It’s like a restaurant but without the tip

I love to eat at restaurants. Rather, I used to love restaurants. With the exception of some sushi places, and a few small chef-owned jaunts, it’s just not worth it. I’m especially tired of eating at the chain restaurants. The quality of the food, and often the service, has declined while the prices have gone up! Everything looks good on the menu but the real dish never measures up. Don’t even think about the ridiculous amounts of fat and calories. Then there is the sticker shock of the bill and you still feel obligated to tip a less than attentive waiter. Lately, I’m just finding restaurants to be disappointing and expensive.

There are lots of ways to save on eating out. Order water instead of soda or pricey drinks, skip dessert and stop for ice scream on the way home etc. Many blogs and articles have been written on early bird and coupon dining. Instead, I’ve been looking at recipes for my favorite dishes and stepping up my cooking skills as a way to enjoy good food without the cost of a night out. So far I have found allrecipes.com to be the best recipe site. The instructions are generally easy to follow and the reviews are really helpful. I also love thekitchn.com. Faith has a great writing style and interesting recipes.

I’m a huge fan of ethnic food. Italian is really easy to make. In the summer, tomatoes, peppers and squash are easily found at farmers markets and local stands. In the winter, you can pick up canned tomato on sale and still reap the benefits. Ratatouille and great sauces are not difficult. Make a big pot of really good tomato sauce on the weekend and you have a couple of dinners for the week. You can have spaghetti with sauce one night, then make an easy eggplant or chicken parmesan another. Pan fry thin slices of eggplant or chicken thighs till they are cooked through. Then then place them on a sprayed baking sheet. Top with mozzarella or provolone cheese and bake at 350 till the cheese melts. Top with some warmed up sauce and shredded parmesan and your done. Actually, most leftovers topped with cheese and a good tomato sauce are tasty.

Asian and Indian are two of my favorite restaurant standards. I’m working on gaining some skill at these. I found a fabulously easy recipe for Chana masala, a chick pea based Indian dish that is easily made spicy or mild. There are, as with any Indian dish, some spices you don’t have in your pantry, but if you like Indian food, you should invest in them. Get familiar with small ethnic grocery stores. Many “exotic” ingredients or spices can be found really cheap there.

Japanese Soba noodles with peanut sauce is really good, and easy to make. So are stir fried frozen veggies with curry powder and coconut milk.

Check the web. Look for a good recipe book at the library or thrift store, or dust off one of your own. You’ll be surprised at what you can do in the kitchen.

On the subject, some recipe sites have an ingredient search. You enter the ingredients you want or have on hand, and the search will return results based on your entries. This is really helpful when you are on a budget and trying to cook from what you have without an extra trip to the store.

The Rule of Half

One of the easiest ways to save money and use less is to try cutting things in half. You will be surprised at how much you overuse when you start this process. One of my favorite books, The Tightwad Gazette, mentions this idea and I’ve been using it ever since I read about it.

Take whatever you are about to use and cut it in half. My first attempt was with dryer sheets. I started tearing the dryer sheets and using only half a sheet per load. I found that there is no difference in the result compared to a whole sheet. That was easy so I tried it with laundry detergent. Again, success! Next, shampoo, toothpaste and other personal items worked well. Automatic dishwasher detergent did not work with less. I still fill the cup, but I did find the store brand works just as well as the pricier stuff. Sugar in my coffee and butter on my toast worked well by using half and are probably better for my health too.

On the subject of food, look at the serving sizes. Start measuring out the serving sizes and you will be surprised at how much you over use. Creamer in the coffee is one that shocked me. I measured out a tablespoon and it is much less than the amount I was using. I tried using less coffee but I have to draw the line there.

Use your judgement, of course. Do NOT try this with prescription medicine, but do this with mundane things and see what happens.

Clear out the Clutter

Apartment therapy’s 20/20 Home Cure episode today got me started in clearing out the bookshelf but I took it a bit further. Instead of just clearing out the books I went for the whole office. 

The best way to clear out a room is to do exactly that. Empty it completely. Remove anything you can, leaving only the bare furniture, shelves and walls.  Arrange the furniture in a way that opens up the room and provides the functionality you really need.

Once its empty, think about the purpose of the room. Visualize what this room should look like and what you really want in it. Now, start putting things back. Only put back the items that are useful, aesthetically pleasing and have a purpose there. The purpose may just be that you like it but think in terms of the perfect room.

Once you have only what you really want in the room, take everything left outside and put it away. Not sure how to deal with what’s left outside? Make three boxes: another room, donate and out. No boxes? Don’t loose momentum here. Trash bags or even piles will work, just don’t bring it back in the room. If it belongs in another room, put it there, if it’s broken or useless, throw it out/recycle it. If it can be used, donate it or put it in a box to go out and give it away.

Every time you walk into this room you will feel good.

Holidays on the cheap

I know you will see a million articles and blogs on how to do things for the holidays in frugal ways. Here are the ones I’ve found to work without making all your gifts out of used potholders.

Holiday Meals: If you have a large gathering, or even a small one, ask each of your guests to bring their favorite or “specialty” dish. It’s not wrong to ask what they’re bringing or suggest a dish. “Aunt Mabel, everyone loves your pecan pie, would you consider one for this year?” That way you don’t have four string bean casseroles. Planning ahead is also important. Look at the store specials and buy what you can on sale. Frozen turkey, thawed in the fridge three days beforehand is way cheaper than a fresh one. If you’re not a traditionalist or having just the family, consider a chicken or just the turkey breast, or not a turkey at all. If you are really strapped, and invited somewhere else, accept the invitation and ask what you can bring.

Christmahanakwanzika: Okay it’s Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza put together, but it is gift giving season no matter what. Among our friends I’ve told them we are just giving to the children this year. Most parents do appreciate this and are happy to save a bit of money too. You can still give a card addressed to the family.

If someone’s having a party, it’s customary to come with a hostess gift. These are easy, a few pretty soaps, dollar store ones are nice enough wrapped with rolled wash cloths and a ribbon are a nice gift. Use a pretty leaf or twine for festive additions to the wrapping. Baby gifts like bibs or a plush toy or rattle are easy to find in most places. For small children 3 to 6 year olds, a couple of match box cars, or dress up toys are great from the dollar store.  7 to 12 year olds: playing cards like uno or old fashioned gifts like yo yo’s, paddle balls or a small box of legos can be found cheaply. Over 12 is a bit tougher. If you’re not absolutely sure, stay away from the latest trends. Chances are the trend is old by the time you know about it. This age group is picky. I hit the office supply store:  a new set of earphones, a usb drive in a fun shape or color, cool pens, pads, journals etc. The dollar section at Target is a good place for this but you have to have some discipline to stay away from the rest of the store.

Office exchange: While your at the office supply store, get a good deal on some nice pen sets. If you are really broke, a mug from the dollar store with some tea or hot chocolate pack with a ribbon is always your best bet.

Don’t forget the thrift shop. There are always nice candle holders, dishes and mugs for super cheap. Buy a few pretty china dishes and then bring cookies, brownies or other food gifts. It’s a great place for baskets too. I’ve found so many name brand dishes from noritake to crate and barrel. You will be surprised.

Sunday morning ritual

My favorite Sunday morning. It's early. Everyone is still sleeping and the house is quiet. I tip toe into the kitchen to make coffee. I use the French press so I dont make too much noise. Coffee in hand, I set it down by my favorite cushy couch and head outside to get the paper, cold and barefoot. I find my spot on the couch and spend the morning reading the paper cover to cover. The Miami Herald when I was young, the Washington Post later on, then the Union tribune. It didn't matter, just me, the peace and quiet, my hot coffee and a portal into the rest of the world.

Wait! That used to be my favorite Sunday morning. I still make my coffee and creep quietly to my favorite spot, only I no longer get the paper. I read all my favorite news and blogs on the iPad. I like skipping the cold sidewalk and wet plastic sleeve on the news. I like not having to remove the sports section to get to the editorials. I like that I can sit and drink my coffee without newsprint on my hands and cup.

I now read: USA Today and Google News, The Washington post, Unplggd, Facebook, Twitter and a few others, all aggregated in flip board. It looks a bit like my familiar newspaper, but without the trip to the recycle bin when I'm done.

Get Support!

Your friends or family may be influencing your spending. If you are spending, shopping, eating out too often, etc. Look at the reasons. Are you keeping up with the Joneses? Are your friends spendthrifts? Are they in debt too? Are you looking to fill a void in your life? Is it an emotional release? Associate yourself with people who have the same intentions; Living within their means. Talk to your spouse, family and friends and include them in this process. The more support you have, the better.

Find inspiration on the Internet as well. Subscribe to money saving newsletters. http://www.stretcher.com and http://www.thefrugallife.com both have great and inspiring newsletters and forums to meet other people who are living within their means. Join in on frugal and money saving forums. Watch out for get-rich-quick schemes. They will never make you money.

Of all the books I read, I have found two of them to be most helpful. The first book is “Your money or your life”. As with any self-help book, you will find points in this one that no longer make sense in our economy. However, the first few chapters are eye opening. Changing your view of money is critical in changing your financial picture. The second is “The tightwad gazette” this one is fun to read from cover to cover. It’s full of great tips and stories to keep you motivated. I don’t rewash plastic Baggies, but I love the pizza dough recipe and it’s written in an easy to read manner.

One last thought; everyone has an opinion, advice, tricks and tips to help you. Pick and choose what works for you. Not everything will be right for everyone. You control your own destiny and financial future. The hardest part is to get started.