Cheap and Cheerful

Lifehacker suggests bin-ends for savings on wine

2012-01-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

Check out this article in today's Lifehacker to save some money when buying wine. For more budget wine-buying tips, it's worth reading TheKitchn article to which they've linked at the bottom of the blurb.

Keeping Track of Your Budget Keeps Your Budget on Track!

2011-12-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

"Budget"; a light little word that has some heavy connotations. Conversations opening with "let's talk about the/my/your/our budget", are not usually ones that thrill us. Keeping track of how much of your money is going where and when though, can really help to not only to limit or eliminate unnecessary expenses and unwanted waste, but getting a budget organized means you can get your bills covered and spend some money on a little frivolity with confidence. We talked a little about the benefits of making sure you make room for fun-money last year. Today we'll explore some of the ways to organize and track a budget, first exploring some of the ways anyone can organize, set-up and monitor a budget for free.

Getting on Track to Track Your Budget A few preliminary steps must be taken in order to utilize any of the budgeting methods and tools that will be discussed. Getting these steps taken care of first not only streamlines the processes of recording and tracking a budget, but may be useful in determining what methods and tools will be the most useful for managing your accounts and spending.

Step 1
Determine whether you want to budget on a monthly, bi-weekly or weekly basis. Managing expenses on a month to month basis is the time-span most articles and personal finance books use to discuss creating, tracking and keeping a budget. However, some may find that tracking expenses on a bi-weekly or weekly basis easier to manage. A budget is most effective if all expenses and sources of income are recorded and tracked. Recording over thirty days worth of expenditure may seem a little daunting, especially for anyone trying to tackle their budget for the first time. Structuring a budget for a shorter time span can be less intimidating for first-timers because the budget plan "resets" every seven days instead of every four weeks. Others find it helpful to build their budget around their pay schedule. If scheduling a budget on a weekly basis appeals to you, but you have monthly expenses such as rent or a mobile phone bill, it is still easy to set up for a seven day schedule. Simply determine what your monthly expenses are, and divide by 4.

Step 2
Determine all sources of regular income.This includes things like your regularly scheduled pay, and any other form of payment you receive on a regular basis such as annuities, dividends, and account interests.

Step 3
Figure out what your expenses are, how much they cost, and then record them. It is recommended that you divide expenses into two categories: fixed and variable.

Many personal finance books and articles recommend further dividing these expenses into tiers of: fixed necessities (rent/mortgage payments, utility bills like gas. electric and water, property or council/city tax etc.), fixed goods and services you could technically live without but wouldn't want to (cable, internet, mobile phone, *car payment), variable necessities (groceries, toiletries, *certain kinds of insurance), variable goods or services you wouldn't want to live without, and so on.

Step 4
Check that your expenses don't exceed your income. If you've got more money coming in than you do going out, you're in good shape and ready to start tracking your budget, and determining if and how you can streamline expenses to reduce waste and free up some cash for a little fun. If you're spending more than you're making, it's time to either a)increase your income, b)reduce or cut your expenses or c)both a & b. While most of us would prefer to increase our income, this isn't always possible. Usually it's easier to effect change immediately by cutting or reducing an existing expense. Unfortunately this isn't always possible either.

Keeping Track

Pen and Paper
This suggestion may seem a little retro in this age of Microsoft Office, google docs, and iPhone apps, but for some people, physically writing out their expenses and accounts is the easiest and most effective way to balance a budget. If you've been balancing a cheque book for several years, this method is very similar. All that's needed for this method are things most already have: paper, writing implement(s), and some basic arithmetic skills.

Electronic Spreadsheets While most people are likely already familiar with Microsoft Excel (and already familiar with whether they love it or hate it), some may not be aware of the electronic spreadsheets available from Google docs. The electronic spreadsheets in Google docs do most of the things for which I've ever used an Excel spreadsheet. Google docs are free to use, and have the advantage of being instantly shared to any of your Google contacts if you so choose. This feature is great for people sharing expenses, like roommates, as the records are kept in one place, on one spreadsheet, and may be viewed, edited, and updated instantly by any of the contacts with access to the document.

Mobile Applications
Frequently hailed as the latest and greatest in personal technology, the mobile application has become an incredibly popular method of doing anything. Budgeting is no exception; there is a vast array of mobile applications for tracking spending and income across a variety of platforms. If you own a smartphone or tablet device, this may be the most convenient method for you. However, if you've found your experiences with these technologies to be less than intuitive, then this is probably not the best way to manage your expenses. Not all apps are created equal, but we're finding that some of the ones we've tested so far aren't as straightforward and easy to use as it seems they should be.

Free Software and Online Money Management Tools
Perhaps offering a middle ground between the solidity of writing with pen and paper and the digital ether of the mobile application, are free online money management tools. Free programs to track transactions abound, and many offer features like email and SMS reminders, expense graphs and charts, and the option to import account statements or export data to other programs like Excel.

As there are so many different budgeting apps, programs, and tools to choose from, it can be hard to tell sometimes if you've made the right choice. Fortunately, all of the options explored today are free to try!

Cheap and Cheerful is happy to announce the end of its unexpected hiatus, and a return to regular updates just in time for the winter holiday

2011-11-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

Where have we been?
Updates slowed down for several months this year, as our editor and main contributor moved to the United Kingdom in order to attend a graduate program and earn an MA abroad. However, now that life is largely settled and sorted, Cheap and Cheerful is looking forward to posting content regularly once again!

Where are we going?
While Cheap and Cheerful has always tried to focus on articles and ideas that could be useful to anyone, anywhere in the world who might be reading, we’re hoping to deliver even more internationally orientated content in the near future. For readers who miss having a little extra help with finding deals online and off, there will still be articles spotlighting localized free-events, activities, services, vouchers and coupon codes to look forward to as well!

Jalopnik counts down "The Ten Best Cars for Poor People"

2011-09-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jalopnik featured an article high-lighting ten economical auto options. If there are no jobs near your residence and everything, including getting to temp agencies, interviews and the unemployment office requires you to drive, then you need a car that 1)can get you there 2)won't embarrass you once you've arrived and 3)doesn't require a lot of cash upfront.

While standards like the early 90's Honda Accord and Crown Vic are noted, the article discusses a few cars you may have forgotten about that are still worth including in your search for a new-to-you car. Some of the models mentioned aren't great on gas mileage (the 1992-1995 Buick Lesabre averages 18-mpg city and 28-mpg highway), but a car like a 1995 Geo Prizm (ranked number 6 on the countdown) is listed on Kelly Blue Book as getting 24-mpg city and 31-mpg highway. The Prizm is selling on craigslist in my area for $700-$2500 and is valued at $875-$1550 on KBB.com.

If you're searching for a new ride and don't have a lot of cash, check out their count down here for ideas how to find some cheap new wheels.

Roam if you want to: How to avoid your mobile carrier's roaming charges when you're... roaming

2011-08-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

While the big national mobile carriers like Verizon and AT&T cover most of the United States, including parts of Alaska and Hawaii, anyone venturing beyond the lower 48 (and the aforementioned parts of Alaska and Hawaii) may find themselves hit with outrageous roaming charges should they try to use their mobile phone while away on holiday. However, with a little research and planning, these charges can be significantly reduced or avoided all together!

1.) Check with your mobile provider and ask of they offer any options like buying prepaid roaming minutes or an international texting bundle.

Rates vary among carriers but it's almost always cheaper to pay for roaming charges ahead of time, especially if you know you'll be making more than one or two calls or any calls lasting over a few minutes.

2.) If you own an unlocked, quad-band GSM phone, see if local networks offer pay-as-you-go SIM cards.

Mobile SIMs can be quickly and easily switched out by anyone, so if you have a universal phone, this is a worthwhile option even on short trips. There is the initial cost of buying a local SIM card and loading credit on to it, but many networks will "give" away the card for free so long as a certain amount of credit is purchased (usually 5 to 10 units of whatever the local currency happens to be; For example, if you're in the UK, a SIM could be yours for 10 GBP). Unfortunately some countries make it very difficult or impossible for visitors on a short-term visa to purchase SIM cards. Check a travel guide or forum like the one at lonelyplanet.com.

3.) Consider buying a cheap prepaid phone with a re-loadable SIM (or a cheap CDMA phone with re-loadable credit).

If you don't own an unlocked GSM quad-band phone, consider buying a cheap, prepaid or rolling contract phone. This option is better for longer trips and ideal for something like a study abroad term. Finding a mobile hand-set retailer in the region or country to where you're traveling may take a little time and effort, but a quick internet search beforehand will almost certainly turn up the name of the retail outlets, if not their addresses and street-view photos. If used with conjunction with Rebtel and their "ring-back" service, it's possible to use your new local mobile to call back home for only the price of the minutes that you've already paid for, or that are included in your rolling contract.

4.) Exploit the wifi capabilities of your mobile device.

Do you own an iPod touch, a tablet or a smart phone with wireless capabilities? Will you have access to a wireless internet connection on your travels? Then you may be able to rig your device to send free SMS and calls over the internet. If you'll mostly be making calls or sending SMS to other US numbers, then you may want to download the textfree app from Pinger. Now available for the iPod touch, the iPad, the iPhone, Android and the Web, users can send SMS to US numbers for free no matter where they are in the world. While originally textfree could only be used to send SMS, it is now possible to make and receive calls through this app, with many calls (incoming and textfree to textfree) being completely free!

Other apps that allow users to similarly send free SMS and/or calls over a wireless connection include: Talkatone, textPlus, and TigerText.

It is also possible to use Skype on your mobile device. Any calls placed to another Skype user that is signed in to their Skype account, will be free! (All Skype calls placed to mobile numbers or landlines however, will be charged usual rates) Get the Skype mobile app for free here (iPod touch & iPhone) and here (Android).

5.) If all else fails, there's always the classic pay phone + international calling card combo.

Depending on where you're traveling, you may save money or get a card with significantly better calling rates if you buy the calling card online or ahead of time. --But then again you may not. Check out this guide to call costs at lonelyplanet.com to start comparing rates.

Five Easy Ways to Save on Your Mobile Service

2011-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

1) At the conclusion of your contract term, re-evaluate your wireless service needs.

If your contract commitment has ended and you're still paying for 1200 minutes per month but only using around half that amount, now is a great time to consider changing your service plan to one that more closely reflects your needs. Many wireless carries do not require customers to sign a new contract to change the terms of their service once the prior contract has ended. So, if you're satisfied with the service provided by your current carrier, this is a great way to continue your service through your preferred provider while still changing your individual plan to better suit your needs and budget. Most of the time, this change can be accomplished fairly quickly by simply calling your current service provider and speaking with a representative.

2) Even if you've been satisfied with current cellular carrier, shop around and compare plans from competing providers.

Depending on the time of year, new advances and releases in mobile device technology, and other market factors, wireless service providers frequently change the terms and prices of contract offers in order to stay competitive and retain their current account holders. If you've been satisfied but not wowed by your current provider's rates and service, start browsing what other companies have to offer. You may find that one carrier offers a better rate on a comparable service plan or device upgrade. Additionally, some companies will run promotions that feature deeply discounted mobile devices for new customers, these discounts may dip even deeper for first-time customers signing long-term contracts.

If you're satisfied with your current service and not interested in switching, consider taking the time to renegotiate your plan for a better rate or additional perks. Wireless providers are usually eager to retain accounts, particularly if they can convince account holders to sign on for another long-term contract. If your provider is willing to negotiate, all it usually takes is a phone call to speak with a representative. One cannot expect miracles of course, but it costs nothing to ask if it's possible to add voicemail to your plan for free in exchange for signing up for an additional 2 years of service.

3) Consider switching to a rolling service provider

If you don't want to be locked into a contract for 12 to 24 months, and you live with-in a service provider's coverage map area and don't mind paying a little more up-front for your wireless device, then switching to one of the Super-regional or Virtual mobile network operators may be a better option than renewing your contract with one of the national carriers. Additionally, many of the smaller, regional companies offer unbeatable rates on unlimited data, email, and mobile web. If you've been considering purchasing a data plan for your service but found the rates from your current provider cost prohibitive, then you may want to consider switching your service. However, if you want a free phone with your service, live in a rural area, or travel widely and frequently within the US, then a rolling contract with a smaller carrier may not suit your needs.

Pros: no long-term contracts, cheaper rates, and plans offering unlimited talk and text that start as low as $35 per month.
Cons: varying customer service between providers, devices must be bought out-right* or "flashed over" to the providers network for a fee, and most service providers usage of the CDMA channel access method making it more inconvenient to change devices over to a new carrier.
*Though buying a device out-right can seem more expensive as it increases the up-front cost of initializing a mobile service plan, it can often cost less in the long run. See item 5 for more information

Here is a brief comparison of three of the most popular Super-regional and Virtual mobile network operators:

MetroPCS
Pros: Great rates (Unlimited talk and text plans start at $40 per month), highly customizable plans, no activation fee for new service and no credit checks.
Cons: Reputation for poor customer service, device selection can be limited at certain times, and limited coverage in certain areas**.

**While MetroPCS is limited to providing service within major metropolitan areas, their current coverage is available to approximately 90% of the U.S. thanks to the fact that populations tend to cluster around big cities (see this map to see if you live within their current coverage area).

VS

CricKet
Pros: No credit checks, service covers 95% of the US***, and Muve Music plans.
Cons: Data and broadband are not available in all coverage areas, most of the smart phones available are lower-end models and the activation fee of $15.

***This includes regions where coverage is available, but may be considered to be in a roaming area. If you have a plan that includes roaming rates, it is possible to make or receive a call on the cricKet network nearly anywhere in the US. While some plans come with a certain number of roaming minutes per month, customers can also add roaming minutes as a pay-as-you-go feature through Flex Bucket or by purchasing an add-on to their monthly service. Check their website for coverage maps and plan specific details.

VS

Virgin Mobile
Pros: No activation fee for service, no credit check, unlimited text, email, data and web plans starting at $25 per month, and the kickbacks referrals program.
Cons: Service does not work outside of coverage area, device selection is currently limited compared to competitors, the only plans featuring unlimited minutes start at $60 per month.

4) If you use your mobile device infrequently, consider changing to prepaid provider.

While some may need a plan with unlimited everything in order to avoid substantial overage charges each month, a person using less than 100 minutes per month or sending SMS about as infrequently, could save by switching to a prepaid wireless service. Though the cost of prepaid minutes still remain higher than those purchased in a month to month plan, the cost minute-to-minute has come down. Additionally, many prepaid providers now allow customers to roll over their balance to the next month, so long as their service remains active. Other benefits of a prepaid service include: no early termination fees, no credit checks, the ability to change providers at will and the fact that they may be obtained and used easily by those who are unable to sign a service contract (users under 18, users without credit cards, users with no permanent address etc.).

Finding the prepaid service that best suits your usage needs does take a little bit of research. For example, TracFone offers 60 minutes for $19.99 (roughly 33¢/minute) that remain active for 90 days even if no other credit is added. Net10 sells 200 minutes for $20.00 (10¢/minute), but these minutes only remain active for 30 days if no additional credit is purchased. Though in this example the TracFone minutes cost more per minute, their service is more cost effective if you use less than one minute per day.

5) Buy a mobile device outright to save money in the long run.

Depending on the next make and model of mobile device you hope to acquire, purchasing the device outright may save you money in the long run. Especially if you outright purchase a device that is factory unlocked, as an unlocked device prevents you from being locked into a service contract, allowing you to change your provider at will to meet your needs. Well, theoretically speaking.

Unfortunately, as most of the large networks in the US use a CDMA channel access, changing networks while retaining the same cellular phone can be more of a challenge. Many providers will "flash over" a mobile device to their network for a fee, but the added cost and time required can render network hopping impractical. However, if you frequently travel to countries that offer more networks that utilize GSM (such as Canada or Great Britain), then a factory unlocked, outright purchased device becomes more practical****.

****Assuming the device is Quad-Band.

Later: You don't have to spend a fortune to avoid sacrificing your cell phone abroad!

Ten Sources for Really Free Music That's Really Working For Me

2011-05-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Streaming Services
(1) Pandora
Pandora probably has the least cluttered layout and nicest radio interface of the three streaming services listed here. The sound and connection quality has always been excellent whenever I've used it, but there are ads if you're using the free version, and sometimes they're every three or four songs. This can be annoying, but every ad I've seen so far has been less than 30 seconds. They also only allow free users to skip a certain number of tracks per hour. This aspect, and the lack of a discovery feature, makes Pandora the service I use least frequently to stream, despite its cleanly designed interface. If you aren't looking for new music however, Pandora is a great service for the casual listener. The ads played are brief, and there no annoying radio personalities interrupting your tunaege.

(2) Last.fm
We wrote up Last.fm in detail here last year, but for those who can't be bothered to read the article, last.fm is a free streaming music service (le duh). While it isn't necessary that you sign up and create a profile to use their services, if you want to use their "recommendations" feature to discover new songs, new artists, and new events in your area that are catered to your music tastes, I recommend that you do. In fact, last.fm's "recommendations" feature is the reason I usually recommend last.fm to friends over Pandora. Pandora has a nicer interface, but last.fm has the better discovery algorithm and consistently recommends new artists and songs that I actually want to hear.

(3) Grooveshark
While the streaming radio service on Grooveshark is a little more unwieldy than Pandora or Last.fm, this is service I use daily. Grooveshark is unique to the other two services mentioned in that it allows you to stream any single track in the library, an unlimited number of times at will, whether you've registered for an account or not. Users are able to stream entire albums so long as they've been uploaded to Grooveshark's massive music library. There hasn't been a single track or artist I've searched for so far that doesn't exist in some version in their library. The radio service as it is leaves a little to be desired. Your main options are to either select a genre-based station or to play a track and then turn the radio feature on. The second option creates a radio station of music similar to the initial track selected. This system can be tweaked a little, if users select a few songs manually, before turning on the radio feature. If you want to create a station with more genre variety, selecting a few songs from across a few different genres is the most effective way to accomplish this.

Free Mp3 Downloads

(4) Artist Direct
The online digital media company that acquired Media Defender and Media Sentry in the last decade also offers free downloads! Who knew? Surprisingly, the downloads offered are not limited to the new bands pushed desperately by their labels nor to the obscurities that never made back the cost of their advances. One of my favorite finds so far is this track from the Bloody Beetroots. Be aware though, that in order to save files from Artist Direct to your computer you must right click (Mac users hold control and click) and select "save link as".

(5) Amazon.com
Monster online-retailer Amazon.com offers free Mp3 downloads in addition to regular purchased tracks. Weeding through all the purchase tracks when searching bestsellers, or the obscure tracks when searching the list of the free tracks can be tedious, but browsing these vast collections usually proves worthwhile. Don't over look their huge selection of free Mp3 sampler albums! The catch here is you have to either make an Amazon account or already have one and then go to the trouble of logging in. You then have to install the Amazon Mp3 down-loader. Still, it's all free and the total processes combined take only a few minutes.

(6) Paste Magazine Free Mp3s
Oh Paste Magazine, you never let me down. Updated frequently, across a wide variety of genres, Paste Magazine's free Mp3 blog has a huge collection of free downloads. This has been totally hassle free so far. Visitors to the blog simply click the hyperlinked text that says something like "click here to download Vampire Weekend's cover of Cheryl Cole's Fight for this Love" and the download begins. There have been a few songs (like those on the Saddle Creek label) that require users to submit their email address to receive a link that allows them to complete the download. This being a blog run by Paste Magazine, most offerings come from independent labels. However, with selections ranging from Bright Eyes, Cut/Copy, The Pixies, Elvis Costello and the Tings Tings, there should be at least one track to please everyone.

Mp3 Blogs

(7) Dopplebanger
Dopplebanger features remixes and mash-ups from the Parsian electronic artist Dopplebanger. Tracks featured are mostly Club, Electronic, Hip-Hop and R&B mash-ups, but there are some original compositions posted as well. Currently content is a little sparse, but if mash-ups are your thing, this blog offers some fun, free downloads of remixed hits like Rude Boy and Got It Twisted Sister. Many of the downloads offered are available directly, but a few come through mediafire (but they're still free).

(8) Aquarium Drunkard
Aquarium Drunkard is "an eclectic independent audio blog, featuring daily music, reviews, features, Mp3s, sessions, interviews, and more". One of the great things about Aquarium Drunkard is that they've been around since 2005, and post new content nearly every day, so there's loads of material to sift through. On the other hand, mining the blog for Mp3 downloads can be a little daunting at first, because there's loads of material to sift through. HINT: most of the Mp3s on offer are at the end of each Aquarium Drunkard article. So scroll down. Most of the articles and interviews posted, however, are very readable, comfortably concise, and thankfully for-go the meaningless ratings systems and taste-maker posturing that plagues a lot of writing about independent music.

Recommended Podcasts
(9) Coverville
Coverville is a podcast featuring noteworthy... you guessed it, cover versions of songs performed by both new and well-established artists. Having debuted in 2004, with new episodes released roughly three times per week, there is a huge back catalog of material, with iTunes podcast archive going as far back as late 2009. If you dig deep, like more than fifty pages deep, you can go back even further than that in the archives on their website. This is easier than it sounds though. Enter the archives by clicking the "older entries" button at the bottom of the main page. The URL at the top of the page should now read "coverville.com/page/2/". Simply change that low number to a much higher one, say "60", and you're all the way back in September of 2009, listening to covers of every track from Abbey Road Remember to right click and "save link as" when cruising that deep in the back pages.

(10) Mad Decent Worldwide Radio
Hosted by both the label's team and the label's founder, Diplo, the Mad Decent Worldwide Radio podcast, features artists on the Mad Decent record label, as well as ones that they haven't signed but have taken note. A self-described "NPR for the streets", Mad Decent Worldwide Radio features DJ mixes, videos, interviews, radio-casts and mixtapes highlighting emerging and obscure sub-genres of club and electronic music. These guys also put on a free block party every summer in select cities. Watch the space at maddecentblockparty.com for details.

Sometimes it is worth facebook friending local businesses...

2011-01-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

My coworker informed me on Friday that this Monday, January 10th, the new Brew Haha! that's opening on 10th street in downtown Wilmington Delaware, will be serving free short coffees and 50 cent short lattes in honor of their Grand Opening. While this promotion isn't exactly a secret, she may not have heard about it if she hadn't liked them on facebook. Thank goodness she did, life's too short for bad coffee!

Also, my local circular for this week included several coupons for Dunkin' Donuts as well as the regional grocery chain, Path Mark. The Dunkin' Donuts offerings include things like: $1.99 for a breakfast sandwich with meat, 2 donuts for 0.99, and 0.99 medium coffees. The Pathmark coupons I found offered $1.79 for 16oz of America's Choice Butter, $1.88 for 1lb. of Plumrose Sliced Bacon and $5.00 off of a purchase of $50.00 or more! Unfortunately, I have yet to be able to locate this coupons online for printing, but if you live in the Mid-Atlantic, check your coupon circulars, or fish them out of the recycle for a second look. If this proves to be a fruitless effort, you may want to check the Pathmark coupons page anyhow. Deals and discounts vary slightly by region, so you may find an even better deal when you type in your postal code!

Just a reminder...

2010-12-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

for those that celebrate Christmas, or buy Christmas decorations to give as gifts, this week and the first week of January are a great time to pick up things like Christmas cards, tree ornaments or light decorations at deep discounts! Check out this adorable bird ornament set or these adorable owlet ornaments from Urban Outfitters. (While birds and owls may be a trend this year, they may not be next year. Those Christmas tree ornaments will still look cute no matter the date, and today, on this date, they're on sale!)

So if you've got someone you know will be on your list next year for whom a pretty piece of seasonal decor would make a good gift, consider checking out your favourite home-goods and housewares shop this week or next.

Being careful with your coriander makes the gravy grander: Four easy tips towards a better budget cocktail party

2010-12-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

1) Give yourself plenty of time for planning and prep

Good food and drinks don't have to cost a lot of money, but entertaining on a budget tends to cost more of your time. With some thought and care however, it needn't be too difficult nor time-consuming. One benefit of planning earlier is it allows you to see which supermarkets are having what sales and offering what coupons. This helps not only to determine what ingredients you'll be able to get more inexpensively, but aids with menu planning as well.

2) Plan your food and drinks menu around items you already have on hand

-First, take stock of what seasonings and herbs you already have in your pantry.
You can make cheap food taste quite nice with the right seasoning and cooking technique. Herbs and spices also tend to go a long way and last a long time through many recipes. However, at time of purchase these items can seem quite costly. You don't need anything fancy, basics like basil, oregano, and rosemary do wonders in savory dishes, especially combined with garlic, onion or fresh ground pepper.

-Next, consider what specialty items you already have in your kitchen.
Maybe you already have a container of feta cheese in the fridge. With some frozen spinach, some ricotta, chopped onion, herbs and a little while in the oven, you have a lovely spinach-cheese dip in almost no time at all! By considering the finer ingredients you already have to work with, it is easy enough to research recipes (consider looking: on the internet) and plan a quality menu that costs less.

-Now, take a look at what beverages you have in the house.
Even if you only have soft drinks when you begin planing, if you are able to use them for the party, they're just one less thing you have to buy later.

3) Be flexible and be creative

Maybe you need phyllo dough and the grocer's only has pie crusts. Fret not, depending on the recipe, it is likely you can substitute one for the other (and all the better if that pie crust is on sale!). If you can be creative in your cooking and stay flexible when you're planning, than you can usually work out problems that may arise if you're unable to obtain an ingredient for whatever reason. Additionally, a little creativity with your ingredients and seasonings can give your dish a signature flair and make your little party all the more memorable. Clueless about cooking? Try looking at this guide to common ingredient substitutions.

The website, Allrecipes.com also offers a Tips and Advice section with similarly helpful articles like: Cooking Questions: Herbs and Spices, How to Save Money on Wine and Cheaper Meal Planning.

4) Drinks

Ah, herein may lie the biggest challenge in thrifty entertaining. You don't want to break the bank on booze, but you want to be a good host and still serve up something nicely drinkable.

Based on my personal experience, it is simply not worth skimping too much here, especially if you want to join your guests and have a drink yourself. A good rule when hosting any kind of party, especially a smaller cocktail party where the guest list is likely to only consist of your inner circle, is not to serve anything you wouldn't drink yourself. If you're used to drinking Grey Goose, can you, in good conscience serve your guests Popov?

Still, you don't need to go broke in order to serve up a decent cocktail.

-One place you can consider cutting costs is on mixers. I've never known anyone to complain about the difference between Coke and Store-brand cola so long as they're mixing it with rum or whiskey.

-Next, think about what drinks you already have on hand and are able to serve straight or that could be used for the basis for cocktails. For example, if you already have orange juice and Kahlua, it's a good idea to buy vodka as you could make both Screw Drivers and Black Russians.

-When you do make it down to the liquor store to pick up your supplies, give yourself time to shop around the store. Larger establishments often run specials on smaller labels comparable to national brands that the shop is trying to promote. I have found this especially true of places that carry a large selection of wine. Actually, given some of the prices and ratings on wines I've seen this year, you could probably throw a decent wine tasting for a small group with $30 for three to five bottles. Arrange some cheeses and simple table crackers prettily on a plate and you've got a reason to get dressed up.

Cheap and Cheerful Entertaining: The 50$ Cocktail Party for Ten

2010-11-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

Anytime of year is a good time for a cocktail party as far as we're concerned! However, with the approach of the holidays, the new year, and chilly winter months, seasonal reasons for throwing a small soiree abound. This month, magazine articles, blurbs on email homepages and specials on television offering suggestions on how to throw a festive fete proliferate, but some of these suggested menus and decor ideas are just a bit out of range for some us. Still, you don't need to break the bank to put on a nice board of food and drink!

This week we'll be looking at some strategies to prevent a party budget from careening out of control, as well looking back at this past weekend's cocktail party! Ten were invited, costs totaled less than $50.00 and we still had left overs. Stay tuned!

Moar Music! From Black Tambourine!

2010-11-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of bread n' butter and bandcamp.com...

A FREE DOWNLOAD of earlier mixes transferred from the original Black Tambourine cassette. While the mixes are from the same performances and recordings as the remixed versions, there are some differences between the vocals, reverb and guitar effects. As fans of both free downloads and dreamy, noise-pop from the early 1990's, we suggest you check it out.

Original post at bread n' butter
Black Tambourine cassette download at bandcamp.com

Setting goals for your grocery list

2010-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Going to the grocery store is often a hassle: the crowds, the carts, the lines at the cashier... a trip to the market is often unpleasant enough without even mentioning the increasing costs of food which can lead to increasingly higher grocery bills. The crowds and the carts will often be part and parcel of the weekly shopping but with a little care and management, you can keep the total at the bottom of your receipt from fluctuating too wildly from week to week. One way of checking spending at the supermarket is to set a goal for the average amount spent per item when dividing the total bill by the number of items in the order. For example, if the goal for the average amount spent is set at $2.00 per item, and the total bill comes to $50.00, then there should be about 25 items in the order.

So...
Goal average amount per item =$2.00

$2.00(number of items)= Total bill amount

If I'm remembering correctly, algebra doesn't get more simple than that.

This is just an example of course. This system of setting an average amount per item spent is merely guideline. However, by being more conscious of how the cost of each item is going to affect the total bill, it may be easier to make thriftier shopping choices. More often than not, there are enough sales and coupons in any given week that customers needn't alter their basic grocery lists too much. By simply buying the store-brand or the brand of a product that's on sale, and using coupons or the supermarket's discount-club card (all the ones I'm familiar with can be obtained at no cost) consumers can fairly easily stay on target for their goal. Other ideas to help achieve your average cost per item amount include:

-Buying produce in season. Produce tends to taste better and cost less when bought during the seasons it would "naturally" be harvested.

-Stocking up on a favorite item or pricier basic (such as butter) when it goes on sale.

-Instead of buying already prepared or heavily processed snack-food and frozen dishes, consider buying the whole ingredients and cooking or preparing the item at home. Be careful however, as making something from scratch is not always cost effective, depending on the ingredients and length of time needed for preparation.

Red Box Rentals:

2010-10-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

On your last trip to the grocery store, pharmacy, or convenience store you may have noticed a red vending-machine like this one. It's a Redbox , a self-service kiosk that allows you to rent DVDs and Blue-ray disks for a low-daily fee.

With video and DVD rental-shops disappearing around the country, more and more people than before are switching to subscription rental services like Netflix. However, if you can't be bothered to join a subscription service, or just want to rent your movie right now, then Redbox may be the video-rental alternative for you!

How Redbox works is fairly simple: you just find a kiosk, select the film you want to rent from a touch-screen menu, and then swipe your credit or debit-card. The machine vends you your title choice, and charges you a daily rate for the film. Rates are typically as low as 1.00 USD per day. After you've finished with the film, you simply return it to any Redbox kiosk. You can even reserve films online and pick them up at a nearby location.

If you only rent films once in a while, or you tend to watch them the night you rent, then Redbox works out cheaper than a trip to the local Blockbuster. If you like to watch a movie several times before you return it, or it takes you a while to get around to viewing your rental, or your movie tastes tend towards the obscure, then this may not be the service for you. However, with the convenience of over 23,000 locations and the instant-gratification of receiving a title seconds after swiping a credit-card, Redbox is certain to please film-fans who need their new releases by tonight!

Free International Phone Calls!

2010-10-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

The modern world is ever shrinking through globalization, and yet ever expanding through the increased movement of more and more people. Odds are, at some point, someone in your life will find themselves far from home, out of calling range. Maybe you have a loved one serving in the military overseas, perhaps a chum is off doing a study abroad or maybe you're just fortunate enough to have friends in other parts of the world... If you've got people that are farther a-field than your phone service really covers, you may be able to still phone them for free!

--Provided certain conditions are met of course...

Rebtel is a mVoIP service, that is: it's a mobile Voice over IP service. Essentially what the service does is it first gives you a local access number with which to phone your friend (more on this later), and thus, turns an international call into a local one and connects it over the internet. By dialing the local access number assigned, the caller is only charged for placing a local call. This saves a small fortune considering what it can cost to call an international number with a mobile phone (or even a land-line depending on your service provider)!

However, that is exactly the catch: you and the person you're calling are still charged for the call, but you're both only charged the rate levied by your mobile providers of making a local call. Still, within this catch lies your loophole: if you and the person you're calling have unlimited minutes with which to call local numbers or you manage to do your calling when both parties have free minutes(such as nights and weekends), you can essentially make free international calls.

The service can be a bit tricky to figure out first so here's the Cheap and Cheerful Guide to making it happen:

You Will Need:
-Internet access
-A valid mobile phone number with the ability to receive text messages
-Someone to call in another country*

1) Go to Rebtel.com and fill out their sign-up form.
Once you enter your information, create your free account and sign in, Rebtel will automatically provide you with an access number and an SMS access information. These numbers allow you to do things like: add contacts, change your preferred number and double dial while away from your computer. When you sign in, the default page should be the My Contacts tab. If you've been taken to some other feature of your account, simply click on the tab and then...

2) Enter the name and (international) phone number of the person you wish to call
Once you enter that information, Rebtel will reload the Contacts page with the local access number for that person saved in your account information. (Note: unless you text "STOP" to rebtel when you receive the SMS containing the number to phone your friend, they will continue to send you text messages. We are not aware of any charges incurred by these texts other than the cost to receive a text levied by your mobile service provider.

3) Call that number!
Dial the "local" number. (It is also possible call this number from a phone other than the one with which you registered your account. Simply dial the number, Rebtel will then ask you to enter your account number (the phone number you used to sign up for the account) and then enter the PIN you set when you registered; you should be connected momentarily.) If you are placing a free call, the line may ring for several seconds. This is because when you place a free call, Rebtel connects to the line you're calling and then gives them further instruction so that the call may be connected for free. As the line rings, the other person will be given a local access number with which to call you, and must hang-up and then call this number while your end continues to ring. (If the other caller is unable to hang-up and ring you back their FAQ page advises: "Ask your friend to press the star button (*) on his/her phone and it should work without any problem.") Once this is completed successfully, you and your friend will be connected for a free call!

It sounds more complicated than it is; while it can be a bit difficult to time correctly at first, the service is quite reliable with a high sound quality and very little, if any time lag.

If things still aren't quite clear, try checking out their series of brief instructional videos.

Other Features...

-If placing a free call is not possible due to the party you're calling having limited minutes, you can buy credit and place a call at a rate still much lower than what one would typically pay for an international call. Depending on the country and service provider of the person on the other end, rates are generally competitive-with or cheaper-than, the average international calling-card.

-Rebtel allows you to send WebSMS to existing contacts or other international numbers. As you type, the cost of the message is displayed to the right of the text box. Rates for WebSMS are much lower than standard international texting rates.

-With this service, it is also possible to make Computer Calls. Computer Calls allow you to call anywhere in the world and only pay the per-minute rate to Rebtel, with-out paying any charges to your phone carrier.

*While Rebtel offers service to over 200 countries, its service does not cover all countries. Check the International Calling Rates listings to see if your destination is covered and what the rates for calls may be.

Thriftspiration from the wide, wide world of livejournal

2010-10-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

While for many people the idea of keeping a public journal is understandably a paradox, a livejournal account can be used to other ends. The livejournal online service boasts a wealth of public journals that users may join and gain posting access to called "communities". Communities are themed groups, and much like other online forums allow users to post questions regarding the subject, advice and experiences, or projects they've completed relating to the topic of the group.

Many of the groups are fan-oriented, catering to those with an interest in popular book, film and television series, or for famous actors and musicians. However, many of the groups are themed around certain life-styles or how to's.

One great community for thrift-spiration is thriftwhore, a community where users post photos and details of their latest shopping hauls from their local thrift shop or flea market. Whenever I find myself disappointed by my local Family Thrift Centre or Goodwill, I have a look at thriftwhore for a reminder that there's still treasure out there.

Those with a taste for interior design may enjoy saucydwellings. Though the community does not focus exclusively on thrifty design, there is an emphasis on creativity and style, both of which often go with decorating and furnishing on a budget. This user furnished and decorated a basement apartment on a "a side-of-the-road-or-Goodwill budget" and did quite well for themselves.

Though Dumpster-diving or Skipping, is becoming an increasingly dangerous (and depending on the laws in your area, possible illegal) pastime with more and more businesses outfitting their collection bins with compactors, the dumpsterdiving community on livejournal offers posts accompanied by photos of what users have found digging through other people's garbage. In addition to posts detailing hauls, dumpsterdiving also features posts regarding tips and tricks for finding and getting into receptacles, and sometimes offers information regarding the legality of the activity by region.

The communities featured in this post are but a tiny sample of all the offerings available for public viewing at one of the most popular journaling sites on all of the internet. If you find yourself with a little time and little inspiration for your budget living, consider checking out what people have been doing on "teh livejournal".

ALLOW DAT

2010-09-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that monitoring your spending helps to decrease it and it's equally well known that setting a budget and sticking to it can, well, really be a drag. However, a budget can also be a helpful tool, and allow you to allocate funds not only for savings and bill payments, but also for hobbies, socializing and personal luxuries.

Remaining disciplined and sticking with a budget is much easier when that budget makes certain allowances. Following a budget that sets aside money specifically for things like your weekly magazines, latte, or night at the Roxbury allows for some fun while still enabling you to pay bills on time and deposit periodically into your savings.

Allotting for such luxuries allows for two things: 1) it ensures that each month or week (by what ever period you plan your budget) you'll have the money for small indulgences while preventing your personal expenditures from spiraling out of control and 2) planning for these expenses means you don't have to feel bad about spending on yourself. So long as you stay within the allowance you've set, you need never feel guilty about treating yourself.

Making room in your budget for this allowance is important! No one likes to feel as though they're denying themselves. Attempting to adhere to a budget that allows no room for fun and the occasional frivolous expense, can be a bit like trying to follow a crash diet. You may make some fast progress initially, but after a short time the entire experience is so restrictive and unpleasant that afterward you may well engage in over-indulgent behavior that undoes your previous efforts.

So allow dat bruv, and grant yourself a little allowance!

Cheap and Cheerful: Holiday Edition.

2010-09-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

While the Cheap and Cheerful staff is out for the next couple of weeks on holiday, we bring you this special travel edition from the archives.

Cheap and Cheerful's Boston Vacation: June 2009

The Farrington Inn

The Farrington is right to bill itself as "The Boston Hotel Alternative", with rates that go as low as $45 a night, depending on the season. While the Farrington may lack some of the luxuries of a Hilton, this cheap and cheerful inn in Boston's Allston neighborhood feels more like a cozy bed and breakfast rather than a rowdy youth hostel. Offering a variety of accommodation options ranging from dorm style beds (subject to seasonal availability) to rooms with private baths or kitchenettes to studios and one bedroom apartments, the Farrington offers quarters with character for a variety of budget travelers.

During our stay in June 2009, the Cheap and Cheerful staff found the rooms at the Farrington peaceful and private, the staff friendly and helpful, the neighborhood colorful and pleasant, and the location generally convenient for exploring the rest of Boston. A few blocks from a stop on the Green line train, the Farrington is only a few minutes away from Boston University, and just a few more minutes away from the city center.

A couple of blocks away is the Allston Cafe. Serving up coffee, some standard egg and English muffin sandwiches, as well as loads of vegan baked treats. Our staff found their "Meg Muffin" to be a particularly satisfying way to start our mornings in the big brick city. Located in a student enclave of Boston, the cafe makes for a comfortable seat to watch college kids, crust punks, and several of the friendlier varieties of North American Hipster.

Nearby in Cambridge, is the Garment District , "an alternative department store". With vintage wear on the second floor, costumes on the first and it's sister shop with it's "dollar-a-pound" pile directly next door, The Garment District offers unique clothing to suit a wild array of styles and budgets. It's hard to strike gold in your first search through the massive "dollar-a-pound" section, but for those thrilled by the search in thrifting, digging through to the bottom will be satisfying enough. Though the shop is probably best known for its second-hand and vintage offerings, the Garment District also carries many smaller current lines such as American Apparel and Rock Steady.

While Boston may have one of the highest costs of living in the United States, you don't have to break the bank to visit! Looking for more cheap and cheerful ideas when checking out Bean Town? Pick up a Boston Phoenix, a free weekly paper similar to the Village Voice featuring listings on food and drink, upcoming music gigs, and local art events.

OATMEAL: natural exfoliant, or sticky, pastey mess?

2010-08-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

The skincare aisle, beauty rags and every "natural-cosmetics-you-probably-already-have-in-your-home" list have long sung the praises of oatmeal or products made with oatmeal. When used in cosmetics oatmeal is called "avena sativa kernel meal" and when used in products for treating skin irritation it's called "colloidal oatmeal". There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of recipes available online for formulating and using your own oatmeal-based cosmetic and personal-care products at home, but one tip I saw over and over again was the use of oatmeal and water as an exfoliant. The idea is because oatmeal is coarsely ground (but not so hard or coarse that it will be abrasive) it is similar to scrubbing the skin with almond shells or apricot kernels. Supposedly, oatmeal also contains some natural compounds that "draw out impurities in the skin". Having run out of the scrub product I typically use, I decided to give it a try. Here's what happened:

1) I took a small handful of dry oatmeal, and ground it with a mortar and pestle

In hindsight, I don't know that this was necessary however, a lot of what I had read recommended the oatmeal more finely if you planned to use it as a facial scrub.

2) I poured the oatmeal into a rocks glass, and mixed in a small amount of water

It was really small, like less than 1/4 teaspoon. The first time I did this I actually used no more than that it was still too much water.

3) Next, after taking the oatmeal paste onto my fingers, I scrubbed my face with it

This is when I discovered I hate the smell of wet, raw, America's Choice traditional oatmeal.

4) RINSE!

The verdict: While, as I mentioned, it turns out I hate the smell of wet, raw America's Choice traditional oatmeal on my face, I still got that nice clean feeling I get whenever I use a scrub. However, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that I would get this feeling from the simple act of washing my face, regardless of what I used to wash it. I've been using the oatmeal scrub every other day for about a week now, and it certainly hasn't made my skin any worse.

So...

PROS
-"All natural"
-Inexpensive
-Easy to make
-Is readily available
-Is biodegradable
-Non-toxic*

CONS
-Smells
-Can be difficult to get the correct ratio of oatmeal to water
-People being weirded out over you washing your face with oatmeal
-Could potentially clog your sink if you were to wash it down the drain. It's recommended you scoop out the oatmeal and discard it in a trash-can or rubbish-bin.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS

-Unless you know how your oatmeal is grown, harvested and processed, like with all other foods, you never know what pesticides or chemical residuals could be sitting on your cheap-and-cheerful kitchen cosmetic. I don't know the exact level this presents in foods used as external cosmetics but like with anything else in life, I imagine there's some risk, but I also imagine that it's quite small.
-Everyone's skin is different and it is possible a person could suffer an adverse reaction while using oatmeal as a natural scrub, especially if they have allergies or a pre-existing skin condition. When in doubt, it's best to consult a dermatologist.

*Please see the potential hazards section.
Cheap and Cheerful is not written by dermatologists and accepts no responsibility for injuries, chemical burns or allergic reactions sustained while attempting to use oatmeal as a natural skincare product.

The Cheap and Cheerful Guide to Drinkin at Home Part 2: 5 ways you can make drinking at home more like drinking in a bar

2010-08-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

Last week Cheap and Cheerful covered five ways that drinking at home can be better than drinking in a bar. Still, staying in often just lacks the glamour of going out. The commotion, the crowds, the new faces... they're usually lacking behind your own walls. While this isn't always a bad thing, there are a few things you can do to turn a somewhat solitary evening into a more social occasion!

The photo "Cocktail" is (c) Fibroblast (2007) and is used under the creative commons license

1)Have some people over (Bonus if you can get them to bring over some additional beverages or bits to eat)

Inviting some of your friends over quickly turns your Long-Island-Iced-tea for one, into a little cocktail party! If your friends have found themselves sailing the same saving-conscious seas as you, they may be only too happy to have the opportunity to be spending an evening (or afternoon, or brunch-hour) outside of the house, that isn't going to require them to drop a lot of this week's hard-earned cash. Good company goes well with good drinks; it also vastly improves the taste of cheap drinks.

2) Get some niffty serving wear

While perhaps not an absolutely necessary expenditure, some swanky bar-ware can make even your nightly cocktail seem like a special occasion. Great glasses aren't always expensive either! Many of the off-price department store outlets like Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and Ross often have attractive home goods at discounted prices. Another great place to search for bar ware is your local thrift store or consignment shop. Depending on the store, you may find an even better deal for wares that are much more unique.

3) Serve some snacks

You don't have to put out a huge spread, but setting out a few things to nibble on can really class up the occasion. It doesn't take much at all! A few handfuls of mixed nuts or even just some cheese and crackers on a plate, lend a great deal of flair to an otherwise totally casual evening at home. Simply using an eye-catching serving dish or plate and placing it on the table before your friends arrive looks like a great deal more than it actually takes!

4) Get dressed like you would if you were going out

If you are the type to dress before you go out, dressing for an evening in with some friends as you for an evening out marks the night as an occasion instead of reminding you that ya'll are sitting in your living room because you're broke.

5) Consider tidying up the joint

Make the place comfortable for you and your friends! Clearing the clutter or at least taking out the trash can really improve the feel of a place, your place included. While it's not really necessary to mop the floors and scrub the toilets, it's generally much more cheerful to drink in a place where you aren't staring down a week's worth of dirty laundry, pizza boxes and junk mail.

Happy Hosting!

The Cheap and Cheerful Guide to Drinking at Home, Part 1: 5 ways drinking at home can be better than drinking in a bar

2010-07-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since the crash, it would seem that those among us lucky enough to be considering their options for social leisures, are trying to stick around the house more a little these days. This can, at times, be kind of a drag. One of the luxuries in life is going out: out to eat, out to drink, out to somewhere, where someone else, is taking care of the details. But this can get expensive. While I would never advocate abstaining entirely from going out to dine or drink, I would like to submit for your consideration, a brief list of reasons that suggests sometimes, it's just better at home.

5 WAYS DRINKING AT HOME CAN BE BETTER THAN DRINKING IN A BAR

1) You have control over the playlist and the atmosphere

In the comfort of your living room, there is generally no crappy Dave Matthews cover-band to be screaming over in order to tell your friends how much you wish this bar would stop booking crappy Dave Matthews cover-bands. If you want to spend the evening (afternoon, whatevs) drinking Maker's and listening to Muddy Waters or early Zeppelin or Ke$ha (hey it's your living room fella), all you have to do, is pour the drinks and drop the needle on the turntable. Or plug in the iPod. It's entirely up to you really. You lucky drinkin' dog you.

2) You can serve and drink whatever libations you like

Drinking at your house means you're not limited to whatever varities or brands of liquor stocked by your usual watering hole. Also, you're free to be creative in your choice of cocktail. Do you want a Dirty Frenchman, but your barman is unfamiliar with the term or refuses to believe it's a real drink? No worries friend, so long as you've got the necessary components in your cabinets, you're free to drink as many as you like. Or as many as you can. Whichever comes first.

3) Drinking at home is often more economical

That's the polite way of saying, it's cheaper bruv. For many, this will be the most compelling reason to keep your drinking on your property.

4) You don't have to worry about driving home later

Driving drunk should be avoided at all costs! What better way to eliminate this risk, than by not beginning your bacchanalia until you've reached your final destination for the evening?

5) You know exactly where all the exits and toilets are located

One of the downsides to drinking at home, is related to many of its advantages; because it is less expensive, and you don't have to worry about driving home at the end of the night, drinking in the comfort of one's abode (or one's friend's abode) makes some people more prone to indulging excessively. There is a point in such excessive indulgence, when certain consequences become highly likely if not inevitable. While Cheap and Cheerful urges you to drink responsibly, we recognize that disgorging at home is much more comfortable and much less embarrassing than doing so in a bar. Especially if you puke on the bar.

Tally Traveled to New York by way of the China-town bus: a study in taking your own advice.

2010-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

1)Research your options

Check. Unfortunately, not living in a major city, my options were more limited than if I lived somewhere with better transport hubs like New York or Baltimore. Still, where I live is large enough to be serviced by one of small China-town lines mentioned in the previous article. With a round trip ticket costing only 35$ total, it was nearly 30$ cheaper than a fare from a national bus company, and 73$ less than even the least expensive train tickets.

As far as assessing the quality of my ride went, I had it easy. I was fortunate in that a great number of friends and acquaintances had already used this bus service, and found the experience, if not exactly pleasant, at least palatable. Thus, my decision was made.

2)Approach the bus-trip experience with the right attitude

Having traveled by bus before, I didn't have to do too much adjusting. Experience had taught me that while traveling by bus is certainly less glamorous than going by plane and less comfortable than going by train, it is generally a far cry from that had been painted to me before. --Provided you don't have too far to go.

Really, I rather looked forward to not having to drive and watch the road, band to instead spend the two and a half hours of travel time listening to Man...or Astro-man? while I worked on some drafting.

3)Come early, but expect delays

Check and check. I was there about forty minutes early to be sure I'd have time to buy a ticket at the window. The bus was about twenty minutes late, but I figured it would be, so it wasn't that serious.

4)Don't sit too close to the bathroom

Check.

5)Remember your manners

Check, but it really only came up once. When boarding the departing the bus, there no seats available that were next to an unoccupied seat. When taking my seat, I simply asked the woman I was going to sit down next to if she minded if I sat there. She replied "not at all; by all means". Both of us spent the trip occupied with our headphones on, so for better or worse, our exchange ended there. Nonetheless, I tried to bear in mind the basic civility of not encroaching on her personal space or disturbing her from her work during the journey, and she regarded me with the same courtesy. As far as I know we both had a pleasant trip.

6)Pack a snack

Check. Man was I ever so glad I did! Having generally missed breakfast, I brought a bag full of walnuts and a biscotti. Brunch wasn't had until about an hour and a half, two hours until after my arrival. When I did get to my omelet, I was hungry for it, but I would have been ravenous and cranky had I not had a nosh on the bus.

7)Bring something to do

Check. Generally I bring a notebook with me wherever I go, so naturally I brought one on the bus. While I didn't do any heavy writing, I had plenty of time to work on drafting out some ideas that had been kicking around during the week. Being less distracted on the bus than I would have been at home, I may have actually gotten more done in two hours than I would have at my desk.

8)Bring some tunes

Check. Everything is better with surf rock. Including bus rides.

9)Don't reward aggressive behavior by responding to it

This was, on this trip at least, a total non-issue. I faced no hostilities from my fellow passengers and I never have on inter-state bus trips. I have dealt with them on my morning public-transit commute to work, but in those situations I've just ignored them. Typically they respond to a non-response with some disparaging comment (curiously enough, almost always regarding my sunglasses), and then move on to attempting to rile up someone else.

Admittedly, it kind of kills my pride to have someone behave badly to me or anyone else, and have them get away with it, but I know that it isn't worth getting in a scuffle in an enclosed, moving space with a (more often than not, drunk) stranger.

10) Be cool and keep calm

Number 10 is another item that didn't really come up that weekend. Everything went smoothly, I arrived at my destination on time, and alighted in front of Macy's on 34th with a minimum of hassle.

So what were you doing in New York anyway?

Who wants to know?
No, seriously, who wants to know?

I was visiting a friend, and attending Siren Fest, the free summer music festival at Coney Island, put on by The Village Voice. Free music, a sea breeze and the Wonder Wheel! All in all, a fairly cheap and very cheerful way to spend a summer Saturday!

Workin' our way to the front.

The famous Cyclone

And of course, the Wonder Wheel.

COMING UP NEXT, THE CHEAP AND CHEERFUL GUIDE TO DRINKING AT HOME: A TWO PARTER

TALLY ROSE'S TOP TEN BUS TRIP SURVIVAL TIPS

2010-07-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

1) Research your options

While perhaps one of the most widely spread and widely used, you're usually not limited to just "Going Greyhound", there are many other, often even more economical options! If you're in the Northeastern Corridor, most major and some medium sized cities have a "Chinatown" bus. These smaller, privately operated bus lines often offer more, if not the most competitive pricing of your options. Also, there are budget lines like Boltbus an Megabus operating out of major cities. Though sometimes more expensive than the Chinatown lines, they frequently offer amenities like Wifi.

2) Approach the bus-trip experience with the right attitude

Recognize that bus travel is not always the chicest or fastest mode of transport. What you lose in time, you save in cost and so vice versa. Also, with more and more people trying to save money these days, the bus can get pretty crowded.

That doesn't mean riding the bus has to be awful! It can be a good way to get a better look at the scenery of the area you're traveling.

This weekend I got a great view of the green fields and forests of.... NEW JERSEY

3) Come early, but expect delays

It's always best to arrive early, so that you are certain to make your
bus. Also, this allows you the chance to get a better seat and make
sure that there is room for your luggage.

However, buses may often be delayed due to things like engine breakdowns, inspections, inclement weather and heavy traffic. This can be endlessly frustrating, but simply being aware that delays are possible makes the occurrence itself much more bearable.

4) Don't sit too close to the bathroom

Just trust me on this one.

5) Remember your manners

Sitting down next to a stranger can be awkward, but it's generally much less awkward if you first ask "may I sit here" or even just "is anyone else sitting here?". It's rare anyone will say no, especially without reason (such as their friend who happened to be behind you in the boarding line, will be sitting there). Remember being mannered doesn't mean being a doormat; being mannered may not even mean being nice. Still, basic manners and civilities often make any social situation more bearable if not more pleasant, and many will appreciate the effort.

6) Pack a snack

This is especially important if you have a long journey! You never know how long the distance between stops at rest areas may be. Also, if you have any dietary needs or restrictions there may not be anything you are able or willing to eat available, even if your bus does make a rest stop. Finally, though bus breakdowns are hardly an everyday occurrence, they still happen! If you have to wait for repairs to be made or another bus to arrive to continue your journey, the wait will be much more bearable if you have something to eat in the mean time.

7) Bring something to do

It is much easier to deal with sitting in one space for a few to several hours if you have something to do. Using the time on the bus to be productive can not only reduce boredom but may also alleviate the feeling that time that could be spent at your destination, is wasted traveling. As mentioned previously, the bus is not the fastest or most stylish way to travel. However, with a little forethought, the time in transit may be put to good use by getting some paper work for home or office taken care of, or engaging in a portable craft such as knitting, or reading.

8) Bring some tunes

Number 8 is similar to item number 7 in that bringing along a personal music player, or headphones for your super fancy phone that apparently plays MP3s, helps to alleviate boredom. Headphones great and small can also save you some unwanted conversations; people are less likely to approach you for small talk about the wonders of where you're going/current events/sex tourism, if your ears are otherwise already engaged.

9) Don't reward aggressive behavior by responding to it

In the event that another passenger or passengers behave aggressively or belligerently towards you, do not respond and move. Move, and alert the driver. It is incredibly tempting to repay such jack-assery in kind, but nothing gives the jerk in question more satisfaction than seeing you riled. This is yet another good reason to bring along some headphones that go to 11. Moving and alerting the driver are not actually required, but I would highly recommend doing both if you genuinely feel threatened or endangered.

10) Be cool and keep calm

The most important thing to remember when making that leisurely journey down the highway, is to keep cool and roll with the punches.

Odds are good that there will be something that does not go quite right. The bus might be on the late side; the bathroom might be broken. However, simply knowing that these mishaps are a possibility, you are already prepared to deal with them on some level. It is always a good idea to consider the things that may go awry during travel, and prepare a course of action. Thinking about such issues ahead of time will also help you to identify and accept the situations that you can do little more than wait out.

Remember, all travel involves some kind of cost, and some kind of risk! All things considered, especially when costs are considered, the bus is not so bad so long as you can spend the time on the road. With some small preparations you may ensure an agreeable, pleasant, and relatively comfortable journey!

THIS WEEKEND: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

Six Months Later and What Do You Get?

2010-07-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Cheap and Cheerful's been operational, more or less, for six months now. Yet, the staff here feels that it may not be entirely clear as to what is, exactly, the subject of this blog.

Cheap and Cheerful is a project that seeks to emphasize living well with-in your means, or at least well enough! You can't buy Bollinger on a Budweiser budget (unless you know a guy or something, in which case, hook us up!), but there's got to be a way to make that cheap beer taste better, or at least ways to make it more enjoyable, right? RIGHT?

The idea for this blog was actually conceived last summer, after two weeks of traveling on an extreme budget. Despite the lack of funds, it ended up being a wonderful experience. Through some creativity, research, cash pooling, and the occasional favor, I spent two weeks visiting museums, parks, monuments, marginally famous thrift-stores and several fabulous bars and taverns in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Following this tour of the Northeastern Corridor, I found myself...broke. Broke, but not too bummed out over this all-too familiar financial situation.

While far from thrilled, I alighted from the crowded, yet thankfully, air conditioned bus to the realization that: if I could make a couple hundred bucks take me a few hundred miles and keep me fed and sheltered for over two weeks, surely I could I figure out a way for a couple hundred a month to keep me entertained at home.

You can't keep up with the Jones-es on a budget, but through some research, some resourcefulness and the occasional D-I-Y effort you can find ways to keep yourself in things like new music, good food, and new clothes. While having some kind of funding for such indulgences helps, sometimes you can manage these little luxuries of life free of charge. We here at Cheap and Cheerful are convinced that you can have quite a lot of fun for very little money and we hope that you will stick with us and find out!

THIS WEEKEND, REPORT ON ~~MONDAY~~ ~~TUESDAY~~ SOON: TALLY'S TRAVELS, TOP TEN BUS TRIP SURVIVAL TIPS

FREE CULT TV

2010-07-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Has your cable been cut? Do you crave classic, obscure, quirky or pulpy programming? The still free web-service Hulu is here to help! The website is already well-known and well-loved for providing the public with access to new episodes of series such as Glee, Lost, Modern Family, and Saturday Night Live shortly after their initial broadcast, but Hulu also offers a back catalog of classics and cult-hits like:

-The live-action series The Tick, featuring Patrick Warburton
-The original The Outer Limits
-Seasons 4-7 of Married...With Children
-Several episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, including Horrors of Spider Island

Also worth perusing is their Film Department! Check out:

-Horror classic and Zombie genre-piece Night of the Living Dead.
-Akira Kurosawa's highly-acclaimed retelling of King Lear, Ran
-Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps
-British '60s sex-comedy The Knack...and How to Get It

Unfortunately due to different licensing terms and agreements, not all series and films are available all the time. Some titles are accessible for weeks or even months, others may expire once a series's season ends or once the new season begins. New titles are added frequently though, and while many of them are about as acclaimed as current offering Cheerleader Ninjas, some searching usually unearths something entertaining if not always edifying (though there are sections devoted to Documentary, Health and Wellness, News, and Food). Enjoy!

Cheap and Cheerful Sells Out: Tally Rose and the great Adsense adventure

2010-06-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Does permitting ads on your website or blog do anything other than clutter the sidebar, and force friends, family and fans to question your integrity? A brief search on the internet on this topic yielded many page results that for us, amounted to the same thing: reply hazy, ask again later.

Join Cheap and Cheerful in an ongoing, casual investigation that will examine: whether Adsense programs really do generate you, the blogger, advertising dollars as opposed to advertising fractions of a cent, the possible ethical questions raised by permitting companies to shill on your page and how exactly Adsense works, or doesn't, for the casual blogger!

COMING UP NEXT MONTH: 5 Tailoring Tricks and Tips You Can Learn to Do Yourself, The Cheap and Cheerful Guide to Drinking at Home, and the Top Ten Bus Trip Survival Tips

Are your favorite brands cutting you a break?

2010-06-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Or are they just trying to (sometimes-not-so) subtly suggest that you remain loyal or try their "new and improved" products? Either way, popular brands of cosmetics, skin-care, snack foods, cleaning products and other household items, often offer free printable coupons on their website! So, if you're partial to a particular moisturizer, candied nut, or paper towel, and you can get it together to remember to visit their website, you may be rewarded for your loyalty with some small savings.

One of the best ways to start finding and using these click and print coupons is the most obvious: think about the types of products you use frequently, then think of and search for the brands of those products you prefer to buy. Companies that offer special promotions and coupons do so on the "special offers" or "promotions" sections of their websites. Sometimes you may have to click the "sitemap" in order to find this section, other times you may have to make a profile in order to view the offers. Unfortunately, due to the increased occurrences of coupon fraud, many websites will ask you to fill out a web-form or make a profile or install a special coupon-printing program before they'll allow you to print their vouchers. While these profiles and programs are always free, they can be inconvenient. Still, as inconvenient as it can be to make YET ANOTHER online profile or fill out YET ANOTHER form, being able to search for and directly print coupons from your home computer remains rather convenient over-all.

Always bear in mind that companies often offer discounts and coupons as a way to advertise their brands or to promote new products. The trick to something like this, is to remember that these printable coupons are only really going to save you some money if you had planned on buying that product in the first place. If you've never used that product before, or had no interest in trying it before you found that coupon, then it's just yet another trick employed by those artful ad-people. Before you print, ask yourself: "do I use this product? Would I be interested in trying this brand if the company wasn't offering a coupon? Am I feeling compelled to buy this item merely because I want the thrill of using this coupon I found?"

*Here are three offers I found on products that my household uses regularly:

$3 off the new President Brie
$1 off any one (1) Seventh Generation laundry product
Save $2 on any new Neutrogena suncare product

Good luck and chipper clipping!

*Unfortunately, some of these offers require that you fill out one of the aforementioned forms and install one of the aforementioned coupon printing program, before allowing you to collect the discount vouchers.

Yippie-kai-YAPTA

2010-06-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

If you're hoping to fly this summer on a budget, but seek a destination not served by Southwest Airlines, consider using Yapta to search for and monitor airfares from other airlines, including international companies. They'll even help you get airline refunds if the price of your flight drops below what you paid!

Powered by Kayak , the travel meta-search engine that assembles information on flights, hotels, and car rentals from several other travel sites, Yapta, like Kayak, allows the user to search hundreds of flights from different companies and compare the airfares. Yapta goes one further than Kayak though, and will monitor the ever-changing prices of a flight or hotel accommodation that is "bookmarked" by a user, and will then notify them through email if and when the price drops.

Registering an account is free and easy, and the site has been field tested by Your's Truly. One of the flights I had bookmarked for London in the beginning of September on United Airlines had fallen as low as $670.30, round trip with taxes and fees included! However, just like Southwest, when you see a fare that fits your budget, it may be worth booking right then. Yapta will notify you once a fare decreases but it won't send a notification if a fare is about to increase.

A quick search today suggests that airfares are sitting on the higher side right now, but who knows what tomorrow will bring for the highly volatile fares?

Some other things to keep in mind:

The earlier you start searching and booking the better. Many suggest 90-60 days ahead of time, but since Yapta will watch your fare prices for you, is doesn't hurt to start searching earlier than that.

Departing during the middle of the week can sometimes make a significant difference in your fare, but other times the savings are negligible. Search a few different dates or take a look at the fare chart to search for the best rate.

SAVING SUX (AMEN)

2010-06-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ah, saving. Socking your money away so that you can do something better with it in the future. Saving kind of sucks, but you just need to do it shushy.

It's never too early or too late to start saving. However, if you find yourself in debt (especially a great amount of debt) it's more important to pay down your debt to avoid the ecu-ring of further interest. If you aren't in debt, and you haven't started saving, there's no better time to start than today!

The sooner you start saving, the longer your money has time to grow. Those of you in your twenties and thirties that are not-yet raising families are in an excellent position to start saving aggressively now.

For example, if you start saving $3,000 per year (that's $250 per month) at the age of 25, and your investment sees a return of 8%, then by the time you're 65 you'd have $839,343! If you waited until 35 to start saving the same amount of money at the same rates you'd have only $367,038. Something of a difference isn't it?

Some thoughts on getting started: if you've never been much of a saver, starting can be difficult to do and may seem impossible. It's not! --Well it's not impossible to start at least. Here are three ways to start saving!

- Clean out your wallet, handbag, satchel or wherever your lose money tends to gather, --if it tends to gather anywhere. Then, take all the change and free floating single bills. Put them aside in a coffee can, jar, antique vase, cute ceramic piggy bank, new savings account, --wherever you have to put it so that you put it away for a rainy day. Unless you're real hard-up for those green backs, you won't miss the coins, be they copper or silver. It's a slow way to save, but it's a way to start and it will grow over time! Especially, if you know, you put it in a bank account or retirement fund where it can gain some interest.

Pennies by themselves are still pretty worthless, but pennies in a pile sometimes amount to something!

- Again, unless you desperately need it to pay a debt or an upcoming bill, save some of every windfall, no matter how small or great the amount. You needn't feel as though you can't go out and celebrate that raise or bonus or scratch-n-win ticket for $500 --but instead of blowing every penny from heaven on a big dinner or fancy toy, pay yourself first. Consider doing it a little differently when you do go out to celebrate a gain. Drinks and hors d'œuvres are usually cheaper than a dinner without drinks, especially if you're splitting those hors d'œuvres plates with a few friends.

- If you have a habit that's born purely of pleasure, consider giving it up for a little while or scaling back on it for a bit and saving the money you would have spent. Let's say you're in the habit of going out to lunch everyday during the working week. If lunch costs you $10 a day, that's $50 a week or $200 a month you might be spending. Even if you only cut down to where you're still eating out twice per week, that's only $20 a week or $80 per month. There is, of course, the possibility that your grocery bill will increase somewhat so that you have food to bring for lunch. Still, groceries are often dramatically cheaper than eating out. Check out this guy who challenged himself to eat well on $1 per day!

Depending on your individual situation or life-style, these suggestions may not work for everyone. Still, they may inspire you to something that will allow you to save a little here and there. It isn't important that you save a lot right away, the important thing is starting, and then continuing to save with some regularity, even if it's just a little here and there. Don't get overwhelmed, when you start from nothing saving anything, much less hundreds of thousands of dollars seems terrifying! It can be tough, but the important thing is to keep at it. Setting a specific goal, or thinking of something concrete (a house, an education, a vacation, the Batmobile) that you want to save for, can help. Remember, isn't delayed gratification the definition of maturity? ISN'T IT?

HIPSTERIFFIC MUSIC MIX FROM iTUNES THROUGH STARBUCKS

2010-06-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Brought to you courtesy of Red Plum.

Through this week until the end of August iTunes has for download, a free, hipsteriffic music mix of ten tracks featuring the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Band, the Shout Out Louds, Goldfrapp, and Hot Chip. While it's maybe not as "edgy" as Starbucks would have you believe, it's not bad. --Well, not once you get over the feeling that you just downloaded a playlist put together through a partnership between Starbucks and iTunes.

Though a highlighting a mix put out through such an unholy alliance gives me a sort of nasty, filmy feeling on my teeth, I can't pretend I don't use both these... what are they anyway? Services? Brands? After all, whenever traveling, whether it's to the big city or some hole out in the sticks, I'm always a bit relieved to see a Starbucks down the corner. This guarantees that even if the coffee is hideously bad every where in town, I will be able to find a palatable, if kinda burnt, cup of coffee somewhere should I get desperate. And while I find the fact that iTunes only works with the iPod a little insidious, I still use iTunes in addition to owning and using an iPod. Eh.

Anyway! Get the playlist here! They're giving it away for free!

STILL TO COME: SAVING SUX (AMEN)

Good News Everyone!

2010-06-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

My check from Global Testmarket cleared!

Huzzah!

Eating Lite: lighter on your wallet?

2010-05-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

ECONOMIC VEGETARIANISM: (n) (the practice of) only eating vegatables because you can't afford to buy meat. From urbandictionary.com

Ah, economic vegetarianism, --also known to many as the collegiate or immediately post-collegiate diet. Truthfully, strict economic vegetarianism may not be the best nutrition regimien. Ensuring that one recieves a balance of the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals and nutrients while undertaking a strictly vegetarian diet can be complicated and difficult (but still far from impossible!). Additionally, though I can tell you with certainty that carrots are still cheaper than steak (they also tend to be crunchier. If you like your steak to crunch, you and I should probably never barbecue together), I've never actually done the numbers to prove that a healthy, varied, vegetarian diet is cheaper than a non-vegetarian diet. Food, the costs of production, industrial farming, and the role and effects of social class in our culture are all complicated issues in and of themselves; the point where these concerns converge raises an entire series of complex questions that are far beyond the scope of this blog.

Don't misunderstand though, this is by no means an indictment of vegetarianism! While I would consult a proper nutritionist (or at least get some free advice from the guy who works at the healthfood store) before permanently switching to a strictly vegetarian diet, economic vegetarianism can be a useful general guideline when you're looking to scale back your bills at the grocer's.

Despite a surge in popularity over the past couple of decades, vegetarian food (especially budget-conscious vegetarian food) still gets a bad rap at times. Though the idea that vegetarian fare primarily consists of bland, boiled vegetables persists, it really doesn't have to be like that! My favourite vegetarian dish to make and serve is a black bean chili dish that was inspired by a recipie I once saw in Nutrition Action. (I say inspired because even the first time I made this dish I was unable to follow their recipe due to a combination of my unwillingness to buy what I thought were unnecessary ingridients for something I was sure I was only gonna make once, and my habit of reading the ingridients lists for recipies, but never the directions.) This black bean chili is easy, it's usually cheap to make, and reheats well in the microwave. Though I usually make this chili for myself to take in my lunch during the working-week, I've served it to many of my dinner guests, and always to compliments.

The great thing about this recipie is that once you have it down, you can mix it up a little bit. The tomatoes and red peppers give this dish a natural sweetness that's pleasant underneath the hotter spices, but also does well on it's own as the main flavour of a milder version. It's easy to make, and most of the ingriedents average out to less than 1$ a piece (the unforunate exception to this, is the key ingridient that gives this dish it's subtle sweetness, the red peppers).

BASIC BLACK BEAN CHILI RECIPIE:

-2 tbsp olive oil (or just enough to coat the bottom of whatever pot or pan you use)
-1-2 red bell peppers*
-1-3 cloves of garlic
-1 onion, red or white
-1 lg can of black beans
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-chili powder
-hot sauce (optional)
-salt and pepper

Optional topping:

- sour cream
-fresh cilantro and/or chives

*An alternative to using so many peppers is to use 1/2 to 1 pepper, and then finely chop or grate up a couple of carrots as well. Carrots are usually much cheaper in the produce section and also have a natural sweetness, that enhances wonderfully when the vegetable is cooked.

1) Dice up your bell peppers! If you like chunkier chili, don't worry about dicing them up too finely. I like mine in bits that resemeble 1"-1 1/2" cubes. Set aside

2) Use your olive oil to coat the bottom of your pot or pan (I think the recipie I adapted this 8stove. Turn your stove burner on to medium-low.

3) After your oil starts to warm (I never wait til it's "screaming hot"), dump in the peppers and let them cook in the oil until they become fragrant and a bit shiney (for me, with my stove, this usually ends up being around 5 miuntes).

4) As the peppers are cooking, dice up your garlic and onions. Once they're cut up, dump them into the pot with the peppers.

5) Continue cooking the pepper,garlic, and onions on medium-low until onions start to become translucent (again, this is usually just takes a few minutes, usually around five of them).

6) Drain and lightly rinse the canned beans. Dump beans into the pot with the vegetables.

7) Next, dump canned, diced tomatoes into the chili pot. Your dish should look a bit watery. That's good. You'll know the chili is down when the liquid from the diced tomatoes cooks down.

8) Take your chili powder, and give a few of good shakes into the pot. I use quite a few good shakes and my chili is usually still pretty mild. If you want a spicer dish consider using a full-table spoon, or adding other, hotter spices of your choice.

9) Add any additional seasonings and herbs you'd ike to use to flavor your chili (such as hot sauce). A few of the things I like to add when I have them on hand are: Adobo peppers, Valentina hot sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes and tabasco sauce

10) Stir your chili.

11) Now walk away from it for a while, and let it cook slowly, on medium-low to low until the liquid from the canned tomatoes cooks down (this usually means your chili cooks for an hour or two. Yes, that is a long time; it's worth it).

12) Make sure you check on your chili and stir it up now and then to make sure none of it burns and sticks to the bottom of the pan.

13) After your water has cooked down, turn your burner off, and spoon the chili into a bowl.

14) Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cut cilantro and/or chives

15) Eat some chili!

HEELS YEAH

2010-05-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

My very first check from Global Test Market came today! And it looks like a real check!

Will my bank cash it?! STAY TUNED! The thrilling conclusion and an actual entry coming tomorrow!

A cheerful wedding can come cheap (well, cheap-ish)

2010-05-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

The months May and June may herald holidays and vacations for some, but for others sunny afternoons and warmer evenings announce the arrival of the wedding season. Spring and summer are no longer the only time to tie the knot these days, but many people still hope to hold spring or summer nuptials. In fact, I had the priviledge of being an attendent in a close friend's wedding just this past weekend.

--Which brings me to today's link: Off Beat Bride . While the site may not have an exclusively "cheap and cheerful" focus, many of the weddings featured highlight couples who were on a budget, stuck to it, and hosted a lovely occasion through creativity, doing some things themselves, and the help of their supportive personal circles (check the wedding-porn section and you'll see that "budget wedding" is a very popular tag).

I'm not due to be wed anytime soon that I can see, but I've always really enjoyed browsing this site. Like many others, I find the level of consumption encouraged by the wedding industrial complex to be flippin' outrageous these days. Still, I don't see why anyone should be begrudged a special day and I think it's extra lovely how the couples come together with the other important people in their lives to plan a ceremony and reception that suits them. Off Beat Bride well demonstrates that a "budget wedding" does not have to mean a depressingly "cheap" wedding. Regardless of what the bridge and groom's (or groom and groom's or bride and bride's) budget may be, every couple featured emphasizes quality and uniqueness through creativity, community and the D.I.Y. ethos.

So if you're planning a wedding some day, check it out. They do wonderful pictorials of real weddings, with commentary from the brides on how they put their one-of-a-kind matrimony-ceremony together. Additionally, the site offers articles that range from tutorials on making your own centerpieces and bouquets, to the ethical condrumn on where to draw the lines with do-(or duplicate)-it-yourself.

Thrift Store Scores

2010-05-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

This Saturday I was able to indulge in my long-loved hobby for thrift store shopping. Here's mah booty-haul:

Polaroid Pronto!SE Land Camera ($1.92) and Polaroid One-Step Express ($4.96)

Vintage tapestry needlepoint day bag, "Bags by Edwards"($6.98)

Large vintage acetate square scarf($1.98)

Large vintage square scarf, fiber content unknown ($1.48)

Total spent: $17.32

Reusing your T-shirts as reusable shopping bags

2010-05-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

As this blog is called Cheap and Cheerful, I'm not sure if any of you readers out there in internet-land shop at markets like Whole Foods and Kroger, but for those who do, these and some other grocery stores offer a discount when you remember to bring your reusable shopping bags. Since the discount offered at most stores is only for a few cents off per-bag-filled-per-order, this practice will probably not save you any big bucks. Still, remembering to bring your own bags will help cut down on the rustling plastic-bag tumble weeds that crowd your cabinets and block your way to the Windex.

Here is a tutorial care of lifehacker.com, courtesy of vividmichelle on YouTube, that demonstrates how to quickly and easily recycle an old T-shirt into a reusable shopping bag.

It's free, it's recycling, you don't need a sewing machine, and even a bag made from your ugly "team building exercise '94" T-shirt looks better than a plastic one. AMIRITE?

Here's mine:

Behold! An old, outrageously over-sized wildlife T-shirt from middle school is now a slightly more attractive alternative for toting groceries, library books, and the many Tupperware containers that make up bag lunch during the working week.

FOOD FUN FRIDAY: I didn't know eggs could go in the microwave

2010-04-23T14:58:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a rather bad habit. For months now I've justified it to myself, rationalizing that sometimes, I just need to do it here and there in the mornings to get through my working week... Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is I love to go out for breakfast, especially on a work day.

Eating a fluffy egg and cheese sandwich on an even fluffier croissant from my favorite cafe really perks up my Mondays through Fridays, especially on weeks where the days are crawling by because my morning bagel just didn't satisfy. Let me tell you though, I have no intention to quit the cafe habit cold turkey. It's important to allow oneself little luxuries here and there (so long as they're little luxuries you're not racking up credit card debits and overdraft fees for), otherwise you feel like as though you're constantly denying yourself which is a)counter productive to savings because you may be more likely to splurge on something you don't really want and b)no freakin' fun.

However, in the past few weeks I've started to feel like this habit has been getting out of hand. So, I thought I would curb this three day a week expense by finding a cheaper alternative that was at least almost as satisfying. --And I think I found it in the microwaved mini-omelet!

Materials:

-Eggs
-Greasing agent (butter, smart balance, butter-like spread of your choice)
-Microwave safe container
-Fork
-Omelet fixin's (cheese, vegetables, salsa, herbs etc)
-Microwave (le duh)
-Seasonings

(1) Get the eggs into the office/restaurant/where-ever-you-may-work

This may be the trickiest part of the entire exercise. I managed to get mine downtown by wrapping them in a clean dishtowel, and placing the towel-wrapped eggs in a close-fitting, sturdy, glass Tupperware container. Two out of two eggs survived a hilly bus ride and the two block stroll to the office.

(2) When it's time for breakfast, (or whenever you like your eggs) get your eggs out and lightly grease the bottom of your microwave-safe container

I recommend using whatever fat or greasing agent you use to cook your eggs at home. I typically would use a little bit of butter. I forgot to bring some though, and found none in the work-kitchen fridge. In the end, I used a smidge of cream cheese; it worked out.

(3) Crack eggs into container, whisk or scramble with a fork

You'll get fluffier eggs if you whisk them a bit more and whisk them so that you get a lot of air in there.

(4) Add your omelet fixin's!

All I managed to scrounge out of our fridge at home this morning was a bit of shredded cheese and some hot sauce. It's enough really, but I bet this would have been even better with some sliced mushrooms, spring onions and diced tomato.

(5) Whisk everything together a little more

Or really you can probably just gently swirl the container around to get your fixin's mixed in a little more.

(6) Put your container with the "raw omelet" in a microwave and microwave on high for ninety seconds for an egg and a half

If using more eggs than that in your mini-omelet, consider these guidelines (located at the bottom of the page) for cooking times.

When eggs are finished, check and make sure that the bottom isn't runny. If it is, the eggs aren't done yet, so microwave 'em a bit more.

(7) When eggs are thoroughly cooked, remove from microwave and season to your taste with salt, pepper, ketchup, Tabasco or anything else you like on your eggs!

I personally like a little bit of salsa and some hot sauce.

(8) Eat some breakfast!

Fluffier than I thought they would be!

Other ideas:

-To make a lower fat version of this recipe, eliminate some or all of the egg yolks by separating the eggs and use only the whites.

-For added richness, whisk in a little milk or cream to the egg mixture before microwaving.

-Use your microwaved egg-scramble to top a toasted bagel or English muffin for a fairly-satisfying-sandwich-experience.

All in all, my microwaved omelet was a little overdone, but it was far from the horror it could have been. I think with a little practice, and some actual vegetables, this could be almost as satisfying as souffle-d eggs on a croissant, with pepper jack and avocado. Almost anyway.

How I learned to stop worrying they'd lose my luggage and LUV like SouthWest Air: 10 things I learned about SW by flying with them

2010-04-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

April is coming to it's final week and Summer fast approaches! For many, that means vacations, travel, other cities not their own. While "no money" generally still means "no vacation", "a little money" might be able to buy a little more vacation than you thought.

One of the first things you need to figure out when going away, is how you're going to get there. For some, the cheapest option might be driving there. Depending on what sort of car you drive, or if you don't drive at all, the bus may be the next best option as far as getting the cheapest fare is concerned. The down-side is that in addition to usually being pretty uncomfortable, time on the road eats into the time you could be spending lounging in a sunny park, or on a river bank or in a nice hotel room somewhere. It could be worth it to pay a few extra bucks and fly...

When someone says the words "budget airlines, I bet the first or second thing that comes to your mind if you live in the United States is Southwest . --What comes to your mind when you hear the words "Southwest Airlines" might be something other than "budget airlines" or "cheap travel". Maybe you think "cramped cabins" or "lost luggage" or "FLIGHT FROM HELL" (-or maybe you just think of this? ).

Horror stories about lost baggage, crowded and uncomfortable planes were all things I had heard, and before I actually flew with them, this bad press had more or less formed my expectations for the experience of flying Southwest. Despite all the bad press, I decided to fly with them anyway. After all, the one thing I knew for sure, was that they still had the cheapest fares to New Orleans.

Here are ten things I learned about Southwest by flying with them:

1) Southwest truly is the greyhound of the skies

Obviously I'm referring to the bus service, not the racing breed. Depending on which flight you book, Southwest is more like a literal airbus. For example, on our way into NOLA, our plane first stopped off in Nashville, TN to let some passengers off, and then let on some others. For some reason I wasn't really expecting this, but it wasn't a big surprise. Briefly I had wondered why our flight from BWI in Baltimore to Louis Armstrong in New Orleans was going to take closer to four hours than two and a half. The brief stop at BNA was a sensible explanation (and probably also explained why two adult-fares round trip cost just over $400 after taxes and fees). That said, the "stop" went fairly smoothly, and fairly quickly. We were probably on the ground for less than fifteen minutes before we were taking-off again.

2) If you have a specific destination in mind, with a specific date, book early!

You get a better rate if you're booking at least two months in advance (these rates may not be better than their special events and sales, but you can't be guaranteed which flights are on sale at a give time of the year). Also, once you've settled on a destination, a date, and a place to stay, I would suggest booking right then! When I first looked into booking flights to New Orleans, the best rates for the dates we could travel came to $79 per person, each way. Despite the fact that I was probably not going to find a better rate than that ANYWHERE, I felt it necessary to mull it over for a couple of hours. I went off to do some chores, made my decision and returned to try to book the tickets. What I had failed to realize was that it had gone from 11pm to 2am so technically, it was the next day. So the fares had gone up slightly. I went ahead and bought the slightly more costly tickets, and boy was I ever glad because they went up again maybe a week later!

3) If the days you want to fly are not set in stone, then when first searching fares, search a range of dates

Most people know that the most expensive day of the week to fly is typically Friday. In my experience however, the cheapest day of the week to fly seems to move around the calendar depending on the time of the year. The first set of dates I searched for my trip turned up rates I wasn't entirely satisfied with; I had a feeling better rates were out there. Fortunately, since I was booking early, with plenty of time to give my vacation notice at the office, I was able to pull up a chart that quoted the fare prices for the entire month and take my pick. Since my travel dates were flexible, I was able to book flights on the days of that month with the best rate.

4) Check-in early!

Unless you're flying Business Select, there isn't any assigned seating on Southwest (and even then, seats aren't aren't so much assigned as business select gets to board first regardless and take their pick). The advantage of this is that there is no extra charge for a window seat or an aisle seat. The disadvantage is that there is no guarantee you'll be able to snag one. Boarding was sort of a managed free-for-all with passengers boarding in groups of 1-30 and then 31-60 for A, B and C clusters. While the attendant made sure that passengers in cluster C did not board before all those in cluster B, nothing was too strictly enforced. That worked out though, because it meant no one scrutinized me -with my B:58 ticket, pushing to the front of my group to secure two adjacent seats for my traveling companion and myself. Because the last thing I wanted to do was get stuck next to some schmuck who's going to spend the next three hours regaling me with tales of their coworkers' marital troubles, while I'm trying to listen to the Boogie Nights soundtrack on my iPod.

5) If you live close to more than one airport, check the travel rates to your destination from all those that are near-by! One airport in your vicinity may offer better rates than the others

I'm fortunate enough to live about halfway between BWI and PHL. For what-ever reason (and I imagine there is one or several) tickets from BWI worked out to be between $200 and $250 cheaper than flights from PHL.

6) Southwest lets you check your first and second bags for free!

In an age where many airlines charge to check any bags and where others are talking about charging for carry-on baggage, two free checked bags offers a savings of up to $120 round trip!

7) Sometimes it's cheaper to drink on the plane than in the airport

This may have been what surprised me most about the airline. I was under the impression that Southwest was more or less the Ryan Air of the US. Meaning that I figured they would charge for EVERY SINGLE THING(non-alcoholic beverages, peanuts, the bathroom) and then tack some additional charges on top of that. Two whiskeys in the sky cost me $10; two whiskeys in the airport bar cost me $20.

8) Southwest was actually a little classier and a little more comfortable than I expected

Similarly surprisingly was that Southwest offers passengers a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage (choice of coffee, tea, soda, juice or water) and snack (we got pretzels and cheese nips). Additionally, my companion and I found ourselves with more legroom than expected (more than I expected anyway). Our flight wasn't quite as roomy as say, United, but seating was a far-cry from the school-bus style seating I expected. There wasn't a lot of reclining action available, but also there were no springs poking me in the back.

9) Maybe Southwest doesn't have the best reputation as far as keeping track of your luggage, but they didn't lose mine

That said, I can't promise they won't lose yours. Just to be safe, if you're bringing enough luggage that you need to check something, I suggest packing only things that are easily (and cheaply) replaced in your hold luggage. The odds that you'll get your bags back are pretty good, but why risk losing your favorite shirt or your new souvenirs? (For the record, the only things packed in our checked bag were toiletries and towels)

10) The pilots' reputation for bad jokes is pretty well earned

WARNING: You will probably laugh anyway.

FINALLY

2010-04-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

MARKETING RESEARCH PARTICIPANT UPDATE: This participant finally reached 1,000 points with GlobalTestMarket today. The check has been requested and is hopefully in the mail. Will I actually get it in 4-6 weeks if I ever get it all? Stay tuned!

COMING SOON: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING THEY'D LOSE MY LUGGAGE AND LOVE SOUTHWEST

Market Research: Don't quit your day job

2010-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, (some of) the ads are true , you can make some additional money taking market research surveys online --but it's probably going to take you some time to get there, and it's not likely you'll earn a lot of extra cash doing it.

I've been filling out surveys for Global Test Market for about a year now. --The good news is that I've never been charged or had my email sold by them to third parties. The bad news is I still haven't managed to clear 1000 market points, which is the minimum to claim any pay-outs.

Currently, I'm sitting at 895 points, just a few surveys shy of that first check. In all frankness though, it's most likely my own laziness that's standing between me and that first check. Lately I've gotten rather frustrated at the number of surveys I do not qualify for, and in the past couple of months, have allowed them to pile up in my e-mail.

Two of my immediate family members work in health care so I'm screened out of a number of surveys about health care systems and pharmaceuticals due to conflicts of interest. I'm sure it doesn't help that my socioeconomic background is common one, and I'd imagine that Global Test Market has their quota of people-doing-this-for-the-beer-money filled pretty quickly. So while my own apathy towards staying on top of my market research participation is likely my biggest obstacle between me and that first $50.00, I don't know that I'd have that check all that much sooner if I was regularly participating.

Still, I intend to retain my membership and keep at it. It's not costing me anything and $ 50.00 buys a lot of cake mix. Or some decent bourbon. You can read a much better article about Global Test Market here.

Sweet Deals? Redplum.com (OR: Coupon Clipping, not just for my Aunt Bev anymore!)

2010-03-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure which coupon circulars and mailers ya'll get, but one that's caught my eye in the past month or so has been Red Plum . It's the first circular I've received in a few years that doesn't end up in the recycle bin whole, in its entirety. I can't exactly say that clipping coupons has saved me a bundle, but hey every little bit helps right? --I know I get some little sad thrill out of actually getting to use a coupon I found, and generally, there's at least one coupon a week for a discount on something I buy semi-regularly.

Though there doesn't seem to be a way to sign up to receive a paper copy of the mailer in your mailbox(though my guess is, if I get it, you're probably getting it too), Red Plum offers printable coupons online if you don't receive their circular through the post. (Actually, the printable coupon thing might be way forward. Less paper is wasted I reckon, when it doesn't go to printing up coupons people don't want or won't use, but what do I know?)

Coupons of interest to me this week are $1.00 off Filippo Olive Oil, and $0.50 off any one Maggio Ricotta Cheese. There's also a couple of coupons up for some recent DVDs including $3.00 off Astro Boy, and $5.00 off the new Twilight movie (I'll try not to judge. I'm gonna go see the new Runaways biopic and the Twilight chick is in that, so, you know, you and I, not so different after all I guess).

Red Plum also offers several articles like the DIY Winter Pedicure and how to use coupon codes to buy clothes. It sort of kills me that someone felt compelled to write up a tutorial on coupon codes, but I did appreciate learning that some merchants allow you to stack, or combine these discounts. The articles are kind of like reading Red Book or Ladies Home Journal in a waiting room somewhere; a lot of the information and "advice" is either common sense, doesn't work, or not particularly useful --but it's free, and once in a while you glean a little tip you're glad to know.

Are the "secret sales" sections and newsletters worth signing up for? Mehhhhhhh... I can't really say yet about the newsletters as I just signed up for them, but the secret sales site only seems worthwhile if you already do a bit of shopping online. That said, they are currently offering some deals with popular companies like Target, Express, Walgreens and Omaha Steaks. They're free to join as well, so maybe if I ever remember to sign into my profile there ever again, I'll find something I can use later.

If nothing else, I've got a voucher for $1.00 off any fresh or frozen Shady Brooks Farm turkey.

The last free internet radio service

2010-03-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

is hardly Last.fm, but I have to say, it's the last --and first one I've used with any kind of consistency and effectiveness.

Do you have your own private internet (connection)? Then you've already paid the price of admission and are all set to start your own personalized internet radio station! If you're old enough to be familiar with Yahoo's Launchcast internet radio service, then you pretty much already know how Last.fm works. If not, Last.fm breaks down to this: you sign up for YET ANOTHER website and create YET ANOTHER profile. After going through the standard procedures of creating a user name, a password and verifying your email you are asked to enter the bands and musicians you like. Based on the bands and performers you enter, Last.fm will create a station tailored to your tastes and preferences. Niffty huh?

Also, if you're willing to download the last.fm scrobbler tool, they can track the number of times you play any track in your iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries and factor in your library play counts to the equation used to create your station. Another similar tool tracks plays from your iPod or MP3 player when you connect the device to your computer to change your playlists or add new music.

In addition to a commercial free radio station made to measure to your tastes, Last.fm also recommends artists not yet in your library that you may like, as well as free MP3 downloads. The MP3 downloads have surprised me the most so far. Shockingly they aren't all crappy local bands just looking for exposure, nor are they all crappy flavor-of-the-next-five-minutes bands that the big labels are trying to push. I actually like most the of the free downloads recommended to me. Some of the more pleasant surprises I've found in my "recommended free MP3" list Crunktessa's remix of Tiga's Shoes, a track from Oh No Oh My's Dmitrij Dmitrij EP, and this electronic piece by Pogo, a track 90% composed of sounds in Walt Disney's 1951 animated feature Alice in Wonderland.

Your facebook status is free advertising.

2010-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

That's all there is to it really. --And you probably already knew that. If you didn't, consider the following: unfortunately, printed periodicals are on the decline. Many local, and even some national papers are shrinking and condensing their layouts to save costs. -And when was the last time you remembered to check the listings in the local daily for things like garage sales, music equipment and appliances?

Are you having a garage sale? Make it your facebook status! Moving and selling your old bed frame and bookcases? Make it your facebook status! Opening an etsy or ebay store? MAKE IT YOUR FREAKIN FACEBOOK STATUS!

So, depending on the number of facebook friends you have, and the level of privacy (or lack there of) on your facebook profile, you may be able to reach close to, or more than the number of people you normally would have had you put up paid classified ads in the local papers and periodicals.

Is it effective free advertising? It all depends on the number of contacts you have established through your facebook profile and how many of them are able to view your status updates. If nothing else, you could always use it as an additional venue while using traditional methods to announce your yard sale extravaganza. I can't say I've established any mathematical equations for computing possible revenue, but I can say the odds are pretty good that if you're reading this blog post, you were linked through my facebook status.

Egg Yolk and Olive Oil: cheap and natural hair treatment, or sticky mess?

2010-02-21T21:53:00.001-08:00

Enough websites and pseudo-scientific sounding articles tout the financial, health and ethical advantages of using "natural" cosmetics and beauty treatments that I was convinced to try one of these kitchen concoctions myself last month. One evening, being out of conditioner and just not bothered enough to drag myself out to the shops I turned to le internet for an alternative. –Searching “natural conditioner” ended up being not the best idea as it returned over 690,000 results. Then I vaguely remembered something about using eggs as a conditioning treatment as they contain some kind of special proteins that are good for your hair, and hey, they feed raw ones to dogs for a glossy coat right? Suddenly I had somewhat improved search parameters.

If you do a search for "egg yolk and olive oil hair conditioner" you get a slew of results such as the one found here at eHow.com. These were not the exact instructions I used, but it gives you a basic idea of the procedure and the ingredients. In the end I used an amalgamation of the first ten or so results I found. My method was as follows:

1) Crack an egg, and separate the yolk from the white. Discard white (or make a reduced fat omelet with it, whatever you gotta do man).

2) Scramble that yolk with a fork.

3)Measure out one tablespoon of olive oil. Pour olive oil into scrambled egg yolk, rescramble contents so that the oil and egg are combined. Here’s what mine looked like:

4) Now go wash your hair and take egg and oil mixture with you.

5) After shampooing and towel drying your hair, carefully pour egg and oil on the top of your head. (Don’t do what I did and spill half of it in the tub, then you have to start over) Do this slowly and carefully as the mixture is rather runny.

6) Spread mixture into hair. (I’d like to say combing the egg and oil through is the best method, but that’s not how it worked for me. I just worked it in to my hair, starting at the root and working down towards the ends as I pulled them up and piled them on the top of my head.)

7) Let the mixture sit on your hair for about twenty to thirty minutes.

8) Rinse hair thoroughly; finish rinse with a run of cold water to improve shine.

My results were better than I had anticipated, but I had anticipated a sticky mess that smelled like salad dressing. The shine factor of my hair was definitely improved, but I didn’t notice those follicles getting that much softer. While this endeavor went over better than I thought it would, I still encountered two problems. First, I failed to rinse all of the conditioner out of my hair. A little bit of the egg and oil remained in my hair overnight, and by the following morning that section of scalp was considerably greasier than the rest. Second, I completely forgot about the risk of salmonella associated with raw eggs, and the fact that rest of my household would kill me if they knew I’d gotten raw egg all over the bathtub and sink. I ended up having to scrub and disinfect the sink and tub before retiring.

The verdict: while I wouldn’t say egg yolks completely fail as a natural hair conditioner, I’d say using them in your hair care is more trouble than it’s worth.

The Goods

2010-02-07T15:37:00.001-08:00

As promised, a pictorial presentation of my new (new to me anyway) clothes.

Silver halter dress from Express. I feel like all I need is some blue eyeshadow and feathered hair and I'm all set for the disco.

Pencil Skirt!

I thought this t-shirt was flippin' hilarious. Almost as hilarious as an "I shot J.R." t-shirt, which I DESPERATELY dream of finding at Goodwill .

A few people have told me that of all the things I acquired at the clothing swap, this was the ugliest. I love it though. It's so 60's! I can't wait to wear it with some white tights, boots and my hair flipped out in a Breck-wave!

A Good Trade

2010-02-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

For the uninitiated, a clothing swap is a social event that, if memory serves, has been touted by many of the lady mags in the past couple of years as THE way to get some free, new-to-you clothes while getting out of the house and seeing the gals (or guys, I reckon, ya’ll share clothes sometimes don’tcha?) at the same time.

It’s a fairly straight-forward operation. The host invites some of their friends over and has everyone bring their unwanted, wearable clothes. Everyone convenes in the living room, the den, the boudoir, what-have-you and the swapping of clothes commences!

There are a few different ways of doing this. One suggestion is each person takes a turn, holds up each item of clothing and says something about it. After each person has finished, everyone is free to go around and make an offer to trade an article of their clothing for an article they saw during the presentation period. I wouldn’t recommend this method if you have more than four total participants, as you could be there all week. Another way is for each participant to set up a little pile, or booth of their stock and go around, pointing to wares that strike their fancy. The original owner may choose to let the fancier have their way with their old blouse for nothing, or they may demand that the interested party make an offer for trade. If the approached party does not care for the offer they are free to decline and see what others may tender in exchange, or demand that the other party make another offer. Tea may or may-not be served.

It sounded simple enough, and while I wanted some new clothes, I was skeptical at first of the success of such a venture. I mean, how many of you have friends who are sartorially similar enough to share clothes? However, a couple Saturdays ago I ended up being quite pleased and a bit surprised by the afternoon’s conclusion.

After arrival, our gracious host Mara, first served a lovely tea, with sandwiches and salad.Then we all tripped up to her room for two hours of agreeable chatter and clothes changing and trading. There was no fighting over dresses or t-shirts, and compliments and encouragement flowed like coke at a disco! Everyone was pleasant, generous, and generally just pretty cool. Also, I just couldn’t believe that not only did I end up with some gorgeous little things dahling, but there were people thrilled to get my tired-ass old clothes in exchange. Who knew? Apparently the ladies at Cosmo.

TOMORROW: PICTURES OF THE SPOILS

Keeping it cheap, keeping it cheerful

2010-02-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Boy howdy now, this here recession sure is a bummer innit?

Maybe you've been laid off, maybe you just graduated and aren't able to find employment within your field of study, --or maybe you've been unable to find employment period. Perhaps you've still got your job and your life and things have just slowed down for you at the office. Maybe things are better for you, and maybe they're worse.

The point is, many of us these days have a bit less money, but I'm hoping that little to no money does not have to mean little to no fun. AMIRITTE? Hopefully I stick long enough with this blog for us to find out!

Cheap dates around Delaware, kitchen-made cosmetics, economical entertaining, and actual trials and reviews of the chirpy, "thrifty" advice found in this day's lady and home mags are all in store as this blog degenerates into something that probably resembles the Hipster Equivalent of Better Homes and Gardens.

NEXT TIME: THE SURPRISING SUCESS OF THE CLOTHING SWAP