You Never Know When Money May Knock On Your Door

I participated in the taste test today and discovered they are looking for more people next week. It looks like I will have another opportunity to make $20. It usually takes less than 30 minutes and I try to schedule it during my lunch hour so I get lunch as well. I also got a confirmation from the Mock Jury project. Yeah!

Take Advantage of Holiday Savings

Holidays are a great time to save money on groceries. Ham, pineapple, asparagus, strawberries, butter, breakfast sweets, eggs, and entertainment items, now is the time to push your grocery budget and stock up.

Unfortunately, I've never had any success freezing ham. It oozes water, becomes mushy and just doesn't freeze well. Instead, I'm looking for smaller portions to use in sandwiches, omelettes, casseroles, and soup. My favorite dish is an adapted spaghetti carbonara, a pasta with a parmesan, cream sauce, peas, and panchetta. Panchetta is an italian style bacon.

This is also the beginning of the growing season. California strawberries are at their best, big, juicy, and flavorful. Not only am I picking some up for breakfast and snacks, but I'm also getting some to freeze for smoothies later in the year. Stawberries also bring homemade jam to mind, but I admit I'd rather just eat them fresh.

Other items to think about picking up include:
For the freezer ~ butter. rolls, baked goods, and fish.
For next easter ~ baskets, easter grass, plastic eggs, and paper goods.

The Tax Man Cameth

I know it was my money already, but that doesn't make the day I receive my tax refund check any less exciting. Due to decent planning, my check was only a few hundred dollars. You may ask why that's a good thing, but it means that I didn't loan the government much interest free money.

My first stop was to make a 2nd payment on a Visa card. The second stop was to a department store to pay off a card. Yes, I agree that store cards are high interest, but this one is a rewards card and I pay it off quickly if not monthly. Felt good!

I did the shift this weekend, but didn't work as many hours as I hoped. At least I was able to put $5 towards my emergency fund and fill up the tank of my car. Tomorrow I have a taste test that will bring in another $20 for my emergency fund.

Lastly, I received an email from a local college asking me if I was still interested in participating in a mock jury. If I fit the criteria I will earn $100 for 5 hours of work. That will be a nice addition to the pot.