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Tuesday, March 27, 2012
$5 off Rioja at Total Wine
This week the regional liquor store chain Total Wine is offering a $5-off coupon for a bottle of Aspaldi Rioja Reserva (2006). Use the online code 3015 at checkout if shopping online, or print the image below (click for full size) and show it to the cashier in-store to get this bottle that's usually priced at $19.99 for $14.99. This coupon is good now, through the 1st of April, or while supplies last; unfortunately this offer is not available in Georgia.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
This week's C&C free download
Cheap and Cheerful is proud to introduce a new feature of a weekly free and legal mp3 download. This week's selection is a bright little tune from The Plimsouls, a power-pop band of the Paisley Underground. Their song "Who's Gonna Break the Ice" is available for free download through the Amazon Mp3 Store. We still haven't figure out a great way to navigate through the store if you want to download a single track, so the easiest thing to do may be to go this page where the collection featuring the free mp3 is being sold, and scroll down until you find the "GET MP3" button for the track. On the version we viewed, the free track is track six.
If you have any recommendations for a free mp3 of the week, leave a link in the comments and we'll feature it in our next edition, in addition to your regularly scheduled mp3.
If you have any recommendations for a free mp3 of the week, leave a link in the comments and we'll feature it in our next edition, in addition to your regularly scheduled mp3.
Friday, March 16, 2012
One more step to building a better brown-bag lunch.
The Kitchn has put together a great collection of packed lunch recipes, ideas and inspirations. Buying lunch out everyday is expensive, but bringing a sack lunch is such a drag if you aren't sure what to pack. While there's nothing wrong with occasionally treating yourself to your favorite sandwich from that cute little cafe around the corner, bringing your lunch to work or university for the week can be better for your health as well as your wallet.
The main collection of (Our) Best Tips and Ideas to Help You Eat a Fabulous Lunch at Work is a great place for both beginners to start their build-your-own-brown-bag-adventure and for packed-lunch veterans to get some innovative ideas. Our personal highlights include: Office Lunch Survival Kit: 6 Essentials to keep at the Office, 5 Quick and Delicious Lunches Under 400 calories and Lunch-Packing Inspiration
The main collection of (Our) Best Tips and Ideas to Help You Eat a Fabulous Lunch at Work is a great place for both beginners to start their build-your-own-brown-bag-adventure and for packed-lunch veterans to get some innovative ideas. Our personal highlights include: Office Lunch Survival Kit: 6 Essentials to keep at the Office, 5 Quick and Delicious Lunches Under 400 calories and Lunch-Packing Inspiration
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
3 Cheap and Cheerful ways to cope with what's left of the cold.
With February coming to a close, many of us in the northern hemisphere are looking forward to longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. While many regions are already experiencing milder weather conditions, winter isn't necessarily over yet. Damp and chilly conditions can persist until well in to April, but here are three ways to cope with the what's left of the cold that don't involve adjusting your thermostat.
1. The Hot Water Bottle
These retro bed-warmers are due for a comeback having already experienced a return to popularity in Japan a couple of years ago. Hot water bottles are easy to use, and an economical way to warm up your sheets. The upfront cost of the items themselves is pretty low (easily under $20 USD), and once you've heated the water no electricity or other power source is required. Hot bottles are a great, often cheaper alternative to an electric blanket, and are less likely to cause a fire. Scaldings are not common, but they can happen so it's important to take care and follow safety instructions. Most hot water bottles come with safety instructions, but safety basics can also be found here.
2. Long Underwear/Long Johns
Long Johns, or thermal underwear still have a reputation as being bulky, woolly, and unattractive, which need not be the case. There is a huge variety of lightweight thermal fabrics these days, from space-age synthetics to cotton blends, to fine but durable woven and knitted silks. The popular brand Cuddl Duds can be found easily, directly through their online store, through third party merchants, and occasionally at outlet stores like Marshalls or TK Maxx. Lightweight thermal undergarments are a great option for those who spend a lot of time working outside as they add a great deal of warmth, without adding a great deal of bulk or hindering your range of motion. A pair of silk long johns feels feather light when worn, and they make elegant, but simple pajamas. While silk thermals don't usually come cheap, you can pick some up now for reduced prices. This scoopneck top from Land's End has been marked down to 24.99, from 49.50.
3. Slaving over a hot stove.
Cooking a nice, hot meal on a cold, wet evening serves two purposes. First, your culinary efforts produce something warm and tasty to heat your innards, and second there's nothing like standing in the dry heat of the oven as it slow roasts some butternut squash or bakes a delicious homemade lasagna. Cooking a hot and hearty meal has other benefits as well; after all the wisdom across budget-living blogs everywhere still contends that cooking at home is always less expensive than eating out. Additionally, cooking a big dinner creates more opportunities to try new recipes and build up your skill-set in the kitchen. There is a huge wealth of culinary inspiration on the web, and a great place for tips on how to make gourmet meals on a tight grocery budget is this and many other articles at lifehacker.
Stay toasty!
1. The Hot Water Bottle
These retro bed-warmers are due for a comeback having already experienced a return to popularity in Japan a couple of years ago. Hot water bottles are easy to use, and an economical way to warm up your sheets. The upfront cost of the items themselves is pretty low (easily under $20 USD), and once you've heated the water no electricity or other power source is required. Hot bottles are a great, often cheaper alternative to an electric blanket, and are less likely to cause a fire. Scaldings are not common, but they can happen so it's important to take care and follow safety instructions. Most hot water bottles come with safety instructions, but safety basics can also be found here.
2. Long Underwear/Long Johns
Long Johns, or thermal underwear still have a reputation as being bulky, woolly, and unattractive, which need not be the case. There is a huge variety of lightweight thermal fabrics these days, from space-age synthetics to cotton blends, to fine but durable woven and knitted silks. The popular brand Cuddl Duds can be found easily, directly through their online store, through third party merchants, and occasionally at outlet stores like Marshalls or TK Maxx. Lightweight thermal undergarments are a great option for those who spend a lot of time working outside as they add a great deal of warmth, without adding a great deal of bulk or hindering your range of motion. A pair of silk long johns feels feather light when worn, and they make elegant, but simple pajamas. While silk thermals don't usually come cheap, you can pick some up now for reduced prices. This scoopneck top from Land's End has been marked down to 24.99, from 49.50.
3. Slaving over a hot stove.
Cooking a nice, hot meal on a cold, wet evening serves two purposes. First, your culinary efforts produce something warm and tasty to heat your innards, and second there's nothing like standing in the dry heat of the oven as it slow roasts some butternut squash or bakes a delicious homemade lasagna. Cooking a hot and hearty meal has other benefits as well; after all the wisdom across budget-living blogs everywhere still contends that cooking at home is always less expensive than eating out. Additionally, cooking a big dinner creates more opportunities to try new recipes and build up your skill-set in the kitchen. There is a huge wealth of culinary inspiration on the web, and a great place for tips on how to make gourmet meals on a tight grocery budget is this and many other articles at lifehacker.
Stay toasty!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Shopping Your Pantry: Tex-Mex Potato Fry
Budget life-style articles always like to suggest that you "shop your pantry" to save money and waste less food. This is not neccessarily as difficult or as easy as it sounds, it largely depends on what you have in your pantry in the first place. The advice of "shopping your pantry" is pretty useless if you haven't got certain staples on hand. While this may seem obvious to anyone who's tried out this particular kernel of wisdom, what may be less obvious is what is helpful to keep in the larder. Personal tastes vary of course, so therefore should personal food stocks but this video from Working Class Foodies is a great place to start.
I would really recommend the entire series, especially for those just learning to cook. In addition to demonstrating many dishes and recipes, the series also teaches many techniques, which really helps to improve and develop one’s culinary skills more quickly. All of the material is so approachable, and in addition to showcasing items like Vegan Snacks for the Super Bowl, Working Class Foodies also offers simple, straightforward tutorials for old favourites like Roast Chicken, Irish Soda Bread, and Latkes.
Cooking with what’s already in your cupboard is easier when you also have some versatile herbs and spices at home as well. Though many spices may seem expensive at first, it’s important to remember that they often go a long way. Some basic herbs and spices that compliment many dishes can be found inexpensively; some downright cheaply if you know where to look. To start, try looking in Dollar (or Pound) stores, the international food aisles at your supermarket and grocers that specialize in a particular kind of international or ethnic food. It’s not necessary to try to fill up your spice rack immediately; start with some essentials and then build off your stores to suit your tastes.
Ten useful basics are: salt, pepper, basil*, rosemary*, thyme*, oregano*, chili powder, ground ginger, cinnamon (whole or ground), and bay leaf.
Local stocks may vary, but it appears as though the American national chain Dollar Tree offers many of these basics for USD $1 or less per item. Discount outlets like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, TK Maxx, and Winners sometimes have more expensive, specialty seasonings for sale in their homewares sections.
(*Though fresh herbs are often more aromatic, it isn’t always practical to keep them in your pantry at all times depending on the season, your geographic location, etc. Some argue that fresh herbs are always superior to dried, but it’s often just a matter of convenience)
This week, since I started the week with some actual food in both the fridge and the larder, shopping my pantry was easy and resulted in something pretty tasty. From some potatoes, red onion, garlic, cumin, ancho powder, dried chives and lime juice, came a Tex-Mex potato-fry.
Served up with some fresh cream and chopped cilantro:
Everything that went into it, was already in my kitchen. In addition to avoiding another trip to the grocer's, I also managed to use up some ingredients likely to spoil in the next few days. This may be the first time I have ever successfully "shopped my pantry".
I would really recommend the entire series, especially for those just learning to cook. In addition to demonstrating many dishes and recipes, the series also teaches many techniques, which really helps to improve and develop one’s culinary skills more quickly. All of the material is so approachable, and in addition to showcasing items like Vegan Snacks for the Super Bowl, Working Class Foodies also offers simple, straightforward tutorials for old favourites like Roast Chicken, Irish Soda Bread, and Latkes.
Cooking with what’s already in your cupboard is easier when you also have some versatile herbs and spices at home as well. Though many spices may seem expensive at first, it’s important to remember that they often go a long way. Some basic herbs and spices that compliment many dishes can be found inexpensively; some downright cheaply if you know where to look. To start, try looking in Dollar (or Pound) stores, the international food aisles at your supermarket and grocers that specialize in a particular kind of international or ethnic food. It’s not necessary to try to fill up your spice rack immediately; start with some essentials and then build off your stores to suit your tastes.
Ten useful basics are: salt, pepper, basil*, rosemary*, thyme*, oregano*, chili powder, ground ginger, cinnamon (whole or ground), and bay leaf.
Local stocks may vary, but it appears as though the American national chain Dollar Tree offers many of these basics for USD $1 or less per item. Discount outlets like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, TK Maxx, and Winners sometimes have more expensive, specialty seasonings for sale in their homewares sections.
(*Though fresh herbs are often more aromatic, it isn’t always practical to keep them in your pantry at all times depending on the season, your geographic location, etc. Some argue that fresh herbs are always superior to dried, but it’s often just a matter of convenience)
This week, since I started the week with some actual food in both the fridge and the larder, shopping my pantry was easy and resulted in something pretty tasty. From some potatoes, red onion, garlic, cumin, ancho powder, dried chives and lime juice, came a Tex-Mex potato-fry.
Served up with some fresh cream and chopped cilantro:
Everything that went into it, was already in my kitchen. In addition to avoiding another trip to the grocer's, I also managed to use up some ingredients likely to spoil in the next few days. This may be the first time I have ever successfully "shopped my pantry".
Monday, January 9, 2012
Lifehacker suggests bin-ends for savings on wine
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.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Keeping Track of Your Budget Keeps Your Budget on Track!
"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!
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!
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