The Data Shows: Daylight Saving Time Is Asinine

It's always been my personal belief that Daylight Saving Time is stupid. Turns out I was right. Turns out that aside from increasing risk of heart attack, providing adverse mental health in some people, screwing with national and international communication, mixing up global transportation patterns, frustrating farmers, complicating business transactions, and ruining my life twice a year, the only positive thing about DST is that at one point in history it didn't exist.

When The Dumb Began

DST has been used for about 100 years, although its genesis is credited to Benjamin Franklin, according to www.timeanddate.com. Franklin proposed the idea—although a little jokingly—to economize the use of candles by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light. The idea was never implemented in his lifetime because people didn't take it seriously.

It wasn't until 1895 that a New Zealand entomologist (bug-collector) by the name of George Vernon realized that his love affair with bugs could last longer every day if he had more daylight hours to play with. He proposed a two hour time shift instead of the one that we grudgingly endure today.

This idea was picked up by another genius, William Willett, whose motivation for lobbying DST was his growing aggravation that dusk kept cutting short his after hours game of golf.

That's right, folks. Golf.

It wasn't until World War I that this idea began to catch on. While Europe did its best to commit genocide the west thought DST would be a great way to save energy during war time. DST wasn't observed again until WWII and was officially adopted in the US in 1967.

The "Energy Conservation" Myth

Energy conservation has long been touted as one of the many reasons for DST to remain in effect (though just how much energy it saves has never been proven), but even if DST did, at one point, help save energy, energy consumption has changed greatly since the days of coke stoves and steam engines. In a 24/7 global economy DST no longer serves its purpose.

Most modern studies of DST show little to no benefit and/or reason for it in regards to energy conservation.

What The Facts Show 

• The National Research Council of Canada issued a report in 2008 that indicated fuel consumption actually rises during DST because "…with an extra hour of daylight in the evening people tend to go out more."


• One of the major backers of legislation to keep DST in effect is 7-Eleven, ostensibly to allow the good children of America more time to go out and buy a torso-sized Slurpie. Obesity, folks. DST contributes to obesity.


• When Indiana made DST mandatory in 2006, Dr. Matthew Kotchen examined several million monthly meter readings from a three year period. He found that having the entire state switch to DST each year, rather than remain on Standard Time, cost Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills.


• Arizona does not recognize DST. They tried it for one year in the 1960s, but there was so much negative reaction that they never tried it again. Some also said that without DST, the state still managed to save heating and cooling energy in the summer (northern hemisphere) months.


• Kazakhstan abolished DST in 2005, citing negative health effects on more than 51 percent of its population.


• Farmers, who must wake with the sun no matter what time the clock says, are greatly inconvenienced by having to change their schedules to market their crops to businesses observing DST and therefore generally oppose it. (www.standardtime.com)


• In 2008 The Wall Street Journal declared: "Daylight Saving Wastes Energy," and cited Dr. Kotchen's report as well as others.

The "Circadian Rhythm"

Health therapist Shawn Kirby says the negative health repercussions of DST can last for weeks in some people. He says the human body's physical and mental behavioral swings caused by day/night changes and sleep patterns—known as the Circadian Rhythm—is essential to a person's mental health and balanced stress levels. This natural rhythm within our own bodies connects us to the world while DST routinely interrupts it.

"Suicides in men and heart attacks were both found to significantly spike with the 'Spring Forward,'" Kirby says.

In Closing

Even apart from the data, DST shows no reasons to exist. I mean, "time," as we know it, is an artificial construction, measured only by agreed-upon convention. The only purpose of measuring time with a clock is to coordinate action. The actual numbers on a clock don't matter; the clock says whatever we, as a society, agree that it should say. On a global scale observing DST completely destroys the original purpose for which time and the clock were created—some countries observe it; some don't. As a result world time becomes confusing. While observing DST, time zones get screwed up; all clocks and electronic devices must be changed, or programmed to run functions that cause the change. This massive, mostly-computerized switchover inconveniences millions of businesses and individuals every year. DST interrupts what is, otherwise, a smoothly operating convention of coordinating global actions.

Let's face it, DST is an outdated, onerous, ridiculous, asinine "illusion." It is unneeded, unwanted, and pointless. If you really need an extra hour of daylight to play gulf or hunt bugs, GET UP AN HOUR EARLIER!

Stop the madness of pointlessly changing time twice a year. End Daylight Saving Time! Sign the petition at www.standardtime.com.

Where Did August Go???

We know, we know! You haven't heard much from the Penny Pinchers recently. Remember that post about Dog Days of Working? Well, if you're curious, that should explain our absence. We do hope to get back into the swing of things here, maybe not quite as regularly as we once were, but at least two or three days a week.

In the meantime here are some photos to show what we have been up to!


We spent Labor Day Weekend down in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, for Jake's cousin's wedding. Jake was the photographer and Dani got to help by videotaping. We had a great time and it was a beautiful day to be at the beach!

Dani finished her first fitness Challenge Group and has plans to begin another one on September 22. If you would like to know more about it or are interested in joining you can use the Contact Us link at the top of the page or email Dani directly at daniordanielle@yahoo.com. She will get back to you!

While down at Hampton Beach Dani convinced Jake to do a photoshoot with her :-) It was tons of fun! 

That pretty much sums up our month!

Keep pinchin' ;-)

Delicious Zucchini Pizza Recipe

Zucchini Pizza Dough

8 cups of shredded zucchini
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp garlic powder (can sub garlic cloves)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

Zucchini Pizza Crust

Preheat oven to 550F (or the highest temperature your oven will go) with a pizza stone pre-heating in it.

In a large bowl, mix the shredded zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the squash by wrapping it up in a clean dish towel and wringing it out, discarding the water.

After all of the excess moisture has been wrung out (and discarded), place the shredded zucchini back into the bowl and add the sharp cheddar cheese, flour, garlic, basil, thyme, eggs, and salt.


With your hands, blend all of the ingredients together well.

Place the zucchini mixture onto a piece of parchment paper at least 15” in diameter.

Using your fingers, spread the zucchini crust mixture to form a circle about 14” in diameter, 1/2" thick. Pinch the edges up so that it forms a nice crust, just like regular pizza.


Once the pizza crust has been shaped, transfer the crust on the parchment paper onto the heated pizza stone, which can be done by sliding it off the counter onto the stone. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust starts to brown.

When the zucchini crust is browned on the bottom, pull the stone out of the oven.

Top the pizza with sauce and any additional toppings that you'd like. (We used mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and tomatoes.)

After the toppings are on, place the stone back into the oven and bake for an additional 4 minutes.

I was a little worried about what my pizza-loving husband would think about a zucchini crust pizza, but when he went back for seconds I knew I had found a healthy alternative to regular pizza!

Workouts To Go: Another Benefit Of Doing Beachbbody

Had you been able to peek in on my vacation last week you might've seen some water-tubing, kayaking, swimming, or some other water related activity.

You would also have seen me working on my PiYo moves. On the lawn. On the dock. Indoors if it was raining. And that's one of the great things about Beachbody's programs—they can be done anywhere! They don't require any weights or gym equipment, just you, some time, and a little motivation.

By taking PiYo up to the lake with me I was able to keep up on my fitness goals, but I also wasn't wasting money on a gym membership that I couldn't use for a week because of my vacation. In fact, thanks to the marvelous world of Facebook, I was able to stay in touch with my workout buddies.

Another great thing about working out up at the lake is after a long, sweaty bout of PiYo I was able to go for a nice, refreshing dip :-)

I am super pumped to be starting my first fitness challenge group today, and I have an awesome group of men and women who have decided to join me! I am already thinking about the next group I will host, so if you missed out on this one don't worry. You can join me soon!

I am loving this whole Beachbody coaching thing so much that I've decided to start a separate blog focusing more on healthy living and fitness.

I'll let you know as soon as it goes live, so be sure to follow me if you that's your thing.

;-)

Breaking Free Part 4: The Things We Didn't Give Up

It's been two years since Danielle and I started down this road toward debt-free living. It's been a challenge, a fun ride, a ministry, and a blessing, all rolled into one adventure. This week we'd like to look back on our journey, share some of the intricacies of how and why we do it, and hopefully encourage you to gain some ground in your financial battle.

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Too often Danielle and I harp on all the sacrifices we've made. No movies. No restaurants. No this. No that.

Woe is we!

Although it's the sacrifices that are the hardest, there's lots of other stuff that we DON'T sacrifice. Like Superman holding back that train, or a fly bouncing against the glass, we're determined not to surrender these things, stubbornly holding onto them in dogged determination to retain some sanity in the midst of all the sacrifices.

This is kind of an essential part to this whole journey, actually. Because you can go too far with all the penny pinching, the budgeting, and the Dave Ramsey fanfare. To really be successful—and to not go crazy—you've got to be stubborn in some areas. So here are some of the things that Dani and I have refused to give up.

(Also note that these things are different for everyone. What you chose to keep might be totally different.)

Giving

I'm a natural giver. I love blessing others, but I always wish I could give more. In the past I wouldn't hesitate buying a birthday present for someone that cost more money than I could afford. "I'll get my paycheck next week," I'd tell myself. "I'll just pay for it then." But that's not a good habit to get into. Like Dave Ramsey is fond of saying, "Live now like no one else so that tomorrow you can live and give like no one else."

So, someday, Danielle and I will have the money to "give like no one else," but for the time being we need to be a bit more conservative. Still, we like to give, to others and each other. So we have a fund for birthday presents, Christmas gifts, baby showers, weddings, and anything else that may come up. It's not a lot, but it's what we can manage for now.

Tithing

Apart from giving to others, Danielle and I believe that, first and foremost, we need to give to God. Tithing honors Him, it reminds us that everything we have comes out of His hands, and it increases our faith. We have never not tithed since the day we got married, and we intend to keep it that way. The missed blessings of not tithing aren't worth the risk.

For a more detailed look at tithing in the midst of paying off debt, see our post: Is It Ok To Stop Tithing To Pay Off Debt?

Investing in My Photography

As much personal enjoyment as I get out of my craft, photography can be a big money earner too. I can make more money shooting one wedding than I do in a week at my day job. In our rural area of the country, however, it's hard to keep photography work steadily coming in.

Still, in order to make money, we need to spend money, which is why 50% of all money earned through my photography goes into a fund to maintain equipment, buy new lenses and filters, and market my services.

Healthy Living

When we first got married Danielle thought we could survive on a $40 grocery budget.

When you're done laughing I'll continue.

Finished?

Ok.

The problem was she didn't know how much a 30-year-old man with a daily calorie intake of 2,000 would need to eat. And when that number goes to 2,750 during workout periods that can amount to a whole heckofalot of food. Since Danielle started getting into all this health and fitness stuff through Beachbody.com she found that she needed more food to fuel her body as well, not to mention the fact that healthy food simply costs more money.

So over the last two years we've upped the grocery budget twice. We've decided that even though we can eat more cheaply, the types of food we'd be eating aren't worth it. Our physical livelihood and general health are more important than a few extra dollars. So we're making the investment in healthier living, and so far it's been worth it.

Pocket Money

I need my pocket money.

No. You don't understand. I neeeeeeeeeeed my pocket money.

I would lose my mind if I didn't have some dollars, unencumbered by some budgetary requirement, to spend at my leisure. So both Danielle and I get a little money every week to spend however we want. It's not much, but it helps make the rest of the budget feel doable.

For all the other spenders out there, I can't stress enough how much easier budgeting is when there's a little money set aside just for you. It does wonders for your mental health, and it actually helps keep the whole budget on track because without that little bit of "fun cash" one might be tempted to dip into other areas of the budget.

No matter where you are in this process, it's helpful to remember that this is only for a season. Danielle and I know that even though we're dramatically scaling back in many areas, it's not going to last forever. Our spending habits and the sacrifices we make are going to look dramatically different when we're debt free!

So what things have you been stubbornly refusing to give up? Or is your budget too tight? If so, what things do you think you could introduce—like tithing or pocket money—that might give you a little bit of your sanity back?

Other posts in this series:
Part 1: My Personal Wake-Up Call
Part 2: How To See Some Hope
Part 3: Overcoming the Comparison Trap

Beachbody: Curse Those T-Shirt Nazis!

Apparently when you complete a Beachbody workout you get a free t-shirt. Or... wait. Let me rephrase that. Apparently when you complete a Beachbody workout you CAN get a free t-shirt. Apparently in order to do so you need to submit before and after pictures showing your physical transformation. Apparently these pictures need to be accompanied by weekly weight measurements and include inches lost around legs, waist, and arms. Apparently if you neglect to do this—like I have—Beachbody won't give you a free t-shirt. That's right. You get nothing. Nadda. Zip. They're like t-shirt nazis. "No t-shirts for you!" That's a Seinfeld reference, by the way. Well I've completed my nine weeks of Sean T.'s Insanity. It kicked my butt more often than not, but I deserve a free t-shirt! So I'm going to do what any formerly rational adult male who has been made mentally insane from Sean T.'s ridiculous workout routine—I'm going to do it again. Nine more weeks of nut-so workouts. This time I'll follow the t-shirt nazi's strict regiment—step to the left, speak clearly, no extraneous comments—and submit the required information because, dagnabbit, I want my t-shirt! Thanks to my wife so willingly signing up to be a Beachbody coach, we now get a discount on workout programs. We've recently gotten our hands on a whole bunch—PiYo, T25, P90X3, 21 Day Fix—and they all come with free t-shirts providing you properly document your progress. I don't know what's come over me, but I'm determined to get my sweaty paws on those t-shirts, so I'm going to pound my body through every workout and document what is sure to be a Shrek-to-Hulk transformation to appease the nazis at Beachbody. Some may call me a glutton for punishment, but in actuality I just have a high tolerance for pain—I suppose that's why I've been able to live in the northeast for as long as I have. Anyway...

Dani was recently telling me a story she heard about a fellow Beachbody coach who was walking through the airport one day wearing one of her Beachbody P90X shirts when many people started a conversation around how hard P90X is. First it was the cab driver, then the TSA agent, then the lady at the terminal, then another and another. By the time she boarded her plane she had contact information for eight potential clients.

So getting these t-shirt isn't just proof of accomplishment, but it can also draw in business.

But clients or no clients, I'm getting my free t-shirts!

A New Adventure - Beachbody Coach

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22...

Oh, wait, that's not what I meant to say. What I meant to say was that I don't know about you, but I find that when I start disciplining myself in one area of my life it eventually spills over into other areas. For instance, it's been almost two years since the hubby and I first started working faithfully on our financial situation, and our discipline has paid off in more ways than one.

A couple months ago, as we began the search for an alternative healthcare solution, we both decided to work on taking better care of our bodies. For Jake that meant doing Sean T.'s Insanity, a 9-week workout program. For me it meant doing whatever I could to stay in shape—I ran for a couple weeks, then I started doing this walking program, then a 30 Day Ab Challenge... but the problem was I had no plan. I had no one supporting me or working with me.

Then a friend told me about PiYo, the newest Beachbody program that blends Pilates and Yoga, but PiYo takes those things to the next level, cranking them up to give you a full-throttle cardio, strength, and flexibility workout. Unlike that crazy Insanity program my husband does, PiYo is low-impact and involves more deep stretching and muscle work and not as much jumping around.

I had learned a lesson during my 30 Day Ab Challenge: you can workout all you want, but if you don't change your eating habits you won't get the best results. Even though I was able to do 125 situps, 200 crunches, 65 leg raises and a two-minute plank, my abs were still hiding under this soft cushion of... FAT. I decided that I wasn't going to continue sculpting these amazing abs unless I also got to see them.

So when I began PiYo I decided to follow the get lean eating plan, and that was a good decision if I do say so myself. In the three weeks I've been doing PiYo I have lost 6 lbs, and 3 inches! It feels good!

Of course when you do any Beachbody program you hear a lot about Shakeology. All of their programs promote it—Insanity, PiYo, P90X. Shakeology is a literal meal replacement, loaded with nutrients and healthy stuff. Unfortunately, Shakeology costs quite a bit of money, and while most people have ways they can cut back to cover the cost—less coffee, less eating out—us Penny Pinchers have already cut out everything we can. Jake and I don't buy coffee. We don't drink soda. We hardly ever eat out. For us, affording Shakeology is a big deal.

Jake was sold on it long before I was, but once I heard of its health benefits, how that it's clinically proven for weight loss and lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, we agreed to try it out.

But, then again, there was this whole issue of money. *shakes fist* Why must everything cost so much?!

So I decided to make the move from just being a Beachbody customer to being a Beachbody coach! Doing so gives me a discount on Shakeology, but, even more than that, I found so much inspiration and motivation through my Beachbody coach and her Challenge Group that I wanted to offer the same hope and encouragement to other people. Hopefully, this way, I will also be able to continue this accountability for myself.

On August 4th I am starting an August Challenge Group, for those who choose to order the PiYo Challenge Pack or any of the Challenge Packs through me. This group will offer encouragement, tasks to complete, accountability, and a place to discuss any questions that come up. I will do my best to help you be successful in working towards you fitness goals, be it to lose weight, tone up, or maintain your fitness level.

I would love to have you join my group! If you purchase any of the products through me I will automatically be assigned as your personal coach, which would be totally awesome. You can look at the workout programs here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/danigrant. Or if you have any specific questions, leave us a comment or click the "Contact" link at the top of this page.

Jake and I have worked hard to get our finances in order, and we're still striving to make wise money choices. At this point I think we are ready to take on a new challenge: being good stewards of the bodies God gave us. It should be an interesting journey!

Keep pinchin' :-)

A Look At The Three Big Christian Healthcare Sharing Options

UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2022
We have received more feedback on this blog post than any other. Over 49,000 views and hundreds of comments, emails, questions, and shares. We are still using our Christian healthcare sharing alternative for our insurance and we love it! As far as we know everything in the following article is still accurate and relevant.

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Ok, quick recap.

Like most Americans, Danielle and I disagree with many of the aspects of Obamacare, but unlike most Americans we're not just going to accept it, especially since it so very blatantly goes against our beliefs. It is also astronomically expensive. So we have been on the hunt for an alternative solution to healthcare for the last few months and have been researching several Christian sharing ministries, namely: Medi-Share, Samaritan Ministries, and Christian Healthcare Ministries. I think all three have different strengths that will satisfy the needs of their individual members, but let me break down what we've found as briefly and simply as possible.

DISCLAIMER Just because there are parts of these programs that didn't appeal to us doesn't mean they're not the right fit for you. Danielle and I are both healthy, young, and on the verge of starting a family, so those factors weighed heavily on our decision. We encourage you to get some literature from each sharing organization and even call them to ask questions to find out which one is right for you.

MEDI-SHARE
This is the big one. This is the one we keep hearing about on our local Christian radio station, but just because they advertise doesn't mean they're the best (yes, I'm thinking of you, GEICO!) Anyway, Medi-Share has been around since 1993 and has an excellent track record of providing for its members' needs. They say that in the last 16 years every eligible need has been covered—eligible being the key word here.

One example given by a Medi-Share representative was the story of a member who was injured in a car accident and required a lot of medical work, but since the person was intoxicated at the time of the accident the expense was not covered. It's easy to think that they should give the guy a break, but at the same time Medi-Share's whole point is that by living a more biblical lifestyle you will be healthier and have fewer medical needs, which is understandable, because...

"Too many rules is legalistic, but too much grace is enabling."
—Rachel Cruze, Financial Peace University

PROS

• They negotiate your medical bills for you, working directly with your doctor
• More lenient on preexisting conditions
• If you meet certain health criteria you can get a reduction in your monthly share
• They will help fund up to two adoptions per household with an amount determined by your Annual Household Portion (how much you pay every year for coverage)
• Great plan if you like a more "hands off" approach when dealing with medical bills

CONS

• They can be picky about who you use for a doctor, preferring you use one of their "in-network" doctors, or that you ask your doctor to join their network
• Expensive. Medi-Share functions a lot like a high deductible insurance plan where you pay a certain amount called the "Annual Yearly Portion" FIRST before they'll kick-in any extra
• Their criteria pertaining to adoption seems very strict and suited for the more expensive plans
• You have to be accepted into the program. Not everyone gets accepted.

Click here for more details about how Medi-Share works. And if you're curious, you can read their guidelines or check out their "Share Calculator" to see what your Annual Household Portion would be.

If you decide to use Medi-Share, and appreciate all the research we've provided in this post, please use this referral link: http://bit.ly/2mDuhc7. Thank you!

SAMARITAN MINISTRIES
From the get-go we really liked the look of Samaritan Ministries' healthcare options. Again, their track record is good and a lot of people say more good things about them than not. We even have friends who use it and recommended it to us highly.

With Medi-Share, your monthly share is sent directly to the organization and then they sort through all the claims and make the payments. With Samaritan's Ministries, however, you pay your monthly share directly to the individual in need. That's right, every month Samaritan's Ministries sends you a name and address of another member and your monthly portion is sent directly to them. Yes, it feels weird, but members claim it's a very exciting way to handle medical expenses because you know where your money is going, you get to pray for and encourage the people you're helping, and you get their help in return.

Samaritan's Ministries has a $250,000 limit, meaning they'll only pay your medical costs up to that amount. They have a program called "Save to Share" to help with larger medical expenses, but that requires another payment in addition to your monthly share. It's your responsibility to set this money aside every year so that if another member ever has a claim more than $250,000 you may be called upon to help pay that burden.

PROS

• Simple. No nonsense approach. No red tape.
• Low yearly rates
• Christians caring for Christians. You send your monthly share directly to fellow believers in need.
• Low deductibles
• You can go to any doctor without them having to join the ministry's network or be "approved"
  
  UPDATE
• Samaritan Ministries can assist members with "patient advocacy services" to negotiate lower rates and improve the relationship between the member and the provider.

CONS

• Because we are getting ready to start having kids, child wellness is a big concern for us, especially in the first few months after they're born when they're going to the doctor often. I spoke to a Samaritan Ministries representative about this and, I'm sad to say, they have no post-natal care options. Regular wellness visits, vaccinations, anything "routine" is not covered.
  
  UPDATE
• Publishable maternity needs include bills for prenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, miscarriage, and congenital conditions. Well checks and vaccinations are not publishable.
• 
  You have to pay your medical bills 100% out of pocket and Samaritan's Ministries reimburses you for the amount. Not a great deal if you're just starting out and don't have a lot of liquid cash.
  
  UPDATE
• Apparently you have two choices when paying for your medical services: you can either pay up front, or negotiate with your hospital to have your bills paid through Samaritan's sharing organization. If you pay up front you will get reimbursed, but that also leaves no room for Samaritan Ministries to help you negotiate down the cost of your hospital bills. Once the bills are paid, the process is closed. So it's best to just explain to your hospital that your bills will be paid through Samaritan Ministries, submit your bills to the organization, and pay your hospital as the members' checks come in, usually in 30-to-60 days.
• Here is a very comprehensive list of positives and negatives, but the negatives are more concerns than anything. This is still a very positive review of the program.

Honestly, we found very few negatives with this option. Samaritan Ministries seems to be a great program, just not right for us at this time in our lives.

CHRISTIAN HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES
This program is very different from the first two and it's the one that Danielle and I have decided suits us the best. We like it because it offers a variety of membership levels that you can choose from depending on how much coverage you want. You can even choose different levels for different family members, which is a huge perk considering I'm a healthy 32-year-old dude who won't likely need any serious medical care for a while, and Danielle is a healthy 27-year-old dudette who is likely to become pregnant. So, yeah, she needs more coverage than me.

Amanda, at www.thepelsers.com, talks about how she and her family saved $600 a month, $7,000 a year, on health insurance by switching to Christian Healthcare Ministries. Click here to read her article.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 20, 2016
We recently learned that there is a $125,000 cap for auto accidents. CHM expects that your auto insurance company will cover whatever damages you incur in the event of an accident—which means you are responsible for having the most coverage your auto insurance will provide—but if once that insurance is used up, CHM will step in to cover the rest up to $125,000.

What if the damages are immense—say, two million dollars? Here is the response from CHM representative Jason Spencer.

"Yes, that is correct. We would only share up to $125,000. Two million in bills, so you know, is very difficult to incur. The most we have ever had is a little over one million in bills, and that was over several years for a cancer patient. Between the hospital's write-offs and other sources (maybe even court winnings), there is no way you would ever be stuck with almost a million out of pocket. No insurance company would ever cover that, either, to be clear."

PROS

• They have a good post-natal care program covering the routine visits of the child for the first three months.
  UPDATE
• I was told two different things from two different representatives, but the second actually referred to their guidelines, so that's the one I'm going with. He said that any non-routine medical bills your baby incurs in the first three months are eligible for sharing. Normal immunization shots and wellness visits are not.
• Different levels of coverage make this a highly flexible option, and those coverage levels can be changed whenever you want.
• Very affordable
• One person is considered one unit. So a family of two means you have to purchase two units, and the same with a family of three. But any families larger than three—be it five, ten or even twenty—are still considered THREE units.
• Has a separate program called Brothers Keeper to help with extremely large medical bills. This seems very similar to Samaritan Ministries' "Save to Share" program.
• They also have a Reduction Department that aims to help you negotiate with your doctor to get the lowest possible prices on your healthcare.
• They are the oldest of the "big three," having been around since 1984.

CONS

• I can't say we found many cons with this program. It suits our needs perfectly. But, like with any of these sharing ministries, you have to take a step of faith to get involved with one, which is kinda scary.
  
  UPDATE
• If you are a Medicaid or Medicare member, Christian Healthcare will act as a secondary insurance provider. In other words they won't publish your need unless you've already been turned down by your primary insurance provider, if you even have one.
  
  UPDATE
• Their processing department is very slow. Needs are usually processed in about three months, but we experienced a wait of about five months with some of the medical bills from our son's birth in June. When I asked CHM why it was taking so long I was told that due to the overwhelming amount of people signing up since Obamacare was enacted, CHM has been inundated with needs. In one respect this is a good thing because it means the ministry is growing, which means more people helping other people, but for those that don't have a lot of liquid cash it could mean waiting a while for CHM to send a check to cover your medical expenses.

So, that's that. Stay tuned, because I'm sure we'll be blogging more soon about our experiences with healthcare sharing ministries!

Keep pinchin' :-)

If you found this information to be helpful, and choose to use Christian Healthcare Ministries, would you consider signing up under us, as a thank you for all our research? You can use this link to do that Christian Healthcare Ministries. Thanks!

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RELATED POSTS
The Horrendous Healthcare Hunt Begins!
April 11, 2014

The Horrendous Healthcare Hunt, Part 2: The Why
May 27, 2014

Life Without Obamacare Is Beautiful... But Complicated
June 3, 2014

Life Without Obamacare Is Beautiful... But Complicated

I'm just going to come right out and warn you: if you're planning on hunting down your own health insurance you're going to have to learn to navigate some pretty complicated waters.

For the past few months Danielle and I have been investigating Christian healthcare sharing solutions, and it's proven to be a complex task trying to figure it all out. The whole learning curve has been... not fun. In fact, it's the very antithesis of fun. It's un-fun.

But here at Penny Pinching Prose we're all about enduring un-fun to serve you better *wink*

If you've read our blog for any amount of time you probably know just how much the wife and I dislike Obamacare. I don't know, maybe it has something to do with how much we like freedom, how much we value what our veterans fought and died for, and just how much we appreciate all the hell our forefathers went through to establish a country free from tyranny. What can I say—we're Americans.

So, anyway, we're going to spend some of this week blogging about what we've learned about Christian healthcare alternatives. What are they, exactly? Are they reliable? Is it a good idea to get involved in one?

OK, SO BASICALLY...
The first thing you need to understand about share ministries is that they are NOT insurance. Though some of them function almost exactly like an insurance company, there is one major difference: insurance companies offer legally binding contracts in which they agree to pay your medical bills, whereas share ministries rely on members SHARING their income to meet the medical expenses of other members. There is no guarantee that your bills will be paid when you're with a share ministry. It requires an element of trust in God's provision.

A gamble? Perhaps. Except that God has an excellent track record of caring for His people THROUGH His people. On top of that the three major share ministries available in America today also have excellent track records of continuous coverage of their members' medical expenses.

HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS?
How is it that these organizations can allow people to opt-out of some of Obamacare's unfavorable demands—like subsidizing abortions—yet still meet the requirements of the healthcare law? Well, basically it's because our First Amendment rights are still being upheld... albeit to a very small degree. It's the result of Congressmen Tom Perriello, a Virginia Democrat, and Senators Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and Charles Grasslet, a Republican from Iowa. They fought to add the exemption to the law. It's the same principle that allowed for the Amish to be exempted from the individual mandate—with the crucial difference being that it's a lot more practical to join a share ministry than it is to become Amish. Although that would be cool.

The exemption requires qualifying health-sharing ministries to have been in operation before Dec. 31, 1999, which gives something of a monopoly to the three qualifying organizations—Medi-Share, Samaritan Ministries, and Christian Healthcare Ministries.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
They all work pretty much the same way: to join you agree to pay a certain "share" every month, which  is similar to the premium you would pay with an insurance company, except your money goes into a giant fund from which other members receive money for their medical expenses. At Medi-Share, for example, the funds are distributed by the organization, but at Samaritan Ministries the individual members handle the money, so when you need a medical expense covered you'll get checks from several different people instead of the organization.

I know. It sounds weird.

So say you break your arm. You go to the doctor and tell them that you're a "self-pay" patient. You work out a billing schedule or pay up front. After receiving care, you notify the share ministry of your medical bill which is looked at to determine if it meets their guidelines for sharing and then they reimburse you directly. In some cases they'll pay up front.

BUT HERE'S WHAT THEY DON'T COVER
Unfortunately, all three main share ministries treat regular doctor visits—like vaccinations, prescriptions for chronic illness, and check-ups—as something you need to budget for in addition to the share amount you pay every month. Their policies vary slightly, but they all seem to take the same position on this to one degree or another.

Still, even with the monthly share amount and budgeting for regular doctor visits, members pay significantly less than they would with Obamacare—i.e., through an insurance provider at work—especially if you're in the middle class tax bracket.

IS THIS SOLUTION RELIABLE?
Well, it depends on who you talk to really. Some people say share ministries are great because of their biblical-based alternative to Obamacare. Others say they are unreliable, that payouts for your medical bills are dependent on other people, which means there is no guarantee that you'll get financial assistance in the event of a medical crisis.

If you're a normal human being with any level of financial responsibility that might make you say, "Umm, yikes!"

Historically I've never met an insurance company that was reliable either. Time and time again I've been screwed by insurance companies that are busting at the seams with dollar bills yet unwilling to let go of a single one of them. So, personally, I don't mind not wasting another second on insurance companies.

Ultimately, Danielle and I like the faith-aspect of share ministries and how it forces us to be more aware of how God should be at the center of our healthcare decisions. We like that we get to use our money to help other Christians, that we can pray for them and encourage them through their medical trials. We like not paying an arm and a leg for insurance that goes against our beliefs as Christians, our rights as Americans, and supports things that are clearly against God's Word.

Tomorrow we're going to talk in more detail about the pros and cons of the three major share ministries, so stay tuned!

And in the meantime...

Keep pinchin' :-)

I Am A Ball Of Sweat And Sobs

I feel like I should take a BEFORE and AFTER picture of my body's amazing transformation throughout this 60 day "Insanity" workout, except I have this inner monologue that convinces me not to. It goes something like this:

"Do the workout! Kill it! Slay it! Feel the burn! Ok, that's a little too much burn. Back off a little. Just a little. We'll pick it back up in a... holy mother of everything that's pure and wonderful that hurts! Ok, rest. Rest it out. Take a breath. Now start... in a minute. After another... short... wow this is hard. Harder than I thought. Maybe this isn't worth it. You know what, my knees feel like they're on fire, my feet are killing me, and I'm bathing in my own sweat. This is disgusting. I wonder what's on TV. Isn't this Shark Week? I'm hungry. Oh look, cookies!"

So, frankly, I don't think my transformation is going to be that amazing.

Ok, I'm kidding. I'm not really that pathetic.

Honestly, I gotta be proud of myself for sticking with this workout for four weeks now. Four weeks and still going strong. Next week my workout buddy and I begin month two where, from what I hear, the warm-up routine is the workout from month one. Did you catch that? The WARM-UP is the WORKOUT from month one. It has moves in it with names like Mountain Climbers, Floor Sprints, and Suicides.

That's right, Suicides. Presumably named such because people have died doing them.

And, like I said, that's just the warm-up. As for what the actual workout is, I have no idea. And I am fearful with anticipation. I am a literal ball of trembling child just sobbing on the floor.

It's really hard to know how well I'm doing at this point in the workout. I haven't lost any weight yet, but my body is firmer. Flappy areas are less flappy. I'm more flexible, and my stamina has improved, but at the end of each workout I feel like my body has just been the battleground for some kind of world war where everyone got shot and is dying in agony, screaming.

I'll tell you what, if I survive month two and come out the other side with six pack abs I'll do an after picture. If not, I'll just pretend this whole torturous experience never happened and go back to watching Shark Week. I hear they have footage of Great Whites getting eaten by Orcas. Should be epic!

Keep pumpin' ;-)

The Horrendous Healthcare Hunt, Part 2: The Why

Stock photo by Kurhan
www.freeimages.com

I know. I know! I said I was done shaking my fist at the government in my last post about healthcare, but the truth is I just don't shake my fist as often. Still, every time the subject of healthcare comes up I turn toward Washington and extend an obscene finger—not really, but I'm thinking it.

And Dani and I are not alone. There isn't a single person we know who doesn't roll their eyes at the mention of our country's laughable "affordable" healthcare system. Almost everyone within our circle of family and friends has had to make radical life adjustments to their finances, their jobs, or living arrangements in order to be able to afford the massive expense of Obamacare.

Dani and I have been on the hunt for affordable healthcare for the last couple of months, looking at several Christian sharing programs. We'll blog about what we've found on a later date—so stay tuned—but for now I wanted to address the "whys" behind our reasoning.

Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that we literally cannot afford insurance through the Affordable Care Act—informally known as Obamacare, which is what I will call it from this point on because I can't type "AFFORDABLE Care Act" without laughing so hysterically that I lose the ability to type. But, seriously, we CAN NOT afford it. We would have to go hungry or forgo putting gas in the car or not pay our mortgage in order to get the government's insurance.

But there are other reasons that we oppose it—reasons I believe every Christian should hold to.

WHY #1: Caring for the sick isn't the government's job.
Let me paint a picture for you. I love my wife. I'm sure that you want me to love my wife. You can desire for me to love my wife all you want, but it's not your role to love my wife FOR me. You would be taxing yourself too much if you tried to love my wife... and your neighbor's wife... and all the wives in the world. It's just not up to you.

The same goes for the government regarding health care (among other things). The government's role is to do things like protect our borders, execute justice, and fight threats (Romans 13:4, 1 Peter 2:13-14, the Preamble to the Constitution). They are not tasked with caring for the sick.

What begins to happen when the government steps in and starts doing things it's not supposed to be doing is tyranny. In regards to health insurance, when the government starts handling healthcare it cannot help but intrude upon people's lives and impede their freedoms.

WHY #2: Obamacare creates bondage, not freedom.
An addict is enslaved to their own addiction. A non-believer is in bondage to sin. Obamacare claims to allow choice, but does so within such strict confines that true freedom doesn't exist. In actuality, Obamacare creates bondage. When we do not have the freedom to choose if or how we want to spend our earnings, then we are in bondage. And with Obamacare we are in bondage to the government.

Scripture is clear on this: God hates slavery. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to free us from slavery to sin. The Apostle Paul warns us not to become slaves to men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Ultimately, Obamacare is theft, but, unfortunately, our government has come to believe that the ends justify the means. Stealing from one person to give to another—even if it is for a good cause—has become acceptable. Anytime money is taken from us involuntarily to fulfill a purpose not expressly stated in our Constitution, it is theft, even if it's for a good cause.

WHY #3: Obamacare violates Biblical truths that we hold sacred.

One of the worst aspects of Obamacare is that it forces Christians to violate their conscience and subsidize things like abortions, sterilizations, and contraceptives. The government should not put itself above the Christian principles upon which it was founded. In the New Testament, Peter says that Christians must obey God before men (Act 5:29). And when it comes to Obamacare, we will NOT participate if it means murdering innocent babies.

WHY #4: Lowering healthcare costs through the government is a lie.
One of the biggest lies perpetuated by Obamacare is that government regulation can lower healthcare costs. But think about this: the government gets its money from the people it governs. If it decides to enact a massively expensive healthcare program, who is going to pay for it? The people of course! When the government demands that everyone have health insurance, healthcare costs are going to increase for two reasons: 1) demand increases, and 2) competition decreases. Government oversight actually raises healthcare costs exponentially.

The goal in any free economy should be to shop for good medical care like you shop for a good mechanic. With healthy, economical competition among healthcare providers, costs go down. This is what should happen in a free society. This is the kind of society our forefathers wanted to establish, and the kind of society my grandfather fought for.

WHY #5: America needs to become more responsible with its debt.
Obamacare has inflated our national debt beyond anything anyone ever could have imagined. We are currently spending as a nation more money than we possess. This is NOT good financial stewardship! This is NOT being responsible! God's warnings against debt are all throughout Scripture, and they don't apply just to individuals, but families, businesses, and nations too.

For Dani and I, the main reasons for not wanting to be a part of Obamacare is the way it violates our Biblical beliefs, robs us of our freedom of choice, and the massive expense of it. We are hopeful that some day a different solution will be found, but until then the horrendously time-consuming, difficult task of finding affordable healthcare continues.

Keep pinchin' :-)

Click here to read "The Horrendous Healthcare Hunt Begins."

Flexing My Muscles... or Lack Thereof

It's called "Insanity." It's a six week workout series that I've been going through with a friend. To give you an idea of how hard this workout is I'll tell you that my wife passed out from the intensity of it the first time she tried it. So, instead of my wife, I've found a workout buddy who lives up the road from me and we've been plowing through it every night for the last two weeks.

The workout is, as the name implies, insane. It's a high energy, high impact, heart-racing, sweat-dripping excursion into total body pain. The only thing I can imagine that's any worse is maybe giving birth, but, being a dude, I will never have to experience thank.

Insanity, by fitness professional Sean T., is the kind of workout I prefer though because it doesn't involve any gym equipment, weights, or exercise gear. It's just you. Your body. And a ton of cardio and plyometric exercises. It's an expensive kit, but, thankfully, I had bought it years ago, back before we were following such a strict budget.

Thanks to my workout buddy—who has attended medical school, and knows a lot more about the inner workings of the human body than I do—I've been learning a lot about fitness. Exercise is just a small part of getting into better shape. There are some dietary practices one has to employ in order to see results, because I can follow the workout instructions to a T, but if I'm not doing something as simple as drinking enough water than my body is going to suffer.

I can't help but relate this whole Insanity experience to my finances. In many ways, the financial disciplines that Dani and I have been practicing for the last year or so are very similar. If I think of my workout as my budget, then everything I do leading up to the workout is like my spending habits. If I have $1,000 in monthly bills, but only budget $500, then at the end of the month I'm going to have a hard time meeting my budgetary goals. Likewise, to get the most out of my workout, I need to make healthier choices throughout the week—a banana for a snack instead of a cookie, more water and less lemonade. It's these little choices along the way that make the whole thing work.

My friend and I just completed the second "fit test," which acts as a sort of gauge of how you're doing. I'm pleased to say we have both seen some measurable improvement in our fitness level. It'll be interesting to see just how much progress we can make in the weeks ahead.

Keep pinchin' ... or, as Sean T. likes to say, "Peace out!" :-)

New Year's Resolutions 4 Months Down

Can you believe it's already May? While I have longed for the warmer weather, time seems to be going by faster than ever. I haven't checked in on my New Year's Resolutions in a couple of months, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten them, so here's my latest update.


Faithfulness in our finances. The end of March brought the end of our first time of leading Financial Peace University. It was so fun to go through the class again, and celebrate all the successes our group had throughout the process. In our own finances we have faced many unplanned bills with my car, the furnace, and our escrow account being adjusted up by several hundred dollars. However, God has been faithful to continue to give both of us extra work, so none of these costs have forced us to dip into our emergency savings. We also looked into our car and house insurance and just changed policies that gave us better coverage with a savings of over $300 a year!

Faithfulness in living a healthy lifestyle. My family decided to commence the Belyea Biggest Loser competition last week, which will go through the end of the year, and though I had already started runningI've found that this little competition is making me want to be more faithful. With the warmer weather I am also trying to be more active outside.

Faithfulness in my spiritual life. I am continuing to do the Word of Life Quiet Time online. We have been in 1 Thessalonians recently which I've really enjoyed. This past week I have begun to look into Scripture about our words, and am working on my own little devotional about that, which is fun and good for me. 

Faithfulness in being good stewards of the homestead God has blessed us with. We have continued to host a Faith Group in our home every other week, which we enjoy a lot! Our apple tree, blueberry bushes, and strawberry plants arrived a couple of weeks ago and are in the ground now. I also planted some peas last weekend, and hope to plant lettuce, carrots and more peas in the next week. We are also hoping to start renovating our upstairs into a vacation rental—we don't really use the upstairs space at the moment and we could use the extra income.

Faithfulness in being the wife my husband needs me to be. I am working on turning my sarcasm into encouragement, hence my study on words. That is the biggest area that I can currently see that needs work because I so often forget how damaging my words can be, and how much he really needs me to be his cheerleader.

How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions? If some have fallen by the wayside, it's never too late to pick them back up again!

Keep pinchin' :-)

The Horrendous Healthcare Hunt Begins!

Ok. Healthcare. Whether or not we want it, it is being forced upon us, in one form or another. I suppose if our imaginary kiddos are ever going to become real we're going to need insurance, or some kind of alternative, because life without it just isn't feasible, or wise.

Where to begin? Now that we're done shaking our fist at the government, it's time to stop fooling around and figure something out, which requires a lot of research, time, and effort. Moreover, we finally have our budget where we want it, and adding healthcare to the mix means rebuilding it practically from the ground up. And who wants to go there? Definitely not the Free Spirit—AKA the hubby.

Initially, we thought the best option would be getting healthcare through our employer, but that's expensive and, because of ObamaCare, funds things we don't agree with—like abortion and the morning after pill.

So what are our alternatives? There's Medi-Share, which we hear about on the Christian radio station all the time. It seems to be a good program, but in some ways it acts as an insurance in that there is an Annual Household Portion that you have to pay prior to making any claims. They also have provider fees that you have to pay for each visit. Is this good? Bad? Hard to say at this point.

Then there's Samaritan's Ministries, which also appears to be a good program. They do not have an Annual Household Portion because they point out that you are responsible for your healthcare costs, not a portion, but all of it. They're not insurance. They're a sharing ministry, which can be hard to wrap your head around if you're new to the concept, but it's worked since 1994. However, the downside to this alternative is that there is a minimum of $300 in order to make a claim. Who knows how many visits we'll make to the doctor that are under $300—probably not many in today's healthcare world—but you never know.

What else is there? We could pay Obama's hefty fine, but we hate the thought of giving people money who don't deserve it. Then there's always the possibility of having my husband deliver our children here at our home, but he tells me that's not going to happen. Hey, it's an alternative. I didn't say it was a good one.

If we've learned anything about health insurance from Dave Ramsey it's that living without health insurance is like gambling with your financial future. All it would take is one accident to ruin everything we've fought so hard to achieve, and that's not a gamble we're willing to make.

So what is your experience with healthcare alternatives? Have you any advice on Medi-Share or Samaritan's Ministries or even another option? Let us know in the comments below.

Keep pinchin' :-)

New Years Resolutions 2 Months In!

Two months of the year 2014 are already in the books. Craziness! I swear that every year time goes by faster. Gone are the days where summer vacation felt longer than the school year :-) This past month has thrown my schedule for another whirlwind, as I've finally been transferred to my program here in Bethlehem, but have been working 8-4 Monday-Friday. It's hard being 'faithful' when I'm still in limbo with getting to my end goal of being the awake overnight staff.


Faithfulness in our finances. February proved to be another solid month in working on getting to be debt free. We base our budget on a four week plan, and so in a year's time we come up with an extra month of payments, which helped our mortgage greatly. In the past year and a half we have almost paid off $20,000 on our mortgage which can only be summed up as a God thing. Financial Peace University is also going well, and it has been fun to get excited over other's success in this area. 

Faithfulness in living a healthy lifestyle. Since transitioning to Bethlehem I have been trying to walk to work any day it isn't sub zero temperatures, which unfortunately has not been as often as I would like. Hopefully in the next couple weeks it will warm up so I can walk and also change to being overnights so I can get my exercise in during the night.

Faithfulness in my spiritual life. I went ahead and got the year subscription to the Word of Life Quiet Time Diary. I like devotionals because it is strictly Scripture with some commentary and thought-provoking questions. It doesn't take long to do it though so my hope is once I start overnights I can beef it up with other things or even just committing to spending part of my night in prayer and Scripture memorization. 

Faithfulness in being good stewards of the homestead God has blessed us with. This month we have begun hosting a small group bible study called FAITH Group, in our home every other week. This was our heart's desire when we were looking at purchasing a home. We wanted a space big enough to have other believers in and it's nice to finally see that happening on a more regular basis.

Faithfulness in being the wife my husband needs me to be. I completed my 14 days of Love for Jake, with writing something I love about him every day. It was good for me to think about things I sometimes take for granted and put words to things I should say on a more regular basis. I have been home in the evenings so I've been able to enjoy making dinner for the two of us, which is a nice change from the 3-4 nights I would get to be with him in the past.

Any progress on your resolutions or word for the year? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Keep pinchin' :-)

When You Want To Throw A Tantrum

Last week I wrote about how I don't cry at the grocery store anymore, and though that is true I said nothing about throwing a tantrum! Haha!

Today I went to get a "few things" and yet it still came out to almost my whole weekly budget, yet I felt like I walked away with so little. So what's a girl to do? BAKE and COOK! It's a simple solution to making your husband believe there really is food in your house.

Here are a couple of recipes for you that have been stamped with the hubster's approval:

Hot Dog or Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg

Directions:

• In a small bowl, heat milk, water and butter in the microwave for about a minute, or until butter is melted and you can place your finger in the mixture without feeling like you would burn yourself.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix milk mixture into flour mixture, and then mix in egg. Stir in the remaining flour a 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Or you can make it in your KitchenAid mixer and knead for a couple of minutes.
• Place dough in greased bowl, cover and let rise in your cold oven for one hour.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover, and let rise for another hour in the oven. Take out of the oven to preheat and brush egg yolk or melted butter on top.
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
• For Hot Dog Buns: Make sure to roll the dough out into a rectangle, and then roll dough up along the long side. Pinch ends to seal shut. This will more than double in size when you let them rise for an hour, so make them very skinny, but long.

I chose to make both hot dog and hamburger rolls out of one batch—because there are only two of us—and I came up with six hot dog rolls and 10 hamburger rolls. 

Then I made yummy chewy granola bars:

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quick cooking oats 
• 1 C rice crispy cereal
• 1/4 C shredded coconut
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C honey 
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs peanut butter
• 1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, cereal and coconut. Set a small saucepan over medium high heat and melt the butter. Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to the melted butter. Stir together then leave it alone as it comes to a boil. Once the boil has reached all the way around the edges of the pan, begin timing. Allow this mixture to boil for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. During this time, you may need to turn the heat down a bit so it doesn't overflow, but be sure it keeps boiling.
• Add the vanilla and peanut butter then pour the mixture over the oats, using a rubber spatula to get all the sugar mixture out of the pan. Mix the ingredients together until the oats are completely coated. Add in chocolate chips then press very firmly into a lightly greased 9x13" pan. If you like your bars thicker, you can use a smaller pan. If you do not press firmly enough, the bars will fall apart when you eat them. Place them in the fridge for 20 minutes then cut to size and wrap individually if you want.

For more variations of this recipe and to see the original check out My Kitchen Escapades.

Keep pinchin' :-)

My First Attempt at Freezer Meals

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned wanting to try out freezer meals. I decided to try out the 12 Freezer Crock Pot Recipes at lovingmynest.com, which I liked because they didn't have "Cream of" anything in them, and they looked like healthier meals. I decided to make just one batch because I wanted to make sure we were going to like these meals before I made multiples. Plus, with just Jake and I in the house, I'm guessing we will probably get around 24 to 30 meals out of them, which is a lot more than a normal family. Below is a picture of some of my ingredients.

It took me about three hours to get all of the ingredients out, chop/cut everything up, label the bags and then put them together, plus clean up.

I figured I spent about $70 to get all the ingredients on this list, which was available on lovingmynest's blog with the recipes. I did omit a few ingredients that Jake and I don't care for—such as onions and peppers—however I did use some onion powder for flavor. In the Pork and Veggies meal I omitted the mushrooms, then to beef it up I added some celery, corn and green beans.

Below is a picture of some of the freezer meals all bagged and ready to be frozen.

Overall the process of creating these freezer meals was fairly easy, and because I was using someone else's plan I already had my shopping list and recipes figured out, which I'm sure saved a ton of time. 

What I really love about these freezer meals is that because I made them from scratch I know what's in them, I know they're healthy, and they taste pretty good too! The hubby and I had the beef stew last night and both of us were raving about it. I'm now looking forward to trying them all!

Have you tried doing freezer meals? If so, do you have a favorite recipe you would share with us in the comments below?

Keep pinchin' :-)