Easy Pasta Sauce

Do you buy tins of tomatoes or jars of Bolognese sauce? Have you actually thought about making some yourself?

It's surprisingly easy and you can make large quantities that can be frozen and used later.

If you can get hold of a large bag of soft tomatoes cheap that the grocer might be throwing out then it works out real cheap.

Here's a simple recipe that works really well.  Play around with the quantities to suit your own taste.

Ingredients

1 kg / 2.5 lb of tomatoes

6 cloves garlic - crushed

2 chilies - finely chopped

Olive oil

Thyme/Basil/Marjoram - choose your own herb, just a few leaves

• Fry up the garlic and chili with a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat for about 1 minute and then take out and set aside.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan (chop them in half if they are big) and let them heat through.  As they heat up they will soften and you will be able to start squashing them and getting the juice out.  Keep stirring and adjust the heat so that they don't stick to the bottom.
• Add the chili and garlic together with your chosen chopped herbs and cook through for a further 10 minutes.

You can keep the sauce with lumps in it but if you want it really smooth (and kids don't like the lumps for some reason) then use a hand blender to turn it into a real smooth aromatic tomato sauce.

It can be used with pasta, adding it to meat dishes or even as a marinade before barbecuing.  

If you make large enough quantities it's easy to freeze - just make sure you've thoroughly de-frosted it before using.

How To Reduce Your Weekly Food Bill

If you have worked out how much you are spending on food each week then you should have figured out just which items are costing you too much.  Switching to cheaper brands or cooking fresh ingredients doesn't need to cost you more if you plan ahead and look for the reduced items (check that they are still in date of course) in your local stores.

Some tips for reducing your weekly food bill:

Bulk Buy

When you see food items reduced or on special offer - but only if you would buy them anyway.

Cook Large Quantities

These can be frozen or prepared ahead of time and split into smaller containers for use later.

Eat Your Vegetables Raw

This reduces fuel bills and is healthier too - there's a whole raw food movement out there to explore if you weren't aware of it.  Try the recipes on the Living and Raw Foods website and see how you get on.

Check Use By Dates

Make sure you check the use by dates of products you already have at home and use them in time - it's a terrible waste if you have to throw food away before it's even cooked.

Portion Size

Just using a slightly smaller plate or dish can help out as you still think you're getting a plate-full.  Ask yourself whether you really need to eat the size of portions that you have got used to.

How have you managed to reduce your weekly food bill?  

Feel free to comment and share your ideas.

  

Spend a little time to save a lot of money!

Part-Time Jobs

Even in the tightest of economic times there will always be some work that needs doing by someone.  If you're prepared to look for it and put yourself forward then you have a really good chance of picking up work.  It may not be your perfect job but if it's over and above what you're getting now and it helps to pay off those debts then that's all you're interested in.


Tips for finding that extra piece of work to boost your income:

1. Let it be known you're interested in some extra work - friends, family, work colleagues
2. Don't be afraid to ask around either, not everyone advertises and employers are always with people who are proactive
3. Check out adverts and articles in the local press and internet sites - see who's doing well and might want an extra hand
4. Think about what you like doing (rather than what you've always done as a job) or your hobbies and see if there are any part-time opportunities in that area

Be proactive and you never know what it might lead to.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Getting Some Extra Income

Extra income is really going to help you reduce your debt providing you don't use it to spend on items you don't need.  Sounds pretty obvious but it's finding out where to get that work isn't it?  Here are some ideas to help your search.

1. Check local newspapers and the classified - not everything is on the web (yet).
2. Look at notice-boards in stores, there are often requests for short-term work or assistance.
3. Never be afraid to ask if you see a situation that you think you can help out with using your skills - be polite and even if the answer is no providing you've left contact details it's not wasted effort.

When you are trying to get that extra cash you'll be surprised at just what skills you do have - think about those too.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Which Debt To Ditch First

You may have a number of debts that need paying off and it's always a tough decision on which to try and get rid of first or whether to 'chip away' at them all at the same time.  Everyone's circumstances are different but here are a few things to consider:

Debt Size

Which of your debts is largest?  It may sound strange but if the interest rate is low and it's over a long period, such as a mortgage, there may be other debts that can be tackled first.

Debt Period

Your debts will be over a set time period, some will be longer than others.  Just remember that the longer you take to pay off your debt the more you will pay.  This can be a difficult one, depending on size of debt.

Debt Interest

Which debt has highest interest payments?  Short term lending such as credit or store cards tend to have high rates of interest and are, on balance, worth tackling first.  As a first target - get your credit card balance down to zero and see how much you save each month!

Thinking about all your debts in these simple terms - just list them - can help you decide how you go about paying them off.  Remember, some debts may not allow you to pay off early (some loans) but it's always worth negotiating with the lender.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

Get Ready For Your Week

Do you spend a little time preparing what's going to happen in the coming week?  You might do in terms of work or social activities but you should do the same to plan your spending.  Here are a few tips on what to think about:

1. Plan your main food shop - doesn't have to be all in the same store but work out how you can get it done in as few trips as possible, preferably just one.
2. Plan your journeys ahead of time - car, public transport and yes, even walking!
3. List three cheaper food items you will try this week that you haven't had before and buy them and see what they're like.

Go on, give it a go.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

That Friday Feeling Again

Well, did you keep a list of all you spent this week?


If you did you now need to go through it and figure out what you can do without next week and what you can substitute with cheaper products.


Next week's task is to stick to your new list and see how much you save - easy really, just go for it.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

Go to the No To Debt site for more hints & tips

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A Good Double Whammy!

To reduce debt you need to spend less and earn more, that much is pretty obvious I hope.  

One thing that isn't so obvious though is that there are many more opportunities to earn some extra cash than people really think.  You just need to look and be prepared to ask about opportunities - and be prepared for some 'No' responses along the way.

The good thing about getting some extra paid work is that: 

• You get paid - increasing your income, and
• You don't have the chance to spend when you're working

A POSITIVE DOUBLE WHAMMY if ever there was one!

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

How Much Do You Spend On Living Expenses

Mobile Phone charges, utility bills and insurances all add up each month and each year but how often do you check other deals and see how much you could be saving and using that saving to pay off your debt?  For some costs you might be on top of the latest offers but for others you may just accept an annual update of the price you have to pay.  Don't, you can save far more than you think.


Read more on No To Debt's web site about what you might want to look for to help you save that little bit more.  


Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Save on Your Food Bills

It's scary just how much we spend on food when we add it up.  Supermarket shopping plus drinks and snacks during the day can really put a dent in our pockets - no good when we are trying to cut back and pay off our debt.


Some things to try might help:

1. Shop later in the evening at supermarkets and especially at week-ends, that's when prices get marked down and you can get real bargains - fill your freezer!
2. Try some cheaper products or brands, many of them are just as good as the more familiar ones.
3. Take your lunch with you, don't pay out all that money for what you can create in 5 minutes.

More hints and tips can be found on the Save on Food page of the No To Debt site.


Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

An Expensive Week Ahead?

It's Monday morning and time for another expensive week :-(


Well, it doesn't have to be that way you know.  Think about what you're likely to spend and make a list of the likely costs for each day.  Those costs are either Essential or Discretionary.  If you're serious about cutting back on your expenses you know what you need to do next don't you?


Cut out that Discretionary spending and reduce what you pay out for those Essentials.


Keep that list going till Friday when you can see what's been saved.



Don't forget to check out the No To Debt site which has some useful ideas to help reduce your expenses.  Site is starting small but will be growing with more ideas over the coming weeks


© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Friday's Look Back At The Week

What's happened this week that you're proud of in terms of either spending a little less than you usually do or earning a bit more.  If you've managed to do both then you are moving in a positive direction.  


Well, it's positive as long as you use that extra cash to cut down your debt in some way and don't waste it on unnecessary things you know you don't really need.


Go on - think back over the last 7 days and work out whether your finances are positive or negative this week.




Oh - don't forget to check out the No To Debt site which has some useful ideas to help reduce your expenses.  Site is starting small but will be growing with more ideas over the coming weeks


© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

It's All About Reducing Your Expenses First

It's so easy to get credit and financing these days that it's no wonder that so many people have real debt problems.  Yes, you can get your debt re-structured just as the big companies and governments do but you won't be in control of those 'negotiations'.  


Far better to take control yourself but you'll need real self determination to make it work and it won't happen over night.


The formula is simple - If your Expenses are greater than your Income then you get into debt.


So the answer is simple too right?  make sure your Income is greater than your Expenses and you can pay off your debt capital.


© No To Debt, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to No To Debt and No To Debt Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.