Thanks for having my back, Mike. Every recipe included some sort of fruit or vegetable. And just because I don't like the most veggies, that doesn't mean that anyone else who prepares these dishes can't add their own. I stand by my statement, however, that tomatoes are gross.
That's a really good option - my cousin did this for his wedding. Wine, beer, and appetizers. It was stand-up, too, although there were chairs for the older people. It was more than enough food, and having so many different canapes made the eating more interesting.
I just tried making my own biscuits a couple days ago and it worked great. I used the recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (great book, btw). Only took about 10 minutes prep work and then 8 minutes to bake, so not really any slower than using the canned stuff. Just a little more work, but when it's cold you should be up moving around to keep warm :)
Regarding the vegetable comments, crudité is veggies too (fancy french word for cut up celery, carrots, asparagus, etc)
saving on certain items that my household needs allows me the luxury to spluge on a few things one of which is skincare......I buy this all natural mud mask for $50 which is crazy but it works thats my biggest spluge:)
All great things any "one foot out the door" (regarding a big wedding) bride should know. I would also add that a cocktail reception where you serve only drinks and apps is another great way to go. (Particularly if you find yourself somewhere in that fine line of elopement and small wedding). Just make sure to hold it at a time that guests do not expect a full meal (ie, have the reception after 8pm or before 3pm).
What I said about drinking wine/alcohol to lower blood sugar should be taken with a grain of salt - it obviously isn't a long-term solution to lowering blood sugar. It's also ultimately counter-productive, because alcohol DOES contain sugars, and these sugars are generally turned into fat. Having more fat makes it very difficult for the body to properly process sugars.
We can't dispense medical advice on this site, although all of the above suggestions do work for me when trying to lower my blood sugar. Exercise, in particular, has been helpful, although it's not always consistent in keeping my sugars low. I find insulin to be a very troubling drug, and find that it's easier to many small, high-protein meals throughout the day to sustain my blood sugar levels. When I say high-protein, I mean that I try to eat fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Lots of eggs and meat and non-starchy vegetables.
Lots of diabetics don't realize how many carbohydrates are naturally in vegetables. Beans and peas have protein, yes, but they are also very starchy and can raise your blood sugar. Milk has carbs as well.
The only suggestion I can make is that you meet with a nutritionist or dietician who specializes in diabetic management. That's the only way that I was able to find a diet that worked for me.
Many of these nutrition specialists are covered by insurance, but it depends on the kind of insurance you have. My insurance refuses to cover weight loss at all, but they do cover diabetes management (which is ironic, since weight management is a HUGE part of diabetes treatments), so that's how my weight management team bills the insurance company.
Have you tried green tea and cinnamon? Some diabetics have no luck with them at all, but I find them rather effective.
While I do my best to trim my budget in many areas, I tend to splurge on my hair salon trips. To me, it's well worth the money because looking better leads to my feeling better :)
Very true that you should have multiple sources of income, also keep in mind that if you need COBRA you may need to increase your expenses at a time you have the least ability it afford it.
I was one of the unusual students who went into college knowing my major, graduated with that degree and am now working at a job in that field which definitely requires that major (or a similar major). Making me even more unusual, through my school's co-op program, I was able to graduate debt free and with 18 months experience in my field, having a pretty good idea what subarea of my field I wanted to work in.
What I would tell my clueless early college self would be to get to better know the professors, especially those in my major. I knew and chatted with a few on a semi-regular basis and one or two I considered friends/mentors. But those I knew best were not in my major. And that relationship and their advice and experience would have been helpful at times, especially when I was looking for a job. Ultimately it was through relationships with engineers at my co-op job as well as a church Sunday school teacher which contributed to my first job out of college.
One similarly related thing I did get right was getting to know the secretaries in my major department. These relationships, particularly with the head secretary, was able to get me around a lot of red tape, help me schedule classes and even, on occasion, have things influenced in the department in ways that were beneficial for me. Plus the ladies were nice and I could tell that they enjoyed getting to interact with students.
thanks for sharing that energy tax credit. my understanding was that after 2010, it was gone forever (albeit, it is obviously not as appealing as it once was).
Mostly I splurge on reading material. I buy books (at the used bookstore or Borders when I have coupons) rather than checking them out of the library. I also buy and read a few comic book series. Not cheap, but enjoyable and, in the grand scheme of things, $10/month average is something I can work into my budget.
I also spend the most on the mortgage and daycare. We are re-arranging our schedule so that once my oldest goes to Kindergarden, we'll be able to be home with her, so our daycare costs should drop quite a bit in September. Yay!
That's actually really funny because baseboards are one of my 'things' as well. I always look at them and try to keep ours clean, because they seem to be such an obvious sign of whether a home is clean or not!
I splurge on hair and beauty products. I work in a salon, and I feel like a kid in a candy store surrounding by all of the beautiful colored bottles of hairspray, shine serum and leave-in conditioners. I get just as excited to shop for makeup. I have way to many beauty products, more than I could ever use, yet I cannot help myself from purchasing the newest trend or product!
Alright....I dont comment much....but I feel the need to share with my fellow diabetics. I was made a diabetic by the U.S. Navy. I had some pancreatic scaring that initially was diagnosed as pancreatic cancer. Futher test were not definitive. After a complete Whipple procedure (the head of pancreas (sp)) cut out) it was determined I had scaring on my pancreas. Anyway, Im now a diabetic.
I was put on insulin but kept crashing and was later given metformin and kept crashing. I found the herb Gymnema leveled my sugars combined with exercise. My A1C's were that of a none diabetic with exercise and gymnema.
After retiring from the Navy I continued Gymnema and took a job as armed patrol riding a bicycle 10 hours a night. Sugars remained managible and very much under control.
I recently quit the patrol job and now have become a full time student. I dont get the exercise I used to get and lately my sugars have been relatively high (200 +) two hours after a meal, even after taking Gymnema prior to my meal. Even if I dont eat any amounts of carbs or sugars. I've discovered two things that affect my suger. If I drink wine, my sugars stabalize (strange). If I skip my high blood pressure medicine my sugars stabalize. If I take my high blood pressure medicine and drink wine my sugar reading are normal.
So I'm now looking for a natural alternative to control my high blood pressure so it doesn't affect my Gymnema's control of my blood sugar. Gymnema has been very beneficial for me, but now with high blood pressure meds, gymnema doesn't seem as effect (if not at all) in controlling my sugar.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Although I like a wine buzz and the comfort in its ability to regulate my blood sugar. I dont want to drink wine just to contol my sugar because Im on high blood pressure medicine.
What ever I can afford that will make my mother smile, or laugh out loud.
Love to surprise her.
I have wildly curly hair, need someone good to cut it, so I spend/splurge there.
I love a good deal, a good deal to much at the thrift store.
I figure it's second hand (cheap) I can have it, and boy have it I do.
No wonder I liked the comment I heard the other day,
"Make saving more fun the spending"?
Now every time I want something I don't need, I remember that saying.
Helps me.
But then, every 5 years I blow it all on a good adventure, like 3 months travel to see all the southern beaches in the US. Then living six months in a motor home traveling.
Thanks for the chance to confess it all.
Some may call it splurging, but I think how you spend your money shows what is important to you. So we "splurge" on high quality products so we don't have to replace them- like really nice pots and pans because we love to cook!
Experiences! Material items fade, but memories last forever! White water rafting, trips to Mexico, Greece, Italy, seeing a bear in the Smokey Mountains...
I looked into pet insurance a few years back when I had only 3 cats (I now have 5 cats and a dog). The premium was close to $75 a month for all three cats. I adopt shelter pets and tend to adopt older animals because they often languish in shelters-I may only have them a couple of years, but I try to make them good years for them. Anyway, the policies I looked at charged more for older pets or did not cover much. It wasn't worth it. My vet offers a credit card called CareCredit that lets you pay the balance off in 6 months with no interest. I got the card and use it only for the big vet bills--my cat Allison had bladder stone surgery that was over $600. I was able to pay about $100 a month. No worries about the deductable or what was covered. I think the pet insurance companies often tke advantage of people because they love their pets. I'll pass.
Thanks for having my back, Mike. Every recipe included some sort of fruit or vegetable. And just because I don't like the most veggies, that doesn't mean that anyone else who prepares these dishes can't add their own. I stand by my statement, however, that tomatoes are gross.
That's a really good option - my cousin did this for his wedding. Wine, beer, and appetizers. It was stand-up, too, although there were chairs for the older people. It was more than enough food, and having so many different canapes made the eating more interesting.
What's a "Super Bowl"?
I just tried making my own biscuits a couple days ago and it worked great. I used the recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (great book, btw). Only took about 10 minutes prep work and then 8 minutes to bake, so not really any slower than using the canned stuff. Just a little more work, but when it's cold you should be up moving around to keep warm :)
Regarding the vegetable comments, crudité is veggies too (fancy french word for cut up celery, carrots, asparagus, etc)
saving on certain items that my household needs allows me the luxury to spluge on a few things one of which is skincare......I buy this all natural mud mask for $50 which is crazy but it works thats my biggest spluge:)
All great things any "one foot out the door" (regarding a big wedding) bride should know. I would also add that a cocktail reception where you serve only drinks and apps is another great way to go. (Particularly if you find yourself somewhere in that fine line of elopement and small wedding). Just make sure to hold it at a time that guests do not expect a full meal (ie, have the reception after 8pm or before 3pm).
Hi, Gerry,
What I said about drinking wine/alcohol to lower blood sugar should be taken with a grain of salt - it obviously isn't a long-term solution to lowering blood sugar. It's also ultimately counter-productive, because alcohol DOES contain sugars, and these sugars are generally turned into fat. Having more fat makes it very difficult for the body to properly process sugars.
We can't dispense medical advice on this site, although all of the above suggestions do work for me when trying to lower my blood sugar. Exercise, in particular, has been helpful, although it's not always consistent in keeping my sugars low. I find insulin to be a very troubling drug, and find that it's easier to many small, high-protein meals throughout the day to sustain my blood sugar levels. When I say high-protein, I mean that I try to eat fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Lots of eggs and meat and non-starchy vegetables.
Lots of diabetics don't realize how many carbohydrates are naturally in vegetables. Beans and peas have protein, yes, but they are also very starchy and can raise your blood sugar. Milk has carbs as well.
The only suggestion I can make is that you meet with a nutritionist or dietician who specializes in diabetic management. That's the only way that I was able to find a diet that worked for me.
Many of these nutrition specialists are covered by insurance, but it depends on the kind of insurance you have. My insurance refuses to cover weight loss at all, but they do cover diabetes management (which is ironic, since weight management is a HUGE part of diabetes treatments), so that's how my weight management team bills the insurance company.
Have you tried green tea and cinnamon? Some diabetics have no luck with them at all, but I find them rather effective.
"Rent two of the Best Picture contenders and pretend like you’re part of the Academy."
Greg and I used to do this in college. Man, we sure had lots of free time back then.
While I do my best to trim my budget in many areas, I tend to splurge on my hair salon trips. To me, it's well worth the money because looking better leads to my feeling better :)
Very true that you should have multiple sources of income, also keep in mind that if you need COBRA you may need to increase your expenses at a time you have the least ability it afford it.
I was one of the unusual students who went into college knowing my major, graduated with that degree and am now working at a job in that field which definitely requires that major (or a similar major). Making me even more unusual, through my school's co-op program, I was able to graduate debt free and with 18 months experience in my field, having a pretty good idea what subarea of my field I wanted to work in.
What I would tell my clueless early college self would be to get to better know the professors, especially those in my major. I knew and chatted with a few on a semi-regular basis and one or two I considered friends/mentors. But those I knew best were not in my major. And that relationship and their advice and experience would have been helpful at times, especially when I was looking for a job. Ultimately it was through relationships with engineers at my co-op job as well as a church Sunday school teacher which contributed to my first job out of college.
One similarly related thing I did get right was getting to know the secretaries in my major department. These relationships, particularly with the head secretary, was able to get me around a lot of red tape, help me schedule classes and even, on occasion, have things influenced in the department in ways that were beneficial for me. Plus the ladies were nice and I could tell that they enjoyed getting to interact with students.
thanks for sharing that energy tax credit. my understanding was that after 2010, it was gone forever (albeit, it is obviously not as appealing as it once was).
The payroll tax that most employees face on their first $106,800 of earnings will be reduced by 2% this year only, from 6.4% to 4.2%.
Except if you are a government employee in which case you will see your withholdings increase.
Mostly I splurge on reading material. I buy books (at the used bookstore or Borders when I have coupons) rather than checking them out of the library. I also buy and read a few comic book series. Not cheap, but enjoyable and, in the grand scheme of things, $10/month average is something I can work into my budget.
I also spend the most on the mortgage and daycare. We are re-arranging our schedule so that once my oldest goes to Kindergarden, we'll be able to be home with her, so our daycare costs should drop quite a bit in September. Yay!
That's actually really funny because baseboards are one of my 'things' as well. I always look at them and try to keep ours clean, because they seem to be such an obvious sign of whether a home is clean or not!
I splurge on hair and beauty products. I work in a salon, and I feel like a kid in a candy store surrounding by all of the beautiful colored bottles of hairspray, shine serum and leave-in conditioners. I get just as excited to shop for makeup. I have way to many beauty products, more than I could ever use, yet I cannot help myself from purchasing the newest trend or product!
Alright....I dont comment much....but I feel the need to share with my fellow diabetics. I was made a diabetic by the U.S. Navy. I had some pancreatic scaring that initially was diagnosed as pancreatic cancer. Futher test were not definitive. After a complete Whipple procedure (the head of pancreas (sp)) cut out) it was determined I had scaring on my pancreas. Anyway, Im now a diabetic.
I was put on insulin but kept crashing and was later given metformin and kept crashing. I found the herb Gymnema leveled my sugars combined with exercise. My A1C's were that of a none diabetic with exercise and gymnema.
After retiring from the Navy I continued Gymnema and took a job as armed patrol riding a bicycle 10 hours a night. Sugars remained managible and very much under control.
I recently quit the patrol job and now have become a full time student. I dont get the exercise I used to get and lately my sugars have been relatively high (200 +) two hours after a meal, even after taking Gymnema prior to my meal. Even if I dont eat any amounts of carbs or sugars. I've discovered two things that affect my suger. If I drink wine, my sugars stabalize (strange). If I skip my high blood pressure medicine my sugars stabalize. If I take my high blood pressure medicine and drink wine my sugar reading are normal.
So I'm now looking for a natural alternative to control my high blood pressure so it doesn't affect my Gymnema's control of my blood sugar. Gymnema has been very beneficial for me, but now with high blood pressure meds, gymnema doesn't seem as effect (if not at all) in controlling my sugar.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Although I like a wine buzz and the comfort in its ability to regulate my blood sugar. I dont want to drink wine just to contol my sugar because Im on high blood pressure medicine.
Gerry
cake! chocolate cake!
Debra, I love the first thing on your list! That is so sweet.
What ever I can afford that will make my mother smile, or laugh out loud.
Love to surprise her.
I have wildly curly hair, need someone good to cut it, so I spend/splurge there.
I love a good deal, a good deal to much at the thrift store.
I figure it's second hand (cheap) I can have it, and boy have it I do.
No wonder I liked the comment I heard the other day,
"Make saving more fun the spending"?
Now every time I want something I don't need, I remember that saying.
Helps me.
But then, every 5 years I blow it all on a good adventure, like 3 months travel to see all the southern beaches in the US. Then living six months in a motor home traveling.
Thanks for the chance to confess it all.
Happy to say that I am not making any of the 5 money mistakes.....I am probably making tones of other mistakes :)....Thanks for the mention!
Some may call it splurging, but I think how you spend your money shows what is important to you. So we "splurge" on high quality products so we don't have to replace them- like really nice pots and pans because we love to cook!
Experiences! Material items fade, but memories last forever! White water rafting, trips to Mexico, Greece, Italy, seeing a bear in the Smokey Mountains...
I looked into pet insurance a few years back when I had only 3 cats (I now have 5 cats and a dog). The premium was close to $75 a month for all three cats. I adopt shelter pets and tend to adopt older animals because they often languish in shelters-I may only have them a couple of years, but I try to make them good years for them. Anyway, the policies I looked at charged more for older pets or did not cover much. It wasn't worth it. My vet offers a credit card called CareCredit that lets you pay the balance off in 6 months with no interest. I got the card and use it only for the big vet bills--my cat Allison had bladder stone surgery that was over $600. I was able to pay about $100 a month. No worries about the deductable or what was covered. I think the pet insurance companies often tke advantage of people because they love their pets. I'll pass.