Tag Archives: luxury on less tips

Fresh turkey for next to nothing next year

If you’re like me, then you found yourself staring longingly at the fresh turkeys this year, convinced that they must taste better. After all, they’re fresh.

OK, so I’m not convinced that they do taste better. My husband swears by it, though. I’ll admit, the idea of skipping the thawing process with a huge turkey taking up half my fridge for a week before Thanksgiving is appealing to me. But there’s no way I’m ever going to spend $1+ a pound for fresh turkey when the frozen ones are on sale for 49 cents a pound.

I was kicking myself yesterday, though. You see, this year Tony and I went to a potluck for Thanksgiving Day and cooked our own Thanksgiving meal yesterday. We ran out to the store for a few last minute items yesterday and discovered that fresh turkeys were deeply discounted. They were actually about 40 cents a pound.

“Why didn’t we think of that?” my husband asked.

He’s right. We’ve known since before we bought our turkey that we would be cooking on Friday. It makes perfect sense that fresh turkeys would be dirt cheap the day after the holiday. What else are they going to do with a bunch of fresh turkeys with a sell-by date a week away?

Next year we’ll try a fresh turkey, and we’ll only pay 40 cents a pound. I don’t mind cooking a day late if it’s just us again.

Homemade hot cocoa

Photo by kevinmarsh

homemade hot cocoaTonight is the first genuinely cold night of the season. I’ve spent the evening bundled up in multiple layers under a big comforter on the couch. And you know what goes best with a cold night? Hot cocoa.

When I told Tony I was craving it, he offered to run up to Starbucks with the gift card we’ve had since the wedding. I didn’t want to go out in the cold, though, and I knew he didn’t either. No, I said. We’ll make it at home.

A quick look in the refrigerator, and I realized we were running low on milk. If we made hot cocoa tonight, we might not have enough for cereal in the morning, which would mean a trip to the grocery store tonight.

I started rummaging around in the cupboards to see if I could find something else to satisfy my sweet tooth. Nothing. But I did find some powdered milk that I bought a little while back for homemade bread.

Tony found this recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix. Amazingly, we had everything on hand — just barely. The recipe pretty much tapped out our supply of cocoa, powdered sugar, and powdered milk. (Note: We didn’t have any cayenne pepper, so we left it out. Instead, we used cinnamon. Ours turned out delicious, but if we had cayenne we definitely would have used it!)

We filled a huge Mason jar with the homemade mix, so we’ll have hot cocoa to last us all through winter. Just add water! Every bit as delicious as any hot cocoa I’ve ever had, but so much cheaper than regular milk (and definitely cheaper than Starbucks)!

Why pay more for lean ground beef?

Tony and I don’t eat a lot of red meat. Occasionally we’ll grill a nice lean steak, but we eat more chicken than beef. It’s mostly because when we do buy ground beef, we like to buy very lean beef, usually about 90-94% lean. Have you seen the prices for lean beef? It rarely falls below $4 a pound. We’d just as soon cook with chicken, which is healthier and only $2 a pound.

This week, Tony had a craving for Shepherd’s pie. We were picking up our Thanksgiving turkey and some steaks on sale. We needed beef for the pie, but I wanted to save some money. I decided for this week that the extra 10% fat in the $2 a pound ground beef wouldn’t kill me.

I was shocked at how much extra fat cooked out in the pan. We’ve been cooking with lean beef for so long that I’ve gotten used to seeing very little fat in the pan.

We cooked all of the fat out, drained it completely, and patted it down with paper towels to remove the excess fat. And you know what? It was basically the same. Obviously, I can’t say for sure that it was just as lean as the 90%, but it sure seemed like it once it was drained well.

I know, this one seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a revelation for me. I’ll never pay $4 a pound for ground beef again. That works for me!

Eating out doesn’t have to be all or nothing

Photo by vox_efx

When times are tough and it’s time to cut back, restaurant meals are often one of the first things to go. We try to keep eating out to an absolute minimum. Cooking at home is not only healthier but also more economical.

Cutting back doesn’t have to mean cutting restaurant meals altogether. We enjoy eating out, and we like to go out once a month. The problem with limiting restaurant meals is that it’s often tempting to go overboard when you do get to eat at a restaurant. Drinks, appetizers, desserts … adding those things can double the cost of your meal.

Eating out doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though. There are ways to keep the costs low and still enjoy the fun of a good restaurant meal. Here’s how:

Go out for lunch.

Prices are often lower, and many restaurants offer lunch specials. If you’re craving a restaurant meal for a low price, lunch is often a better option than dinner.

Drink water.

Alcoholic beverages often cost almost as much as an entree. Even fountain sodas can tack on an extra $2 each to your bill. Ordering ice water with a slice of lemon is not only a healthier option, it’s also free.

Don’t order more than you’ll eat (or more than you should eat).

Restaurant portions are usually ridiculously big. Even if you have the willpower to resist overeating, you’re still paying for food you can’t finish. Many restaurants are now offering smaller portions for a lower price.

If they don’t, I ask if they’ll allow me to order from the kids’ menu. I’ve never had a waiter tell me no. Sometimes they’ll add a dollar or so to the price since I’m not under 12, but most of the time they let me order the kids’ portion at the kids’ price. It’s just the right amount of food for me, and it usually only costs $4 or $5. That’s a huge difference from the regular entree prices of $8-$12.

Order an appetizer instead of an entree.

Appetizers are often just as filling as entrees at a lower price. My husband and I sometimes order one appetizer each and split them.

Take advantage of specials.

A lot of times certain entrees are on “special” for a lower price. Take this opportunity to pay less for your meal and try something new.

Many restaurants also offer special deals like reduced-price appetizers or entrees on certain weeknights. If your favorite restaurant offers specials like this, try to schedule your meals out on these nights.

Fill out comment cards and mail them in.

At the end of the meal your bill often comes with a comment card or survey. I always fill these out and mail them in. In return, I often receive coupons for money off or free appetizers just for giving my opinion. They even pay the postage.

Use gift cards.

If you’re enrolled at MyPoints, there are a ton of restaurants that offer gift cards for points. (If you’re not already enrolled, email me for a referral link!)

Another option is Restaurant.com. They offer “gift certificates” for restaurants at a reduced rate (usually $10 for a $25 gift certificate). They sometimes offer promotions for even more money off, and you can often get $25 gift certificates for as little as $2.

What’s the catch? You have to spend a certain amount on your meal to redeem the gift certificate. You might pay $2 for a $25 gift certificate, but your total bill has to be $35 not including taxes, tip, or alcohol in order to redeem the gift certificate. You’re still getting a $35 meal for $12. Not too bad! Check the site to see if any restaurants in your area offer gift certificates through Restaurant.com.

Victoria’s Secret bras for cheap

I’ve admitted before that I love to shop at Victoria’s Secret for bras. I can’t afford the high prices there, though. So how do I fund my Victoria’s Secret habit? I wait for deals like the one Thrifty Mama posted yesterday.

Using the coupon codes at Thrifty Mama, I got two bras and a pair of underwear for about $20 including shipping! My total before coupons was almost $60. And that’s with the sale price for the bras. I think retail value for this order without the sale would have been over $100.

Thrifty Mama suggests going with the 2/$40 bras, but the deal will work with more expensive bras, too. It’ll just be a couple dollars more. I bought he 2/$44 bras, and it worked fine. She also gives a specific item number for black panties, but the deal will work for any style of cotton panties as long as they’re a plain color (white, black, ivory, buff, or whisper pink).

These deals only come once or twice a year, so I suggest you hurry before it expires!

Dressing well on less

Photo by .leila

With the temperature finally beginning to fall to a slightly crisp autumn chill, it’s time to start reevaluating my cold weather wardrobe.

Shopping for clothes can be tough on a frugal budget, especially when you’re building a business-casual office wardrobe that has to consist of more than jeans and t-shirts. With a little extra time and effort, it’s possible to build a complete wardrobe that will keep you looking great for work or play without spending a fortune.

1. Think classic, flattering styles, not trends.

Every season has its trends that come and go. Dressing for the trends is a great status symbol, but it’s not so great on your budget. Instead, shop for flattering, classic clothing that will never go out of style.

Tailored shirts, comfy but chic fitted sweaters, casual long-sleeved tees, and pants (trousers or jeans) with a slight boot cut are classic styles that are always in fashion.

The best part? You can handpick the fashions that look best on you. Trendy styles are often reserved for certain body types. When you choose your own classic styles, you’re guaranteed to look good.

2. Make a few pieces go further by coordinating them into different looks.

I shop for clothing in a few color palettes that are particularly flattering for me. Black is a classic color that looks good on everyone, but you can personalize your wardrobe by picking the color palettes that look best on you.

I shop for greens and browns; blues, blacks, and greys; and other colors that will flatter these palettes. Shopping for clothing within certain color palettes will make it easier to coordinate a lot of different looks with a few nice pieces.

3. Choose tops based on the pants you already own.

Because pants are usually more expensive than tops and less likely to make it to the clearance rack in my size, I choose tops based on what will look best with the pants I own.

I have a couple pairs of flattering jeans, some khaki pants in tan and brown, and dress pants in grey, black, and khaki. I’ve collected these over a couple seasons, and I tend to shop for tops that will look good with the pants I already own.

4. Don’t be afraid to shop off season.

If you’re shopping for classic pieces, it doesn’t matter when you buy them. I’ve found most of my best deals at end-of-season clearance sales.

A couple weeks ago I found a nice pair of light khaki pants for $15, more than half off the original price. I also bought some summer tops for $2-$4. I won’t be able to wear them until next year, but they’ll be brand new when they come out of storage.

It’s a lot of fun to find these “new” clothes that I often forget that I bought by the following year. When I unpacked my winter clothes, I found a beautiful cashmere sweater that I bought for $10 last spring and haven’t worn yet. What a fun surprise!

5. Take good care of the clothes you have, and avoid clothing that requires expensive cleaning.

Follow care instructions carefully. Treat stains immediately with cold water and stain remover. Consider hang drying instead of machine drying to extend the life of your clothing. I’ve kept some pieces looking great for several years simply by caring for them properly.

Keep this in mind when selecting clothing, too. If you have to dry clean it every other week to keep it looking nice, it’s probably not a great investment.

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Feeling down? Don’t let it tempt you to overspend (or overeat)

It’s just been one of those weeks. Everything is just … blah. Nothing in particular, really. Maybe it’s because it’s my first full week back after a short vacation. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling deprived of fall in the 85-degree heat. Most likely I’m just more than a little homesick for the beautiful Midwestern fall weather and for my friends and family back home.

At any rate, I’ve been feeling down in the dumps.

Usually when I’m down, the first thing I reach for is something extremely bad for me to eat. Chocolate. French fries. Pizza. Whatever. But I’m watching what I eat now, so that’s not really an option.

Instead, I was craving seared tuna. A downtown restaurant makes a delicious seared tuna that I found myself thinking about as the afternoon wore on. It seemed like the perfect comfort food. I was so tempted to call my husband after work and tell him to forget about the meal we’d planned (roasted chicken breasts) and take me out to dinner.

But we’re already cutting it close with our grocery budget for the month. And honestly, overspending or overeating never really make me feel better when I’m down. Sure, it’s great temporarily, but when the meal is over and the bill arrives, I feel sick — not just because I’ve probably eaten too much and wrecked a week of dieting, but also because it’s extra money we shouldn’t have spent.

It never fails. I feel worse than I did before the meal.

Instead, I called my husband and asked him to start thinking about how we might recreate the seared tuna recipe. On my way home, he gave me a very short grocery list. Basically tuna and rice. We had the rest of the ingredients on hand.

For about $10, we made our own seared tuna at home. It was absolutely delicious and completely satisfied the craving. The chicken breast that we defrosted in the refrigerator last night will be just as good for another meal early next week.

The money we spent will fit easily in our entertainment budget for which we allow about $12.50 a week. No big deal this weekend since we’re going to a work-related picnic Saturday that won’t cost us a dime.

After a healthful, delicious meal I’m feeling better, and I didn’t have to break my diet or my budget.

Luxury on Less Tip: Cut down your coffee consumption

(Photo by gwpriester.)
I love to start my morning with a hot cup of fresh ground coffee. Any more than one cup gives me the jitters for the rest of the morning, but one cup is just enough to wake me up.

Brewing coffee at home instead of stopping at Starbucks every morning is half the battle when it comes to saving money. But what about the high price of coffee beans?

For months, Tony and I were throwing our money down the drain with expensive coffee … literally. Not only were we paying $10 a pound for gourmet beans, but we were brewing a whole pot every morning and pouring half of it down the sink.

You don’t have to brew 12 cups just because your pot will hold it. We cut the beans and water in half, making only 6 cups. It’s the perfect amount for each of us to have a cup. Most importantly, nothing gets wasted.

We also buy our coffee beans at Costco where we pay $10 for two pounds. They’re high-quality organic beans at half the price we paid at the grocery store. Since we only brew half pots every day, we usually only have to buy coffee once a month.

Of course, the easiest way to save money on coffee is not to be so picky. Pre-ground beans are usually less expensive than whole beans, and brands like Folgers and Maxwell House are often on sale.

If you can’t get by on one cup a day, your best bet is to buy the cheaper, pre-ground coffees. Don’t like the flavor of Folgers? Try some different brands until you find the flavor and price that works best for you.

You can also try experimenting with the amount of grounds you use. You may be brewing your coffee stronger than it needs to be. Cut back a little every day until you notice a difference in flavor quality.

Bonus tip: Always make sure your coffee pot is clean! Running a vinegar solution through the pot once a month will make a world of difference in the flavor of your coffee, even if you’re brewing cheaper brands.

Luxury on Less Tip: Fresh scents without paying more

I love to burn candles, especially when I’m hosting visitors or relaxing at home in the evenings. I’m especially partial to Yankee Candle. Unfortunately, anybody who’s ever shopped there, or for any candles for that matter, knows they’re incredibly overpriced.

The nice thing about Yankee Candles is they do burn for a long time compared to other candles. The problem with investing $20-$30 in a candle is that you’re stuck with that scent for as long as it takes to burn the candle.

I like to try different scents and change them up with the seasons, but I certainly don’t want to spend the money on several full-sized candles. My solution is burning votives and tarts instead of full-sized candles. Votives and tarts are regularly priced at $1.99 each, but I never pay full price. I stock up during seasonal clearance sales or by using coupons. If you register online, you’ll frequently receive coupons and other offers from them by email. I think the first one they send is $10 off a purchase of $25.

You would think that a larger candle would be more economical than several tarts or votives, but they actually cost the same amount per hour of fragrance. The largest jar candles cost $25 for 150 hours of fragrance. That’s about 17 cents an hour. Tarts provide about 12 hours of fragrance, and regularly cost $1.99 each, which also comes to 17 cents an hour. At the same price per hour, you can get a wide variety of scents.

Votive candles don’t require any additional investment to use them; as long as you have a votive candle holder, you can burn them.

I prefer tarts because the scent is stronger, and they burn cleaner than candles. They require an initial investment of the tart burner, though. If you buy them in the store, you’ll pay $12-$20 for a tart burner. I’ve bought generic knock-off burners at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for as little as $2.99. Unless you buy an electric burner, they also require tea lights to melt the tarts. I usually pay $2.99 for 100 tea lights, and because I only burn candles on certain evenings and special occasions, they last me months.

For me, buying tarts and votives is like buying samples. When I find a scent that I particularly love, I might consider investing in a full-sized candle. Maybe. But most of the time, I’m content to burn a wide variety of tarts.

Right now through Sept. 21 at YankeeCandle.com you can buy tarts and votives for $1 each – 50% off the original price. Just use the coupon code XF809B2. Unfortunately, this deal is only worthwhile if you’re really planning on stocking up, because they charge a flat rate of $6 to ship orders under $100.

I received a printable coupon for $1 tarts by email for in-store use, but I can’t find it on the site. If you receive emails from Yankee Candle, check your inbox to see if they sent you a printable!

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