Sabrina’s Money Matters

I have a special treat for you all today. You have to pay a service to do this to hear some companies tell it.

I’m telling you how for FREE!

Bet ya didn’t know that you can LOCK your credit report. Yep, lock it. From inquiries, from background checks, from pre-approved offers, from identity theft, from everything except accounts you already have open.

Pull a fast one on those companies who want you to pay for this level of security…

Okay, for your credit reports to be locked it’ll take a little money - but it’s ten to twelve dollars for each company and it’ll cost the same to unlock it if you need to.

Your existing creditors will still be able to report to your credit and send you offers but no one will be able to perform an inquiry, a background check, a credit check or anything.

If you want it released for a certain period of time you can do so, you can also have it released to just one person. You have to notify the credit agency 5 days before you take any action on your credit file and in writing.

To freeze your credit you need to send the letter by certified mail - return receipt requested so that you know when they’ve received it and you’ll know when you can tell someone to pull your report.

Each of these instances may cost you a fee. This is free to people who have a police report verifying identity theft. The addresses you’ll write to are below:

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

Trans Union Security Freeze
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Here’s what you have to include:

1. A letter by certified mail.

2. Provide your full name, including middle initial, address, social security number and date of birth.

3.You haven’t moved but if you had over the past five years you’d need to list your addresses out for the past five years.

4. Provide proof of current address with a utility bill or phone bill.

5. Send a photocopy of a government issued id card or license.

6. Pay the fee by check, money order or credit card.

After five days the freeze will be in place. After ten days you’ll receive a pin number or password, you know what to do once you get that.

Credit bureaus have to lift a freeze three days after receiving your request to lift it. If anyone tries to pull your file while it is frozen, they will get a code that indicates the report is frozen. You can still order your own report however and your score is not affected by this.

By the way if you haven’t stopped the pre-approved credit card offers read this opt out guide to find out how.

The case law that allows you to lock your credit report is called the Regulation of Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act.

I’ve attached a sample letter so you can just plug your info and the address to the proper agency in so that you don’t have to do much to get this going.

Security Freeze Sample Letter

Read this article if you want to know how to put a
Fraud Alert On Your Credit File before you lock it.

I hope this guide proves to be useful to you, and please know that you DO NOT have to pay for information to protect yourself. You CAN find it for free. Look through my archives for multiple articles that help you help yourself. I believe in doing what you can do yourself, because that is the only way you can be sure YOUR interests are what are important.

That’s all for today folks, don’t be suckered into paying for something that you can get for free!

This new tips edition is all about saving money on your electricity bill. I think we could all use a little help in THAT department!

Let’s start with installing the new type of fluorescent bulbs in lights you leave on for long periods. They provide four times as much light and last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. I think we’ve probably all already heard of these bulbs, they’re a little more expensive when you buy them than the regular light bulbs, but that’s just something you’ll notice at checkout. Your local dollar store may even have them, that’s where I found the ones I’m using outside.

Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to between 110 and 120 degrees. It’s not necessary to have it any hotter and wastes energy. No one wants to be scalded when they shower anyways, right?

Find out if your utility company offers free energy audits, where they inspect your home for energy effectiveness and recommend inexpensive ways to cut energy costs, such as insulating hot water heaters, weather-stripping, etc. Just insulating your hot water heater could save you $25 a year. Didn’t expect that did ya?

Cut back on the use of your clothes dryer. Not only is it a big energy drain, it can also suck heated air out of your house very quickly in winter. Hang clothes on a clothes rack to dry and use the dryer for towels and other heavy items.

Use your microwave, or even a convection/toaster oven instead of your oven whenever possible and save up to 50% in energy costs for cooking. Think about it, you have to heat the whole oven to cook a 10 x 13 casserole dish full of pasta. Do you really need all that heat releasing itself into your house? Sure it smells great, but after you’ve eaten, who cares how it smells anymore?

I’m sure you’ll find these tips helpful in your day to day, I have found them useful and am glad that I’ve implemented most of these tips myself. See you back here tomorrow!

I was watching the Food Network on Saturday and saw a really good Rachel Ray special on Thanksgiving, I really like her show 30 Minute Meals, so it’s not a stretch that I would watch for an hour. Some days I only watch HGTV and the Food Network, alternating if there’s an annoying show, lol. Not that I’ll ever be able to cook like that, but I like to watch and get ideas - my husband is the chef around here, and I’m the cleanup crew.

Anyways it was Thanksgiving in 60 and it was a good episode. So I thought I’d share it with you in case you didn’t get the chance to watch it.

Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat.

1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
6 fresh bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
2 to 3 cups apple cider
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

That was just the turkey!!! There’s more!!! I bet you can’t wait can you? LOL.

The great thing about this turkey dinner is that it’s not for an army, it’s great for a smaller family of four to six people.

Here’s the next recipe for..keep in mind that there’s a whole meal coming up! I’m using this menu very soon…

Autumn Potato Gratin

4 pounds mixed baby potatoes, such as Red Bliss, Peruvian Purples, and Fingerlings
2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
2 garlic cloves, cracked
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Tell me that doesn’t sound incredible. I’m hungry already for Thanksgiving and it’s still a week away. One whole week!

Green Beans with Apple Cider

2 (16-ounce) bags whole frozen green beans
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup apple cider
Salt and pepper

Put the beans in a large microwave safe bowl, loosely cover bowl with plastic food storage wrap and microwave on high 5 minutes. Uncover and stir the beans, then cover and microwave on high 4 to 7 minutes more, until desired doneness, from still-crisp to tender, but with a bite.

Heat a small skillet over medium low heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the onions and cook until beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cider, raise the heat to medium high and cook until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

Remove the beans from microwave. Season the beans with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the pan with the onions and cider. Toss evenly to coat the beans and keep warm until ready to serve.

I LOVE green beans! Never tried them with apple cider so this will be interesting.

Rachel Ray then spent a little time talking about Apple Cider and how it’s made..even took a little field trip! Interesting episode for sure.

But wait…there’s more! Yes, I can tell you’re still hungry…check it out:

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 fresh bay leaf
2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
6 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Relish:
1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon.

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

MMMMM! See why I watched this show? It doesn’t help I’m posting this and didn’t have breakfast!

One more recipe and then I’m going to have find some grub!

Apple & Onion Stuffin’ Muffins

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.

Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin’ muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature.

So that’s the entire meal that you can do in 60 minutes. I really like Rachel Ray’s show because she’s fast, she’s funny and she makes really great food.

I am known for shopping off of a menu, we make our menu at home each biweekly shopping trip and then we make our shopping list accordingly, then we go shopping. It’s all very methodical and boring, but we don’t forget what we need, and we only get what we need. That’s two great side effects to planning meals.

So I really hope you like these recipes and if any of you try them before I do, please let me know how it is…I’m anxious of course!

Have a great day everyone!

Be sure to register for new posts by email so you don’t miss a thing on Sabrina’s Money Matters!

We all know Christmas is coming, in fact it’s just around the corner as indicated by all of the Christmas decorations going up in stores and the ramp up in circulars I’m receiving for local department stores.

Let’s say you have a large family and you find yourself perplexed about how to go about shopping for all those you are obliged to shop for….this is a dilemma I’m familiar with so today I’ve gathered tips from across the internet that can help you save a little money and still get accolades for the Christmas or Hanukkah gifts you give out this year. The first place I came to with some pretty good ideas was Wikihow, I’ve only taken a few for you here because I think a good rule of gift giving is to not give something you wouldn’t want to receive, so I’ve been careful not to include those that aren’t all that great.

Make a homemade peppermint candle.
Buy a large plain white unscented pillar candle and round peppermint candies or stick peppermint candies. Unwrap the candies. Using a hot glue gun or glue dots (found at craft stores), glue candies all around the sides of the candle. It will look like candles sold for $15 and more in catalogs and fancy stores.

Give gourmet candy apples.
Buy a bag of apples, preferably green or Red Delicious apples, as they work best for this project. Also pick up semi-sweet chocolate, wooden sticks or skewers, cellophane wrap, and the toppings of your choice (peanuts, coconut, cookies, etc.) Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove. Skewer the apples and dip into melted chocolate. Roll into a topping and allow to dry. Wrap in cellophane. You can use colored cellaphane or add a pretty bow. These are a delicious treat for your friends and family.

Here’s another tip, you can learn How To Organize a White Elephant Gift Exchange (also known as a Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, or Pirate Gift Exchange) as well, but I’ll post a little snippet of it here for you…

A white elephant gift exchange is a lighthearted way to have fun with your friends, family or work colleagues. White elephant gifts are traditionally gifts considered extremely tacky, or that do not fit the tastes of the recipient, and that are given by a friend or close relative (such as a mother-in-law) and therefore cannot be returned or exchanged at the store without potentially offending the giver. The thought behind a white elephant gift exchange is to give everyone a chance to rid themselves of these tacky gifts–and invariably gaining a new one!

These are fun, I’ve been to a few, a little eggnog does wonders for the enjoyment of the party.

Check out the little helpful tips too:

1. A gift that has been stolen three times is considered “frozen” or “locked” and cannot be stolen a fourth time.

2. No one can steal back the gift that was just stolen from them.

3. While it is acceptable to re-gift an unwanted trinket, in practice many people end up purchasing new tacky items just for the party. The goal is to choose wacky, funny or entertaining gifts. If you’re really stumped, just pay a visit to your local dollar store.

Here are some variations on the game, for more tame crowds…

A. Many variations of these rules exist. For example, many people playing the game do not intentionally choose gag gifts. On the contrary, many set a price limit (e.g., $10) and ask that people bring gifts with broad appeal — a calendar for the upcoming year, candles, a card game, or chocolates, for example.
B. Another variation is that the next person in turn does not automatically choose an unopened gift and decide whether or not to keep it, but whether to choose a new gift or to steal one that was already opened. If they choose to steal, the person from whom they stole must make the same decision. This continues until someone chooses to open a new gift. This way, it is always a gamble when you choose to open a new gift, because you may get something no one else will want, and you’ll be stuck with it. However, this variation can move the game along faster.
C. Many families also use this to buy nice gifts such as fire pits for the back yard, artwork for the house, etc. It’s a great way to get laughs and nice things you will actually use and not save for next year’s white elephant.
D. Parents and teachers can use this variation for children’s holiday parties as a lesson in thoughtful re-use: Children bring a gently used toy, wrapped as a gift. The children may take a gift from another child, but it is not described as “stealing.” All of the children leave with a gift that is new to them, there is no money spent in the process, and children learn both the fun of giving and how not to get too attached to a particular toy they may have their eye on throughout the gift exchange.

Well those are a few great gift tips and gift giving tips that you can use to make this holiday season a little bit cheaper and a lot more fun, Christmas shouldn’t be about the money, it should be about the family. You might even start a tradition in homemade gifts!

Enjoy everyone and have a great day!

Don’t forget to register for new posts by email so you don’t miss anything on Sabrina’s Money Matters!