One Hundred Dollars a Month - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Spotlight, $100 a Month: Ready to Launch a Side Hustle in the New Year?

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By Sharon on January 17, 2019 · 6 Comments

$100 a Month Spotlight: Each month, I will be shining the light on a resource, hobby, or money-making idea that you can start to implement for $100 or less. Our first guest is Sharon Hujik, who I have been working with since 2011. This is the first in a three-part series on how to start a side hustle.

If launching a new side hustle is on your list of goals for 2019 you are not alone. According to a recent Bankrate survey, nearly 4 in 10 (37%) of Americans have a side hustle, with the average annual income exceeding $8,000. These budding entrepreneurs are using the extra income as discretionary spending, to pay down debt, or to establish a financial foundation for larger business goals. And while you may think the gig economy is driven by Millenials, Generation X and Baby Boomers represent more than 70% of this economic segment.

Why is this such a popular option?

People are starting side hustles for a variety of reasons. They may “want to explore whether an idea or a service or a product that they have is a viable business,” says Diane Mulcahy, Professor at Babson College. Or, you are ready to explore something you’ve been interested in, add some fun and creativity into your life, or even gain a new skill set.

The rise in Side Hustles also reflects a shift in employer/employee relationships, with many people acknowledging that job security feels like a distant memory. One of the best avenues to protect against that insecurity is to create an additional source of income. If you have income from multiple sources, your risk is greatly reduced. And I’m convinced that most people have what they need (right now!) to earn income beyond their 9-5 job.

Whatever the reason, it has never been easier for people to earn extra money. The barriers to entry are exceptionally low, with social media and online marketplaces available for almost every niche. Gone are the days where small business loan applications are the first step in an entrepreneur’s dream. The internet brings the world to your doorstep!

So, How do you get started?

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs who started out with a Side Hustle which has now grown to generate real, transforming income. How did they get started? I commonly see three themes that almost all of them share:

Use What You Have

The very best side hustles utilize skills, talents or passions that already exist, often repurposed into a new arena. With most side hustles it is really important to keep things simple and implement them quickly. You want to try something that doesn’t cost a lot of money, need a large investment of time to learn, or training to get started.

So what should you do? Take an inventory of your resources! You already have expertise or interests that you can leverage. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself what aspect of your current job you feel most confident in and pay attention to see what type of work really brings you joy… Those are great clues on where your side hustle might grow from!

What is something that you really enjoy doing?
Pay attention to what you enjoy the most at work – what is the best part of your day?
What are you good at (at home, at work, in your hobby?)
When do people compliment you? What do they seek your opinion about?

Pay Attention (and think about how to Sell Shovels!)

There is a wonderful business adage that I often reference… During the US Gold Rush of 1849, the person who made the most money sold the shovels. You see, the fundamental hallmark of a successful side hustle is that it solves a problem or meets a need. People are willing to pay you if it saves them time, makes their life easier/more enjoyable, or helps them achieve a goal they desire. Those rushing to California dreamed to make their fortune by striking gold (a high risk, low probability proposition). But those who sold supplies to those gold-dust-dreamers had a steady stream of predictable income.

Can you leverage this idea in your community (both your real community and your virtual community)? Look for areas where the things you are talented at and that you enjoy doing, overlap with the needs you observe.

What are people struggling with? How can you make that easier for them?
What is something you are doing already that helps people?
What problems can you solve?
How can you make someone’s life easier or business more successful?

Just Go For It

A side hustle is beautiful because it isn’t complicated. But you can make it complicated if you get stuck in the over thinking, over planning, over analyzing trap. If you are thinking about starting something, you should go for it.

Don’t wait for perfect. Don’t wait for the stars to align. Just start.

Many of my clients will tell you that what they started out doing, is not what they are doing now. However, if they hadn’t started with their first side hustle they wouldn’t have been ready when a bigger, different opportunity popped up. I know from personal experience that this is true!

If you have an idea give yourself a budget ($100 sounds good!) and a month to get it off the ground.

Maybe you’ll learn a new skill. Maybe you’ll make a new connection in your network. Maybe you’ll have a blast. And maybe this is the first step in a journey that turns into something completely different. But you have to get started!

There is also the chance that it doesn’t work out. Maybe you’ll find that you hate it. If that’s the case, don’t be discouraged, this not bad news. You’ve lost very little and learned important information about what you should not do. Pick a new idea that is informed by what you have learned and go try a new idea.

This is Your Time!

Never before has there been greater access to markets and communities to launch new ideas and make an extra income. I am profoundly convinced that each and every person has a talent or skill that they can leverage into a side hustle. I am also amazed by the creativity and passion that shows up every time I work with a new client who has taken this “bull by the horns” and stepped into their dreams. I hope you feel excited and empowered to make it happen in 2019!

Part Two Coming Next: Simple steps to validate your side hustle idea and keep you on track for success!

Ready to Learn More? I invite you to download a free copy of Five Steps to Start your First Side Hustle at SharonHujik.com. It’s a great way to access resources and tips that will help you get started. And if you have questions or successes stories, I would love to hear them!

Sharon Hujik is a business coach who helps entrepreneurs know what to do and how to do it. She works with a select group of clients to create and implement strategies that grow their business… and their bank account. Based in Charlottesville, VA she’s Mom to three awesome humans and one very goofy dog.

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

My Recipe for a London Fog Latte

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 16, 2019 · 22 Comments

If there is one thing I love, it’s a good cup of tea. Okay so really, I love about 7-8 cups of tea a day these days, but who’s counting? 😉 I don’t remember the first tried a London Fog Latte, but I can tell you it was love at first sip. And once I found the perfect Earl Grey tea and vanilla syrup combo, I began making them at home once a week as a special treat.

The ingredients are pretty straight forward {Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk} but the key to a good cuppa in my opinion is steeping your tea long enough to get the maximum flavor out of it {3 minutes seems perfect to me}.

Steeping your tea long enough and using a REALLY good Earl Grey tea blend like Steven Smith Tea Maker are the biggies for me. There is a huge difference in taste between an everyday tea like Bigalow with it’s leaves ground down into tiny bits and one with more of an unprocessed kick to it.

When I started making London Fog Latte’s at home a few years ago I played around with a few different brands of vanilla syrup and found that the vanilla syrup from Starbucks was my favorite.

While Starbucks no longer sells their syrups on their website, you can still pick up a bottle at your local Starbucks, all you need to do is ask the cashier for a bottle of their vanilla syrup. It’s not something they stock on the shelves in the store, so you’ll need to ask for it. {The last bottle of vanilla syrup I bought from Starbucks was about a year ago and I think I paid $12.99 for it. You can purchase the syrup online off Amazon, but it will cost you a pretty penny.}

Below you’ll find the exact recipe I use. {But maybe you want to try it with decaf, or almond milk or something else?}

Ingredients

10 ounces hot water
1 Steven Smith Teamaker Lord Bergamot Tea Bag
2 Tablespoons Starbucks Vanilla Syrup
1/4 cup steamed milk

Directions

Step tea bag in hot water for 3 minutes. While the tea is steeping, warm 1/4 cup of milk in a saucepan and whisk it until the milk has a nice froth to it {basically until it doubles in size, about 3 minutes or so over medium heat}. Once the tea is done steeping, remove the tea bag. Stir in vanilla syrup and then pour the warm frothy milk into your cup.

Enjoy!

~Mavis

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The Gardens at Hildene in Vermont – The Lincoln Family Home

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 15, 2019 · 14 Comments

Good morning to you on this chilly January morning. As I type, the current temperature outside is 17 degrees. Yikes! I don’t know what your garden looks like right now but mine is frozen solid so I don’t think I’ll be planting or frolicking through the grass anytime soon, that’s for sure.

As you know, one of my goals for 2019 is to do something with all the photos trapped on my phone. Right now I still have about 3500 to go through but I am making progress each day. Yesterday I was scrolling through photos of last summer when I came across a boatload of pictures I took when the HH and I toured Hildene, the former summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln.

This grand estate which covers over 400 acres is located in Manchester, Vermont and I cannot recommend visiting enough. For an admission price of $23 per person you can take a self-guided tour of Robert and Mary’s home, the gardens, Hildene Farm, Pullman car Sunbeam, Dene Farm and about 12 miles of walking trails. We were there for over 3 hours and I feel like we didn’t even make a dent in all there was to see.

Below you’ll find over 30 photos I took of the formal gardens {just out the back door of the home} a photograph of the newly planted orchard, the informal vegetable and flower gardens and a potting shed {which I’m sure was just one of many} filled with old fashioned farm implements and a beautiful wooden cider press.

I wanted to share pictures of the interior of the home as well, but this post was getting pretty long so I’ll plan on sharing those with you towards the end of the week instead.

Daaaaaarling, the place is absolutely fabulous. And I can’t wait to go back and explore some more this summer.

Hildene-The Lincoln Family Home, aren’t the gardens BEAUTIFUL? 🙂

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone, and remember, Spring is just around the corner.

~Mavis

P.S. If you ever find yourself in the area, be sure and stop by JJ Hapgood General Store store for a bite to eat. It’s only about 13 miles down the road from the Hildene Estate and not only is the food awesome, but if you’ve seen the movie Baby Boom, you’ll be happy to know it’s the same general store {although it’s had a face lift} from the movie. {The yellow house from Baby Boom is on the same street as well, but it’s a private residence so no stopping for you!}

Hildene-The Lincoln Family Home
1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester, VT 05254

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How Much We Spent on Groceries and What We Ate – Week 2 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on January 14, 2019 · 30 Comments

Banana Nutella Muffins

After going through the pantry and cleaning out the freezers just before the New Year {the one in the kitchen and the deep freezer in the garage} we discovered we had a ton of food in those places {including a bunch of pork chops, turkey and blueberries and plus about a dozen mystery containers of leftovers}. So, the plan for January was to forgo the grocery store and eat from our pantry instead. With one exception: milk. That was the plan at least. 😉

Last year we spent a whopping $2909.98 on groceries {an average of $242.50 a month} which was the highest amount we’ve spent on groceries in the past 8 years. Even though I’m not really couponing anymore, and our eating habits have changed over the past few years {HELLO FANCY CHEESE}, I’d like to get the food bill down to the $150-$175 range this year if possible. {I know it’s possible, I just need to have the willpower to not buy so much cheese!}

When we lived on the West Coast, Fred Meyer and Winco were my favorite places to shop {after the whole double coupon craze at Albertsons went bust}. Here on the East Coast though, I’m finding that Market Basket and ALDI are my go to places for groceries. As time goes on though, we are hoping to be shopping less from the grocery stores and more from our backyard garden. First though, we need to ground to thaw. And that could take a few months. 😉

Here are some of the food we ate this past week:

**************

Pork chops…. no applesauce! 😉 The HH likes to coat them in bread crumbs and dried herbs and man of man are they good! For some strange reason though, every time he makes pork chops, rice is served alongside them. It’s kind of funny.

We started the month with 6 frozen turkey breasts. And now we are down to 5, plus a little leftover in the fridge from when I made this turkey casserole a few days ago. I think I’ll make a pan of turkey enchiladas next.

I don’t know about you, but I sure do love making a big pan of something that will last for a few days. Not only does it cut down on dishes, but turkey casserole for breakfast? Yes please!

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Quiche.

Another week… another MEATBALL {he is obsessed!}. Meatball recipe coming next week. 🙂

We had planned on making the some lemon tarts from the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook this month but I didn’t read through the entire recipe to realize we needed something called silver leaf gelatin sheets to make the filling. I found the sheets on Amazon but the best deal is through the subscribe and save program so we’ll just have to wait a few weeks to make them.

I did order the specialty tins, and those little tart tins were expensive!! I wanted to get the professional ones with the highest rating because I know that once the HH gets the whole lemon/lime tart thing down, he will be making LOADS of them! And I do mean LOADS. The meringue though, that could be tough because it has to be just right.

And for the record, Coyle’s Bakeshop in Seattle has the best lemon tart on the planet earth.

Cracker Barrel on a Sunday morning… Whoa Nelly was it packed! The big fireplace in the center room was going and even though the restaurant was filled to capacity, the food didn’t take long to arrive. Mama’s Pancake Breakfast {all 1100+ calories of it} was just as good as the first time we tried it and you better believe I snuck the leftover mini syrup bottle into my coat pocket. Again.

2 Things.

While we were waiting to be seated I was thumbing through The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook in the store. The pictures were amazing. Does anyone have a copy of it? Have you tried any of the recipes? Do I need to hunt down a copy of the cookbook?
When our food arrived again on a bunch of plates, and after the server left the HH pointed out that “See, everyone on your blog agrees with me. The food should be separated.”

So, thanks for that everyone. 😉 Apparently he does read the comments, but only pipes up when you agree with him on something. What a funny guy.

Market Basket: $22.32

And last but not least, our first trip to Market Basket this year. We only went in for milk {cue the violin music} but the HH insisted that he needed his spreadable salted butter {because apparently he’s too good for the unsalted cubed butter we already had in the fridge}.

And since I know I’ll be making more soups and casseroles this month, I grabbed some frozen veggies because you know, the sacrifice of vegetable-less soup is real people and a certain male in our house will freak out if I serve turkey soup without vegetables. So there you have it.

Total Spent This Week $22.32

Total Spent in January on Groceries $22.32

How about YOU? Are you eating down your pantry in January? Anyone in your family breaking your January food budget? How did YOU DO? Curious minds want to know.

Have a great Monday everyone,

~Mavis & Lucy

You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

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