Family On A Budget

These are not really a budget food, but they are so darn good that they are worth every penny. You may be broke, but sometimes you really need something rich tasting. These stay moist when wrapped up for lunches.

This recipe comes from The Food Channel’s – Alton Brown

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1 1/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it’s done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.

The credit card companies are forever finding ways to make big bucks. One of the main reasons we are on a budget is because we didn’t learn how to manage our credit cards correctly. A mistake that we are going to great pains to learn from. A late payment lead to such an increase in our interest that it proved to be a domino effect. Obviously we were at fault for screwing up, but the CC industries thrives on your mistakes. Heres one way.

I recently read about the Univeral Default Clause that is cropping up on Credit Cards. Basically this clause allows the credit card to up your interest if you are late on any payment, not specifically their credit card. Imagine paying your phone bill late and suddenly your credit card goes from 2% to 30% overnight.

According to the Institute of Consumer Financial Education, currently almost 40 percent of credit card issuers apply a hidden in fine print Universal Default Clause to their customers.