Fiffibelle

Category: Everyday Moments

  • Living on a Budget – My First Month on Benefits

    It’s already April… and I have just been through my first month of living on a budget while receiving health-related financial support.

    It still feels a bit unfamiliar, and I have this kind of uneasy feeling about it.

    Not because being on benefits is a bad thing, but because I worry that something might get messed up…and that the payments will not come on time.

    I have been on benefits once before, and in a way my body still remembers all that mess from back then.

    Payments that did not come on time,
    payments that were wrong and ended with me having to pay money back (even though I had not done anything wrong),
    and my benefits being stopped in the middle of an education I had been told was supported and that everything was in order.

    Yes, I know 🙂 it was many years ago, and it does not have to happen again, but…

    Every 14 days I have to fill in a form and report on the activities I have agreed to, and then I receive the payment a couple of days later.

    In March I received two payments, but they were not the same amount.

    The first one was $557 / €514, and the second was $1,113 / €1,029.

    It is a bit uneven this month because I received sick pay from my employer the month before, so my first payment in March only covered one week.

    From now on, I will receive payments every 14 days.

    I also received a small payment from my employer.
    It was $110 / €102 🙂

    I think this was my last payment from my employer, apart from holiday pay that will come in May.

    My employer will soon be my former employer, because they have ended my employment after I have been sick for over a year, and there is still no clear timeline for when I will be able to return to work.

    It is actually okay, because I am too sick to work right now – and I have also realised that it was not a good place for me to be.

    I knew it, but you see it even more clearly when you get a bit of distance – but that is something I can talk more about another time.

    When I went through my expenses for January and February, I was actually most surprised by how much money I spent on food.

    I love healthy, clean, protein-rich food, and that is what I buy, so I do not spend money on takeout or unhealthy food (at least very rarely).

    I think consciously about everything I buy, and it is very rare that I make impulse purchases, and if I do treat myself to something extra, it is still something healthy.

    For example, a really good dark chocolate, fresh berries, or high-quality meat.

    I also keep an eye on offers and coupons, and try as much as possible to shop where it is cheapest.

    And you know what?

    When I go grocery shopping, I feel rich and happy – it actually brings me joy 🙂

    I love walking around, picking fresh fruits and vegetables, and choosing everything else I need 🩷

    Do you know why? 🙂

    It is because I have had very little money before, much less than I have now, and I could barely afford to buy food, so I had to be very creative with what I could afford.

    I still chose healthy, clean, protein-rich food.

    Food means so much to me.

    Being able to afford healthy, clean, protein-rich food – being able to give myself good nourishment.

    It makes me happy🥰

    I really enjoy cooking and eating – and yes, I make sure that what I eat looks good and inviting – even when I am sitting alone on the couch in front of the TV 🩷

    I am the most important person in my life, and it is important to be kind and take good care of yourself 🩷

    Yes, I know – I am a mom too, and I of course love my children, but to be a good mom, it is also important to be kind to yourself.

    In March my food expenses were actually even higher than in February.

    That was not exactly what I had planned, but that is just how it turned out.

    I suddenly realised it was Easter, and that the grocery stores would be closed on April 2, 3, 5 and 6 – so I ordered “a little” extra food.

    I do not often order groceries for delivery, only when there are good offers or when the items are heavy.

    Food prices might be different where you live, but this is what I got for $150 / €138.

    Grocery overview

    1 pack of baking paper
    1 pack of toilet paper (18 rolls)
    1 pack of prunes
    1 cucumber
    1 pack of chocolate truffles

    13 tubs of cottage cheese (13 × 400 g)
    6 packs of minced beef (6 × 400 g)
    6 packs of frozen vegetable mix (6 × 500 g)
    2 packs of eggs (2 × 15 eggs)

    3 × 8-pack of Cola Zero (1.5 L bottles)

    Bottle return: $7 / €6
    Packaging: $2 / €1.50
    Delivery: $4 / €3

    Total: $150 / €138

    If you look at my overview, you can see that I have spent less on transport and public transport this month 🙂 but again, I have spent more on doctors and medication.

    I have been to both my GP and a lung specialist, and even though the GP is “only” $22 / €20, the lung specialist was almost $46 / €42.

    I have a category called clothes, but I think I need to change it to clothes, shoes and accessories.

    This month I bought:

    A pair of pink sweatpants on sale (50%) = $14 / €13
    A pink and a grey workout tank top, 2 × $9 = $18 / €17
    A blue denim jacket and a blue linen-style pair of pants, 499 + 399 = $23 / €21

    You might wonder how 499 + 399 ended up being only $23 / €21 :)?

    It does not sound right, but the thing is there was an offer – buy 2 items and get 25% off the whole purchase, and I also had a store credit of $37 / €34 and a coupon for $2 / €2, so I ended up paying $23 / €21.

    When it comes to skincare and haircare, I have spent less than in February 🙂

    I have bought a hair dye and a Babor cleansing set.

    The cleanser is a bit expensive, but it is worth it and lasts at least 3 months.

    I love skincare, and good products are important to me.

    By good products, I mean products that are good for my skin, not necessarily expensive or exclusive ones.

    I have also bought some contact lens solution this month, and I am a bit unsure where to place it.

    I use monthly lenses and receive them every 6 months, and I have placed them under fixed expenses, but I am not sure if contact lens solution should go under skincare and haircare or groceries.

    This month I placed the contact lens solution under skincare and haircare 🙂

    I have spent $0 on hobbies this month.

    When I think of “hobby” expenses, I think of things like knitting and crochet🧶

    Working out is also a hobby, a passion – but I feel that expenses for workout clothes and shoes belong in the category of clothes, shoes and accessories.

    I have spent $2 / €2 on café / restaurant this month.

    It was a cup of cappuccino at IKEA☕

    Did you know that you can buy cheap coffee at IKEA?

    If you choose black coffee, it actually costs only $0.50 / €0.45 for IKEA members.

    No, this is not a sponsored IKEA post 🙂 just a good tip.

    There have not been many “other expenses” this month 🙂

    What are “other expenses”, really?

    They are the kind of expenses that do not fit anywhere else, at least not right now.

    For example, repairing my Garmin watch, birthday gifts, bedding, candles, things for the house, and so on.

    Should I have more categories than I do now?

    Feel free to share any good suggestions 🙂

    I have actually saved $28 / €26 this month.

    It is an automatic transfer into stock investments.

    I started doing that in January 🙂 and I hope I can continue and also save more money over time.

    Here is my full overview for March💰

    March

    Income: $1,788 / €1,651

    Expenses

    Fixed expenses: $1,658 / €1,532

    Groceries: $541 / €500

    Public transport: $38 / €35

    Doctor / medication: $155 / €143

    Clothes, shoes & accessories: $55 / €51

    Skin & hair care: $54 / €50

    Hobbies: $0

    Coffee / restaurant: $2 / €2

    Other expenses: $104 / €96

    Savings: $28 / €26

    February vs March

    Income


    February: $2,930 / €2,680
    March: $1,788 / €1,651

    Expenses

    Fixed expenses
    February: $1,935 / €1,770
    March: $1,658 / €1,532

    Groceries
    February: $522
    March: $500

    Public transport
    February: $68
    March: $35

    Doctor / medication
    February: $75
    March: $143

    Clothes
    February: $30
    March: $51

    Skin & hair care
    February: $229
    March: $50

    Hobbies
    February: $0
    March: $0

    Coffee / restaurant
    February: $28
    March: $2

    Other expenses
    February: $347
    March: $96

    Savings
    February: $26
    March: $26

    If you want to see my previous post with January and February, you can read it here https://fiffibelle.com/living-on-a-budget-a-new-season-in-my-life/

    Goals for April✨

    I have set myself a goal to spend a maximum of $322 / €298 on food / groceries in April.

    At first I thought about setting the goal at $276 / €255, but I am not sure if I will manage it.

    Food is so expensive, but at the same time both my fridge, freezer and kitchen cabinets are full of food.

    I have also stocked up on toilet paper, and the only things I can think of that I need now are laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, and Greek yogurt.

    Maybe I will just say that my goal is $276 / €255.

    Do you have a food budget?

    How much do you spend on food per month?

    If you have any good frugal tips on how to make your money stretch as far as possible, feel free to share them 🙂

    I would love to hear from you🩷

    I am thinking about making a separate post with my best frugal tips.

    Love,

    Fiffibelle 🌼

  • Raw Snickers Balls

    Things in my life are often guided by coincidence ☺️


    Well, I call it coincidence. But I also believe that God always has a plan for us, and that the things we think are random are perhaps just life exactly as it is meant to be.

    So the other day, when I happened to end up making raw Snickers balls, it probably wasn’t a coincidence at all, but rather God’s and my plan to do something meaningful with both my time, some dates that had been sitting a bit too long in the fridge, and my (and most likely God’s) love for healthy and nourishing snacks🩷

    It all started with me standing in the kitchen making a small salad with cucumber, orange, kiwi, blueberries and prunes.

    While I was standing in the kitchen cutting up fruit and vegetables for the salad, I got the idea that I would also make apple jam with dates (I shared the recipe in my previous post https://fiffibelle.com/homemade-apple-and-date-jam/).

    I cut up 2 kg of apples for the jam, and when I was well into cutting the dates, I started thinking about whether I should also make something with the rest of the dates I had left.

    They were starting to get a bit dry, those dates ☺️

    So while apples, dates, vanilla sugar, butter and spices were cooking together into apple and date jam, I made raw Snickers balls from dates, peanuts, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, cocoa and a pinch of salt.

    The Snickers balls turned out soft, chewy and delicious, and I did promise to share the recipe once I had gotten some rest.

    I need a lot of rest these days, but I also need to do things I love, and I love spending time in the kitchen 🩷

    There is so much joy, calm and love in being in the kitchen, putting together good and nourishing ingredients into something good.

    Homemade Raw Snickers Balls

    Ingredients

    440 g dates

    20 g honey (or maple syrup)

    20 g cocoa

    200 g peanuts

    70 g peanut butter

    50 g peanuts, chopped

    5 g vanilla sugar (or 2–3 g vanilla powder)

    2–3 g salt

    Instructions

    Start by cutting the dates into smaller pieces, and process the peanuts in a food processor until they are crushed.

    Then add everything to a mixer (I use my KitchenAid) and mix well, adding peanut butter, honey, vanilla, cocoa and chopped peanuts along the way.

    Once everything is well combined, place the mixture in the fridge for about ½–1 hour.

    After that, cut the mixture into pieces and roll them into small balls that you can place directly into a container.

    I store the finished Snickers balls in the fridge ☺️ but they can also be frozen.

    Tips

    If the mixture feels a bit dry, you can easily adjust by adding a little water or more peanut butter.

    If it feels too sticky, you can add a bit more peanuts, peanut flour or even some oats.

    Before placing the mixture in the fridge, I like to put it onto baking paper and shape it into a long roll, then wrap it in the paper and place it in a bag.

    This makes it easier to cut into pieces later when you are going to roll the Snickers balls.

    I also like to dip my Snickers balls in melted chocolate or cocoa ☺️

    Let me know how your Snickers balls turn out, and if you find a favourite way to enjoy them🩷

    Nutrition

    I made 48 Snickers balls from this recipe ☺️

    Each ball contains:

    72 kcal

    3.4 g fat

    7.9 g carbohydrates

    2 g protein

    The Snickers balls keep well in the fridge for 2–3 weeks ☺️ enjoy🩷

    Love,

    Fiffibelle 🌼

  • Homemade Apple and Date Jam

    Have you ever made homemade apple jam with dates?

    I made apple jam with dates today – and it’s actually one of my favourite homemade jams🩷🍎

    Making my own jam started as a way to save money, but also because I wanted to choose the ingredients myself – simple, clean ingredients that truly nourish the body.

    I had no plans to make apple jam today. But when I went to the store to pick up a few small things, I found apples on sale.

    They were about $1.40 / €1.30 per kilo, and I also had a discount coupon that gave me about $0.60 / €0.55 off per kilo.

    Paying around $0.80 / €0.75 per kilo for apples felt like a real bargain, and for me, that matters. So I ended up buying almost 5 kilos. It was heavy to carry home – but absolutely worth it 🙂

    Well, when I got home, I was only going to cut up cucumber, kiwi, orange, blueberries, and prunes for a small salad. But once I was already chopping fruit and vegetables, I figured I might as well cut up the apples and dates too – and make apple jam with dates.

    A little story behind my apple and date jam 🍎

    Apple jam with dates – or apple and date jam, as I also call it – actually came about by coincidence. At the time, I had very little money and couldn’t afford much fruit or berries, so I ended up buying a bag of the cheapest apples they had in the store.

    The apples I bought were completely tasteless – they didn’t really taste like anything. But since I don’t like throwing food away, I decided to try making apple jam.

    I cut the apples into pieces, put them in a pot, and set them over medium heat. As the apples slowly simmered, I decided to add dates for sweetness, and later vanilla sugar and butter for flavour.

    The jam turned out really good 🥰
    And I’ve made it many times since.

    I’ve made apple and date jam with both cheap apples (like the first time), as well as regular and more expensive ones. I’ve used red, green, and yellow apples – sometimes mixing different kinds together – and it turns out good no matter what.

    I also experimented with different spices.

    Today I added cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves.

    I call it “Christmas spices,” and this mix came about when I was making jam for Christmas. I thought about gingerbread spices and the smell of freshly baked gingerbread cookies, and wanted to recreate that flavour in the jam 🙂

    🍎 Apple and Date Jam – Ingredients

    2 kg apples

    100 g dried dates

    10 g vanilla sugar

    30 g butter

    Instructions

    Cut the apples and dates into pieces, then place the apples in a pot and add the dates, vanilla sugar, and butter.

    Cover with a lid and let it cook over medium heat for about 1½–2 hours. As it cooks, stir occasionally, and add the spices halfway through the cooking time if you’re using them.

    Once the jam is done, let it cool before transferring it to jars, and store it in the refrigerator.

    Tips

    I like to use apples with the skin on, but both peeled and unpeeled apples work well, so just use what you prefer. You can also adjust the cooking time depending on the consistency you want – I usually let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.

    Sometimes I make the jam without spices, and sometimes I just add a little cinnamon. Today, I added about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of cloves, but feel free to adjust the spices to your own taste.

    I like to have my apple and date jam on my homemade protein bread (protein bread recipe 📝 ), or with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Let me know if you find a favourite way to enjoy it 🩷

    Today, after making the salad, cutting up the apples, and starting on the dates for the jam, I began thinking about what to do with the rest of the dates I had left.

    So I thought I might as well make something with them too – and ended up making raw Snickers balls.

    While the apples, dates, vanilla sugar, butter, and spices were slowly cooking into apple and date jam, I made raw Snickers balls using dates, peanuts, peanut butter, honey, vanilla sugar, and cocoa.

    They turned out really soft and delicious, and I’ll share the recipe in the next few days 📝

    But first, I need to rest and recharge a little 🩷

    Love,

    Fiffibelle 🌼