons dry milk
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons yeast
- 1 cup warm water
For the filling:
- Sliced ham or other deli meat
- Shredded or sliced cheese
Instructions
To make dough in bread machine:
- Add ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle.
- Check about halfway through to see if you need to add a little extra water or flour to make a soft dough.
To make dough by hand:
- Dissolve yeast in warm water.
- Stir in salt, sugar, and dry milk.
- Add flour and stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for around 5 minutes, until a soft dough forms.
- Add a little more flour, if needed.
To make Ham & Cheese Pockets:
- Divide dough into 10-14 balls.
- Roll each ball into a rectangle.
- Put ham and cheese on half of the rectangle.
- Fold dough over and pinch sides to seal tightly.
- Bake pockets on a greased cookie sheet at 350º for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.
Nutrition
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
FREE DOWNLOAD: 60 Meals To Help You Avoid Takeout!
Meal time just got so much easier!
How to Overcome Burnout and Get Back on a Routine (Part 1)
I love my role as a stay-at-home mom, but I am just burned out. I wander aimlessly. I know I need my routines again, I know I need structure, but this once big-time routine-oriented mama is now struggling to get up out of bed. Do you have any advice or suggestions for how I can break out of this rut I’m stuck in? -Chrissy
My heart goes out to you, Chrissy! I am so sorry that you are struggling and feeling so exhausted and burned out. I can’t promise that I have any miracle solutions for you, but I will share some things I’ve learned from my own journey through postpartum depression and burnout two years ago.
1. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is vitally important to your overall health and well-being. If you’re short on sleep, it can affect many areas of your life — including your moods and motivation.
Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep almost every day. If you’re up at night with a baby and it’s impossible to consistently get a good night’s sleep, do the best you can do and let anything go that isn’t a necessity so that you can make sleep a priority. You’ll be much more productive and energetic when you are awake if you give yourself the grace to step away from the to-do list and get some shut-eye instead.
Go to bed early. Studies have shown that those who stay up late and get up late are more likely to struggle with depression. I’ve also found that I feel much more rested (and am more efficient the next day!) if I go to bed early rather than trying to stay up and get stuff done when I’m exhausted, only to wake up feeling all groggy in the morning.
Take power naps. If you can’t get a long stretch of sleep at night because your husband works weird hours and your babies are up multiple times throughout the night, try power naps. I used to think I wasn’t a napper, but I’ve found that if I feel tired in the afternoon, lying down and sleeping for just 20 or 30 minutes can really re-energize me for the rest of the day.
Find your sleep number. No, I’m not referring to the sleep number beds, but to your personal number of hours of sleep that you need to get every night to function at maximum capacity. For most people, it will be somewhere between 7 and 9 hours.
Experiment with getting 7 hours of sleep every night for a week and see if you feel rested and energetic all day long. If not, increase to 7.5 hours of sleep for a week. Continue to experiment until you land on what works best for you and then make that number a priority every night, as much as you possibly can.
2. Get Your Thyroid and Hemoglobin Checked
If you haven’t been to the doctor to get your thyroid and hemoglobin checked and other bloodwork done, I recommend picking up the phone and making an appointment today. Many times, what might feel like an emotional imbalance — or what you might think is just some lack of motivation on your part! — is actually a physical issue that can be easily treated and fixed.
3. Fill Your Mind With Good Things
Read God’s Word. If you are a Christian, make spending time in God’s Word and prayer on a daily basis your number one priority. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s how much I need God — every single moment of every single day.
I encourage you to start your day with at least a few moments in God’s Word and prayer. Take five or ten minutes to pray over your day, asking God to give you strength and grace to face the tasks before you. I also highly recommend reading a good devotional book, along with a passage of Scripture. (I’ve loved Amy Carmichael’s devotionals and am being very blessed by Jesus Calling right now.)
Read good books. Books such as Calm My Anxious Heart or Today Matters, can help encourage, inspire, and re-invigorate you when you feel worn out and lifeless. Even reading just one page per day or listening to three minutes of an audiobook each day can give you a little extra boost — and the motivation to keep on, keeping on. You can see a list of all of the Books I Read in 2011 here and the Books I’ve Read So Far in 2012 here.
Listen to music. When I’m down, I’ve found that music can be a huge pick-me-up. Even if I don’t feel like listening to music, if I turn it on, I usually can’t help but be uplifted. And singing along with some of my favorite songs can also be a big mood-brightener.
Count your blessings. It’s easy to become discouraged if we focus on everything that’s wrong or difficult in our life. However, instead of dwelling on the negative, challenge yourself to think of at least three to five things to be thankful for. It’s amazing how a grateful spirit can change your mood — and even your whole outlook on life!
…to be continued on Monday
What has helped you overcome burn-out or exhaustion? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips!
How to Make a Hand Print Photo Family Tree
Guest post from Amanda of The Frugal Greenish Mama:
One day while my son was holding my hand I started thinking to myself, “My goodness how he has grown. His hand is nearly the size of mine and he is only four!” Somehow it got me thinking of hands and I thought… wouldn’t it be a great idea to make a family tree using the children’s hand print cutouts as leaves.
I started by tracing Austin’s right and left hands on a piece of paper. Next I did the same for my daughter Addie. I wrote their names in the middle of each print. Then I cut out the hand prints and we matched them up to the photos we wanted to use.
Having the hand prints cut out allows you to move it around the photo until you are happy with the results. You can either trace with a pencil the outline of the hand print or cut the hand print out of the photo around your pattern. I cut a total of six hand prints, two of Austin’s and four of Adalynne’s. This could vary depending on the size of your family.
I used two pictures of each of the children, one for their right hand and one for their left hand. Since Austin’s hand prints are larger, I stacked his photos on the bottom. The photos of Adalynne were on the next tier up.
Then for the top two hand print leaves, I used just my daughter’s hand print since they are smaller and I wanted to overlay a family photo. I had two of the same photo made and cut out my husband holding my daughter and then myself holding my son. We then overlapped the image to look like they were one larger image.
I used a white piece of card stock to start with. Then we simply used a piece of brown card stock to cut out a trunk image. I glued the trunk to the white card stock. I started with the bottom of the tree and using acid free glue, glued Austin’s hand prints in place. Then I added the next tier to our family tree by arranging Addie’s hand prints. For the top of the tree, I overlapped the two hand prints and glued them in place.
Add a simple frame and you have yourself a one of a kind family tree full of memories!
Amanda is a wife and mother of two striving to return to her roots to live a simpler life the way God intended it. She loves to cook from scratch, bake, and craft. She blogs at the Frugal Greenish Mama about her love of gardening, her journey to a more self-sufficient lifestyle and saving money while trying to eat organically.
Freezer-Friendly Pizza Pockets
These homemade pizza pockets are SO yummy and super easy to make!
This Pizza Hot Pocket recipe is the perfect way to fill your freezer!
They are fairly quick and easy to make in bulk — and kids can help too.
Plus, they taste amazingly delicious and can easily be customized based on your family’s taste preferences (or whatever meats and cheese are on sale that week!)
Pizza Pocket Recipe Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
- 5 cups flour (I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.)
For the Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
- 2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but a mixture of cheese would work well, too.)
- Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms
How to make Pizza Pockets
To make dough:
1. Mix the yeast into warm water until dissolved.
2. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour.
3. Mix well with a spoon.
4. Dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or mix in a stand mixer.
To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough):
1. Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain.
2. Add pasta sauce and mix together.
3. Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.
To make Pizza Pockets:
1. Divide dough into 15-20 pieces.
2. Roll pieces into balls.
3. Flatten balls into circles with a rolling pin.
4. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Fold over and seal tightly.
6. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
How to Store Frozen Pizza Pockets
Cool completely and store in an airtight zip-top freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
How to Serve this Pizza Pockets Recipe
Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw.
Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350º oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Pizza Pockets Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water 105 to 115 degrees F.
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 Tablespoons oil I used olive oil
- 5 cups flour I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.
For the Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 2-3 cups shredded cheese I used mozzarella, but a mixture of cheese would work well, too.
- Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms
Instructions
To make dough:
- Mix the yeast into warm water until dissolved.
- Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour.
- Mix well with a spoon.
- Dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or mix in a stand mixer.
To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough):
- Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain.
- Add pasta sauce and mix together.
- Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.
To make Pizza Pockets:
- Divide dough into 15-20 pieces.
- Roll pieces into balls.
- Flatten balls into circles with a rolling pin.
- Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.
- Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
Nutrition
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
These Pizza Pockets, inspired by Amy’s Finer Things and Pocket Change Gourmet, turned out beautifully today!
Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.
We Paid Cash: A Truck For My Husband
Guest post by Sarah Mae
My husband has been dreaming of having a truck since I married him nine years ago. He not only loves the idea of having a truck, but it is actually quite practical for a handyman like my man.
But alas, we had no money to spare for a truck. We shared our used van and a motorcycle my dad gave to him as a gift early in our marriage. We lived on about $300 a month for groceries for our growing family of five, and every spare penny went to paying off school loans and collecting homeschooling supplies.
Did I mention my husband cut up all my credit cards when we got married? Oh, yes he did.
Of course, he had them paid off a few months later through his diligence with our budget and not spending what we didn’t have. There were nights I begged him to order a pizza because it was so much more convenient than cooking up a meal, but he stood his ground. We didn’t have the money, period.
My husband’s vision was that if we could scrape by, save, and not spend what we didn’t have in the bank, we would one day be able to pay off debt and have the opportunity to give more. His goal has always been to be able to be generous givers, but it wasn’t going to be possible if we were in debt.
So he worked hard, and he worked overtime, and he stayed focused.
Eventually, I began to earn some money through blogging, and that money went towards books for the babes while he continued to add whatever extra he made to our savings to plan ahead for the unforeseeable.
We had $12,000 of school loan debt and it felt like we were wasting our time just putting an extra $10 towards it here and there, but over the course of the year he was able to look back and see that we were making progress. I’m telling you, the man was diligent and determined.
I’m so proud of him.
The truth is, had I been in charge of our finances (I was for a while — bad idea), we’d be sunk. I’m the spontaneous “oh, we’ll get the money” type. I’d probably have ten credit cards and piles of debt by now.
Thankfully, that man of mine stayed true to taking care of our family and providing. I love him so much for his steadfastness. Because of his focus and self-discipline, our loans were decreasing and he kept us out of additional debt.
All of this allowed me to buy him a truck!
Wait, back up the truck (funny, no?). How did I possibly have the money to buy my husband a truck in cash?
The very fact that my husband kept us out of debt and paid down our debt every step of the way paved the way for the purchase. Through blogging and writing a successful eBook that led to publishing deals, I was able to use one of my advance checks to buy him the truck (a used truck, mind you).
I never would have been able to do so if we still had debt. By this time, we had paid off our used van and school loan debt. I had the freedom to give him a very special gift, one that I had always wanted dreamed of giving him.
Not only are we out of debt except for our mortgage (that’s next!), but he has his dream work truck and we now have the freedom to give more! It’s wonderful, and I have my husband to thank.
Sarah Mae is the author of several eBooks and two soon-to-be-published books, Desperate (Thomas Nelson) and Having a Martha House the Mary Way (Tyndale). She is the owner of the community site Allume.com and the co-host of the national Christian women’s social media conference, Allume Social. Sarah Mae spends her days homemaking, home-educating, writing, reading, and drinking smoothies (now that she’s given up coffee). Her family embraces life in the beautiful Amish countryside of Pennsylvania. You can find her writing almost daily at sarahmae.com.
Brown Bag Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe
From a quick lunch on the go or an effortless freezer-friendly dinner for busy weeknights, these beef and bean burritos are a must for busy families. Everyone will love them, and you’ll love how easy they are to make!
Freezer-Friendly Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe
If your family loves burritos, you need to try this recipe. It’s one of my husband’s favorite grab-and-go foods!
What I like best about this recipe is that, not only is it filling, but it’s also fast. You can have a piping hot burrito in less than two minutes — straight from the freezer. It’s perfect for those times when my husband wants a late-night snack or some hot for lunch on the weekends.
These are on the spicy side for my liking (keep in mind that I’m also the girl who likes extra mild salsa!), but my husband loves these. In fact, he was so excited I was making them again this week.
Ground Beef Burrito Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cans (16 ounces) refried beans (you can make your own refried beans)
- 2 cans (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (you can make your own enchilada sauce)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup diced onion (you can also use dried or minced onion)
- 1 taco seasoning packet
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 20 burrito-sized flour tortillas
How to Make a Beef and Bean Burrito
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions.
2. Drain meat mixture and return to pan with all remaining ingredients (except tortillas and cheese).
3. Bring the meat mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
4. Spoon 1/4-cup of the meat mixture onto each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, fold sides in, and roll up tightly.
5. Wrap them individually in aluminum foil and place them in a gallon-size zip-top bag for the freezer.
6. When you’re ready to heat them, simply remove the foil and microwave a single burrito for about a minute, or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Bean and Beef Burrito Variations
There are countless ways to customize this easy recipe, based on what you already have in the house, what’s on sale at the grocery store, or even what your family prefers.
Here are a few ideas:
- Use black beans to add more protein (with or without the beef)
- Use ground turnkey or shredded chicken instead of ground beef
- Mix up the seasonings to make it spicier or more mild
- Try different varieties of shredded cheese
- Add more or spicier salsa to the meat/bean mixture
- Try corn tortillas
How to Serve a Beef Bean and Cheese Burrito
Pull out the desired number of burritos, remove the foil, and heat a single burrito in the microwave for about a minute. Or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Serve them with lettuce, diced onion, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole — and don’t forget the chips!
How to Store a Ground Beef Burrito
These burritos are freezer-friendly, so you can easily whip up a batch for the freezer and just defrost as needed!
Freezing this Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe
Wrap each burrito in a piece of aluminum foil and then place in airtight ziptop freezer bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How to Defrost a Frozen Beef and Bean Burrito
When you’re ready to heat the burritos, simply remove one or more from the freezer and heat in the microwave (without foil) for 1 minute. OR, keep the foil on and heat them in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Beef Bean and Cheese Burrito FAQs
It depends on how much meat, cheese, and beans you use — and what toppings you add. However, this recipe, as written (without additional toppings) is roughly 300 calories per burrito.
Let the chicken/bean mixture cool to room temperature before adding it to the tortillas. You could also put the burritos in the fridge before freezing them, so they don’t have as much condensation. And finally, you might try wrapping each burrito in a paper towel first and then in aluminum foil. The paper towel will absorb extra moisture.
Frozen Beef and Bean Burrito
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 32 ounces refried beans
- 20 ounces enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup diced onion you can also use dried or minced onion
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 20 flour tortillas burrito-sized
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions.
- Drain meat mixture and return to pan with all remaining ingredients (except tortillas and cheese).
- Bring the meat mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Spoon 1/4-cup of the meat mixture onto each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, fold sides in, and roll up tightly.
- Wrap them individually in aluminum foil and place them in a gallon-size zip-top bag for the freezer
Nutrition
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.
FREE DOWNLOAD: 60 Meals To Help You Avoid Takeout!
Meal time just got so much easier!
Today’s Aldi Shopping Trip
Aldi Shopping Trip
4 packages of tortillas — $0.99 each
4 bags of baby carrots — $0.49 each
7 packages of cheese — $1.79 each
2 cucumbers — $0.29 each
1 package mushrooms — $0.79
1 bag boneless, skinless chicken breasts — $5.49
1/4 boneless ham — $6.67
Total with tax: $34.31
Also shown, 2 cans of enchilada sauce from Dillon’s (I forgot to get these yesterday.) — $1.81 total
Reader Tip: Check your grocery shelves for clearance items
Melissa emailed in the following tip:
Many times we buy our household and personal care items at drugstores because of their great bargains; but if you take moment to look, the deals at your local grocery store might surprise you.
Since food is the main thing grocery stores sell, many of the household and personal care items need to be “cleared” off the shelves after a certain amount of time. The item in the photo above was marked 50% off and I had two coupons that doubled to $1.00 — so this purchase became free plus $0.30 overages for me!
So next time you’re at the grocery store, keep your eye out and your coupons handy; there just might be some “gems” waiting for you to find. -submitted by Melissa from BravelyFrugal
Ask the Readers: Frugal summer activity ideas for toddlers?
Today’s question is from Jill:
What are your favorite free/inexpensive ideas to keep young children busy during the long summer days (I have a 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter)? -Jill
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
How Having a Budget Brings Peace to Our Marriage
Guest post from Leanne of Cooking With the Johstons
When I was a teenager, my parents divorced and I saw first-hand that the number one cause for divorce is money problems. As a young adult, I did what I knew and overspent.
At 24, I overdrew my checking account for the umpteenth time. What was different this time was that I had also gone over my limit on all four of my credit cards. I had no cash, no savings, and no safety net. While I’d spent years overspending and overdrawing, this was rock bottom.
Because of that experience, I created a budget. It was the first time I saw on paper that I was spending far more than I was earning and had absolutely nothing to show for it but a car payment, credit cards, and student loans.
Shortly thereafter, I discovered the Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. The concept of living below your means was completely foreign to me. I started to live differently. For the first time in my life, I had peace about money and my future.
Two years later, when I met my husband, I was well on track of being debt free within the year. When we married, my debt turned to our debt. Combined we had $117,000 and were making $40,000 a year; however, we had peace and a plan because we had a budget.
A budget saved our marriage before it even started — here’s why:
- Having a budget means having a plan — a budget frees us to tell our money what to do each month. We have a plan for every dollar that we earn. We have lots of dreams for the future and know we will achieve them because we have a plan.
- Having a budget means having peace — things will happen outside of your budget. Children get sick, windows break, and cars break down. A budget takes the emergency out of these situations. It brings peace into the financial inconveniences of life.
- Having a budget will change your future — without a plan, you will wander aimlessly. Without a budget, you will spend aimlessly with nothing to show for your efforts. A budget puts effort behind dreams.
- Having a budget helps you stay on the same page with your spouse or family — My husband and I know how much money we have, where it needs to be spent, and what our financial goals are because it is in black and white. If it’s not in the budget, it doesn’t get spent. If we want to spend money on something, we need to agree on it and add it to the budget.
My husband and I have incredible peace in our marriage because of our budget. Our plan allows us to give generously, save for our future, and be in control of our money. Our infant son will have the skills necessary to manage his money and make an impact in the world.
Leanne is an organizational whiz working with youth and young adults in Fort Worth, TX. She is a seminary graduate and a walking warrior. She’s the nerd who loves spreadsheets and finding a good deal. She lives in the Dallas area with her husband and infant son, Wesley. Visit her blog, Cooking With the Johstons.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Moms Need Coffee Bottle
Here’s a creative Mother’s Day gift idea! Create a Homemade “Mommacino” for a Christian mom in your life who could use a pick-me-up.
Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
So, I’ve shared lots of really simple, no-brainer tips here over the years, but I think this might qualify as just about the most basic of ideas I’ve ever shared.
In fact, I doubt I even need to do a post about it, since I could probably just put a picture and say, “I made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the freezer today. The end.”
And that would about sum it up. But that would also probably be the most boring post I’ve ever written, too. So I’ll try to expand a bit on this basic of basic ideas, for those who would like a few more details. 🙂
I first happened upon the idea of freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when Jesse was in law school and we were eating a LOT of PB&J. I usually packed one or two sandwiches in his lunch each day and since he often had to leave for school early in the morning, I’d try to have as much stuff prepped ahead of time so that I could just take 20 seconds to pull it all out and put it in the lunch pail.
While it doesn’t really take long to make PB&J, when your time is really crunched in the morning, it can help speed things up a little bit. Plus, I’ve also found it’s so nice to have sandwiches at the ready if you end up needing to leave to go somewhere unexpectedly and no one has eaten any lunch yet.
I listened to The Little Big Things today while making PB&J in an assembly-line fashion. {The audiobook has some good things in it, but the crass language is driving me batty! Honestly, that’s a “little big thing” to me!}
I ended up having to break out a new jar of jelly and peanut butter about halfway through. And Jesse got home about this time and he sat at the kitchen table and told me about his day while I finished up the sandwiches. Multi-tasking at its finest! 🙂
The end result: A big pile of sandwiches! I cut the sandwiches in halves, put them in individual baggies, and then put the baggies in large ziptop bags.
Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
- Bread
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
Spread peanut butter on both sides of bread. Put a dollop of jelly on top of one side (over the peanut butter) and spread around making sure that no jelly touches the bread (the peanut butter acts like a seal and makes sure that no jelly gets through! This is a super important step as it prevents the bread from getting soggy! As long as no jelly touches the bread, you shouldn’t have to worry about soggy sandwiches!)
To freeze: Cut and put in baggies (if desired) and store in airtight freezer ziptop bags in the freezer for 4-6 weeks.
To thaw: Stick frozen sandwiches in sack lunches in the morning and they will be thawed by lunch time. Or, you can be weird like me and eat them straight from the freezer. 🙂 You can also warm them in the oven or microwave if you like your sandwiches warmed.
Dillon’s Shopping Trip: Meat, milk, Milano cookies (!!), and yogurt
Dillon’s Shopping Trip: Meat, milk, Milano cookies (!!), and yogurt
I ran into Dillon’s today to buy some meat for my freezer cooking this week and found a few extra deals, too:
Three packages Sterling Silver Ground Sirloin — $3.73, $3.73, and $4.20
Milano cookies — $1.99, used $0.75/1 coupon (“doubled” to $1 off) = $0.99 after coupon (woot!!)
Half gallon milk — marked down to $1
2 packages of yogurt — marked down to $0.99 each
Total with tax: $16.83
Today’s Target shopping trip
Here were the deals we picked up Target today:
Bought 10 SoBe Lifewater (20 oz) at $1 each = Got $5 Target gift
Bought 1 Merona tee at $6, used the $3/1 Merona coupon = $3 each after coupon
Bought 4 Degree Men’s Travel Size Deodorants at $0.99 each, used 2 $2/2
Degree Men’s Deodorant coupon= free after coupon1 Neutrogena Lip Balm at $2.24, used $2/1 Neutrogena cosmetics coupon = $0.24 after coupon
1 Aquafresh Toothpaste at $3, used $1/1 Aquafresh coupon stacked with $1.50/1 Aquafresh coupon = $0.50 after coupon
3 Banana Boat sunscreen at $0.97 each, used 3 $1/1 Banana Boat coupons = free after coupons
Total with tax: $14.74 + I got a $5 Target gift card back
5 Simple Ways to Save on Date Night
Guest post from Alison of Experimental Wifery
My husband and I dated for six years before we got married. We thought we had this relationship thing figured out. But, after only nine months of marriage, things had started to get a little rocky.
My gentle, understanding husband had suddenly become grouchy and irritable. Instead of helping him, all I could think to do was nag him to tell me what was wrong. Because we were saving up for a down payment on a house, we didn’t go out together often.
We worked. We ate. We went to bed.
No wonder our marriage was running into trouble. We barely ever talked to each other!
So we went on a date. He told me how much he hated his job (that’s what was making him grumpy) and we problem solved about how to fix it. For the price of a $20 dinner, we solved a problem months of evening meals together hadn’t.
Nine months into our marriage, I learned that great conversations — the kind that make or break a happy marriage — don’t just happen. I believe that healthy marriages need regular date nights — weekly, if at all possible.
A date night is a night that you and your husband set aside to spend time alone together. It’s a time to refresh as a couple. It’s a time to reevaluate what’s working for your family. It’s a time to discuss big ideas together.
But I don’t believe that it is a luxury. I believe that setting aside money every month for a date night is one of the most important things you can do for your marriage.
Still, $20 (or whatever you can budget) doesn’t go far — especially when you throw in the added expense of babysitting. So here are some great ideas to make your date night money stretch a little further:
1. Shorten your dates.
When you have kids and are paying for a babysitter, the longer you’re out, the more expensive the date — no matter what else you’re doing. Try going out for dinner only. Or have dinner at home before you catch a movie.
2. Split the babysitter costs.
Sitters normally charge only $2-3 more for extra kids, so split a sitter with friends. Or check out these great sitter savings ideas.
3. Bring your own dinner.
Look for local restaurants with moderately priced menus. Many restaurants have early-bird or two-for-one specials.
In warmer weather, break out the picnic basket! Visit a local playground or nearby national park for some sandwiches and dessert.
4. Buy discount tickets.
Check out organizations that sell cheap events tickets. Think about events that always have inexpensive tickets — nosebleed seats at a baseball game are a great venue for a little couple’s time.
5. Avoid dinner and a movie out.
My husband and I have found that dinner + a movie + a sitter is just too expensive. Instead, choose a special film (in advance!) and order out. Put the kids to bed and enjoy an evening in.
Money doesn’t buy happiness, but I believe a weekly date night is an important investment in your marriage.
What are your creative ideas and suggestions for having a date night without breaking the bank?
Alison blogs about learning to be a better woman and wife at Experimental Wifery. She’s a wife, mommy, and high school English teacher. She lives near Washington, DC, where walking around the monuments at night is a cheap, date-night favorite.