A Blog Makeover

Happy Monday! I know the past two Mondays have been dedicated to "Makeunder My Finances." Step 3 (Identify Intentions) still needs a little polishing, so I thought I would share a little makeover with you.

My blog! Here's a snapshot of what you're missing if you've only been following along in Google Reader. The makeover started last week when I slowly added tabs and additional pages:

About Me

About Fiscally Chic

Blogs I Read

Recipes

Over the weekend I decided to play around with a new header. I think it's only appropriate to include my favorite board game, Monopoly :)

What do you think? And yes, "Makeunder My Finances" will still be up this week.

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Friday Night Lite

Before I get into today's post I HAVE to share some exciting news with you! Remember Wednesday's post about Berry Good Cupcakes??? Well....somehow the folks at IZZE caught wind and shared the link to my recipe on their Facebook page! I had all sorts of extra traffic to Fiscally Chic due to the digital love. Isn't social media cool?!?!

Anyways, back to the original post:

In the spirit of sharing money saving tips, here's how last Friday night went down at Fiscally Chic. See also: How to have fun on a Friday for $15.

Cathy: I don’t think I can go to Goose Island for dinner. I had a burger for lunch. So I’d like something other than bar food. [We were going to use a restaurant.com certificate]
John: No worries about Goose Island. I was kind of thinking about seeing a movie tonight anyway. Should we make dinner at home?
Cathy: What movie are you thinking? I’m in the mood for something light for dinner. Haven’t decided what that is yet. Thoughts?
John: Not sure what movie to watch tonight. We could always rent "Inception" if that video store has it. How about tacos?
Cathy: "Inception" sounds good. How about fish tacos?
John: Sure. This recipe looks pretty good.

Two hours later...

Cathy (via text): Getting a free cupcake at Crumbs!!!
John (via text): Picking up "Inception" at the Redbox

At home, we made a less-complicated version of Bobby Flay's fish tacos (see below for recipe), enjoyed two beers (one homebrew, one microbrew), a free cupcake, and "Inception." While I'm sure the special effects would have been even better at the movie theater, it was nice to be able to pause the movie to talk about confusing parts or take a bathroom break.

Tasty, but it didn't fare well on the L.

As for the free cupcake, Crumbs Bake Shop is a bakery out of New York City and just opened a shop in Chicago. They were giving away free cupcakes last Friday as a promotion. While the s'mores cupcake was pretty good, it wasn't the best in Chicago. My favorite Chicago cupcakes are from Sugar Bliss and Molly's. My all time favorite is still The Cup in St. Louis.

So how did our dinner and a movie night in compare to a night out? I think $43+ in savings is pretty Fiscally Chic!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend! Any date night ideas to share?


Simplified Fish Tacos
Based on Bobby Flay's recipe

Tacos:
•1 pound white flaky fish, such as mahi mahi or tilapia. We also made this with shrimp later in the weekend.
•EVOO
•1 tablespoon chili powder, more if you like. You could also use jerk seasoning for a little more zing.
•8 flour tortillas

Garnish:
•Shredded white cabbage (we used bagged cole slaw mix)
•Chopped cilantro leaves
•Tomato Salsa, recipe follows (or use your favorite jar 'o salsa)

Directions
Pour a little EVOO in a pan and preheat to medium-high heat. Spray the fish with EVOO. Sprinkle with chili powder. Let marinate for 5 minutes.

Cook fish in the medium-high pan for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

Heat the tortillas in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 20 seconds. Remove the tortillas to a plate and cover with a clean towel until you're ready to eat.

Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Tomato Salsa:
•1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
•2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
•1 14.5oz can of diced/chopped tomatoes with jalapenos, drained
•Juice of one lime, maybe more
•1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
•Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Berry Good Cupcakes

As you might have gathered from my New Year's post, I had a little cupcake photoshoot on New Year's Eve. These little gals are rockstars. The sparkles are complements of my NYE Loft clutch. 

We were invited to a party and of course I wanted to bring cupcakes. I had everything to bake Raspberry Champagne Cupcakes...except for the champagne. Oops. There was plenty of time to buy some and the excess would have been put to good use. I just didn't feel like going to the liquor store. So I searched my kitchen for a substitute. IZZE sparkling blueberry juice sounded like a close match. Bubbles...check. Berry...check. Sweetness...check.

I'm happy to report that the IZZE juice made for a "berry" good cupcake and frosting. The mini cupcakes were light and airy. And the frosting still tasted like raspberry frozen yogurt. I also baked some regular sized cupcakes, but they were a little dense. This might have had something to do with botching the measurement of one ingredient and then having to scale up the recipe near the end. I'll give you the recipe for a "normal" batch.

Or maybe it's because they sat around the kitchen a little longer than usual. Darn those New Year's resolutions.

[Update: Some commenters from "Gimme Some Oven" also found the cupcake to be dense. One person suggested using 1/2 cake flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour. Don't have cake flour? Add two tablespoons of corn starch to each cup of regular flour and sift this mixture together twice. Measure your cups of flour from this mixture. Per Smitten Kitchen. Or just use boxed cake mix and use 3/4 c of sparkling juice instead of water.]

Berry Good Cupcakes

Adapted from Rasperry Champagne Cupcakes

As inspired by Gimme Some Oven

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup IZZE sparkling blueberry juice (any sparkling juice or wine would be fine)
6 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with IZZE.

In another large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. About 12 minutes for mini cupcakes.

(I made 1/3 extra of the recipe which yielded about 42 mini and 17 normal cupcakes.)

Sparkle Berry Buttercream

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons IZZE sparkling juice, at room temperature
A few tablespoons of raspberry preserves (with or without seeds, I love Smucker's)

With an electric mixer on low, beat the butter until it starts to get fluffier. Then start adding the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Taste it every time. That way you can make it as sweet as you want and probably won't use as much sugar. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes. Add vanilla and IZZE, beating on medium for another minute. Add a couple of spoonfuls (to taste) of raspberry preserves.

The additional raspberry preserves may make the frosting a little thinner, so add a little more powdered sugar to thicken things up. If this frosting is too thick, add a little more IZZE.
 
(I made one batch of frosting and had extra. Though I used a "flatter" frosting style.)

You can buy the cupcake liners from Bake it Pretty
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Makeunder My Finances: Step 2

It looks like a few more people are joining us at Fiscally Chic. So a big welcome to my new readers! We're in the middle of my "Makeunder My Finances" series. This week is Step 2. If you missed Step 1 (Create a Vision) you can find it here. And of course I have to give props to the mastermind behind these steps: Jess of Makeunder My Life. Here are her classic makeunder steps. On with the show!


Print from Etsy seller bluebicicletta


Step 2: Exfoliate Stuff

According to Jess, "this is the step where you dump the stuff that isn’t needed for the life you want to live. Just like our skin, there is a lot of dead ‘skin cells’ in our homes that are clouding the healthiest, best life we want to live. And by sloughing off that unnecessary layer of crap, we emerge brighter and more purposeful." Guess what? There might be some dead skin cells lurking around your budget as well. But first, you need to take a look in the mirror see what and where they are.

This makeunder step may be the most daunting since it involves accumulating the information that makes up your past and current financial situation. Through the magic of the Internet and computer software, it doesn't have to be that difficult. I use mint.com to compile all of our financial data. It's a fantastic free (and secure!) site that offers personal finance and budget software, online money management, and budget planning. Mint brings all your financial accounts together online so you can see the big picture in a single click. We have our checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and 401(k) and investment accounts all feeding into our Mint account.


Mint screenshot

 So what do you do with all of that information? Mint categorizes your transactions (with some of your assistance) so you can see how much you're spending on rent, food, entertainment, shopping, etc. It also monitors income, loans, and investment transactions. It was pretty eye-opening even that first month of using Mint. I had no idea how much I was spending on lunches or coffee during the work week. (John is really good about bringing his lunch to work) I thought that the couple dollars here and there wouldn't make a difference until I saw the grand total at the end of the month. $130 even though we bought lunch food at the grocery store? Yikes! On the flip side, we didn't spend much money shopping.

After you've had a chance to dive into the nitty gritty, it's time to develop a budget! There are as many budgeting methods as there are diets. You never know what's going to work for you until you give it a whirl. And like a diet, if you're going to be saving money it's all about input vs. output. You can spend less, earn more, or a combination of the two.



Mint screenshot

I rely on Mint's built-in budgeting software to set our monthly targets for each major spending area. Mint also allows you to adjust your budget. For example, Mint first thought a good amount for Movies and DVD's was $20. We rarely go to the movie theater, choosing to rent from Redbox instead. I bumped that monthly budget down to $10.

Some other methods include:

• 50% Needs, 20% Savings, and 30% Wants (see Daily Worth)
• Save to spend budget: 60% Monthly Expenses, 10% Retirement, 10% Long-Term Needs, 10% Short-Term Savings, 10% Fun (see Daily Worth)
• 35% Housing, 25% Living Expenses, 15% Debt, 15% Transportation, 10% Savings (from Jean Chatzky) 
• Dollars per day for play (see Pete Mockaitis)

One of the other benefits of Mint is that it sends me alerts when I go over budget. They also email me weekly updates. It's like my personal accountability partner. Speaking of accountability, share your goals with a significant other or trusted friend. You will be more likely to succeed when someone is cheering you on and helping you over hurdles. 

Print available at MadebyGirl

John and I have been more open about how we spend our money over the years so that we can work towards a common goal of home ownership. I don't have to ask his "permission" about purchases, but if I'm wavering, I check in to see if buying something is "worth" more than saving for our goal. Plus, there will be fewer surprises or busted budgets.

Next week is step 3: identify intentions. This will be your specific targets regarding savings and spending.

What are your secret ways to cut costs or earn a little extra? Would it be helpful if I shared some ideas?

(Disclaimer: I haven't been compensated by Mint for this post. These are simply my opinions. But if you're out there, Mint, I wouldn't mind writing for you!)

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My Ode to Running

Today I'm sharing my Ode to Running over at Health on the Run. Swing by to find out why my relationship with running is like the plotline of a romantic comedy. As a treat, there's an awkward picture of me from grade school.

Check out Lauren's blog for more reads about running, fitness, public health, and nutrition.

What are you waiting for? Go now!
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Makeunder My Finances: Step 1

Hello again! Welcome to a bright and shiny New Year! I don't know about you, but I think 2011 is going to be a big year. I've written down some goals and have renewed energy to tackle them. What about you? Do you have any big plans for 2011?

Two of the most popular resolutions revolve around improving your finances and improving your health. Hopefully I can help you start achieving these this January. First up is improving your finances. And to give credit where it's due, I didn't come up with the makeunder steps. That's all Jess of Makeunder My Life. If you're looking to simplify your life and home, check out the makeunder steps in their original glory. I simply gave them the Fiscally Chic treatment.

Step 1: Create a vision


A Frank Lloyd Wright home in Oak Park, IL (I can dream, right?)
(source)

Before overhauling your finances, think about your overall goal. Your goal could be saving money to buy a home, for retirement, to go on vacation, to have a cushion to start a business, or for your child's college fund. You might also want to payoff debt: student loans, mortgage, or credit card. Maybe it's for a new car. Your vision could be for your personal financial situation or for a business.

Creating a vision will set the focus for the next three steps. So get as specific as you'd like. John and I have several financial goals, including saving money for a house. This will be the example I'll use throughout the "makeunder" series. Our vision includes the neighborhood, cost, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and when we'd like to start the home buying process. Some of these items may change over time, but the overall vision of a home is the foundation. Feel free to put together an inspiration board that you can see everyday. Or write down your vision and post it on the refrigerator door. Maybe you'll write your goal and reminders on the calendar.

(source)

I hope you enjoy this series. As Jess puts it, a financial makeunder "takes the stress out of it in a way and doesn't make everything good or bad, but intentional or not intentional." The goal of this series is to help you examine why you spend money and your priorities instead of just "do this" and "don't do that." I want to help you put together a plan that works for your unique situation instead of just following a formula.

Next week, step 2: exfoliate stuff
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Happy New Year!

Happy 2011! Cheers to a sparkly new year!

At this time last year, I was just getting settled into my new life in Chicago. I made a few goals, so I'd like to share my progress with you:

Run the St. Louis half marathon  - Check! Did this on April 11, 2010! Finish time of 2:02:58. Also ran the Chicago Rock n' Roll half marathon in August 2010. Finish time of 2:03:55


Yes, will run for cupcakes :)

Do PT for my knees every day that I don’t run - Nope. Didn't do much PT, but I did try out some different classes at the gym. Spinning and Bodyworks plus Abs are excellent cross-training activities.

Run a marathon - Ran the Chicago marathon on 10/10/10! Finished in 4:45:42. See my recap here.

Make new friends in Chicago - Check! I should also say "hello" to all of the new friends I've made through blogging.

Update wardrobe (get rid of things I don't like or don't fit) - Still a work in process. I've also learned how to remix what I have with a few new pieces or accessories.

Organize! And try to keep things in order. Kill the clutter. File paperwork ASAP. Attempt to get rid of one thing as a I bring a new thing in. - Definitely still working on this. Our apartment is a little smaller than the one in St. Louis, so this is forcing me to deal with clutter much sooner. This is definitely a 2011 goal.

Bake a wedding cake - This was a "just for fun" goal. It didn't have to be a wedding cake, just a bigger more fancy cake. I didn't do it, but I have been experimenting more in the kitchen (spaghetti squash for the first time) and made some pretty great cupcakes during the year. One of my most popular posts is my Raspberry Champagne Cupcakes recipe. And I'll post a recipe for the cupcake pictured above soon.

I need to think more about my goals for 2011. Maybe I'll share some of them with you in the next few weeks.
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