This Thanksgiving, why not start some new family traditions? Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year when extended families are typically gathered together. What better time to start some new holiday customs?
How about a long walk together after dinner? I'm sure everyone would welcome the chance to walk off that turkey and the extra helping of mashed potatoes! If there's nowhere to walk in your neighborhood, you could always drive to a nearby park or trail.
One idea I'm sure the hostess would appreciate is drawing names for chores. Since the person hosting has gone through all the work of preparing the meal, it's only fair that everyone else should pitch in with setting the table, clearing the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, etc.
A particularly nice tradition, in my opinion, is to invite friends or acquaintances who are not having their own family get-together to celebrate with your family. If your guests are from another country, have them bring a traditional dish from their homeland to share. This should bring some new and interesting foods into the mix!
Some families pose with the entire clan for a picture on Thanksgiving Day. This photo is then used to create their annual Christmas cards. In larger families, sometimes names are drawn on Thanksgiving for the Christmas gift exchange as well.
Another nice idea is a toast at the dinner table in honor of family members who have achieved something during the year. It could be a promotion, high school graduation, a marriage, the birth of a new child, beating cancer, etc. For non-drinkers, make sure to have some sparkling cider on hand so they can participate.
After the table is cleared and everyone is in a turkey torpor, why not pull out those traditional holiday films and get into the holiday spirit? It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street are two of my favorites.
If the women in your family usually go shopping on Black Friday, what about having the women in the family sleep over so they can get an early start in the morning? While they are pounding the pavement for deals, the men can be pulling out the Christmas decorations and getting a jump on decking the halls!
I hope this post gives you a few new ideas for ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family. I would love to hear what some of your traditions are, too!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Love Don't Cost A Thing
As I stooped to pull a weed from my neighbor's yard the other day, the idea for this post popped into my head. What little things can we do to help others, and make ourselves feel great, that are absolutely free?
If you have an elderly neighbor, or one that's been injured recently, pull a few weeds in their yard or take out their barrels on trash day.
Give out compliments liberally, but only if you really mean them. People can recognize an insincere compliment.
Leave a few coupons you can't use by their corresponding products on the shelf.
When you bake, bake a little extra for your neighbors.
Hold the door for someone, especially if you see they have their hands full.
In the morning when you retrieve your newspaper from the end of the driveway, grab your neighbor's too and place it on their porch.
Take an extra minute to greet the person who serves your coffee or helps you at the bank. Give him or her a nice smile.
Call someone who lives alone or has been ill recently just to see how they are doing.
Offer to collect your neighbor's mail or water their yard while they're away.
Take a minute to find a few things around your house you can donate to a thrift store, homeless or battered women's shelter, or animal rescue.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. I would love to hear your ideas too. Once you get in the habit of doing nice things for others, it will become automatic. Give it a try today, and remember, your good karma is sure to come back to you!
If you have an elderly neighbor, or one that's been injured recently, pull a few weeds in their yard or take out their barrels on trash day.
Give out compliments liberally, but only if you really mean them. People can recognize an insincere compliment.
Leave a few coupons you can't use by their corresponding products on the shelf.
When you bake, bake a little extra for your neighbors.
Hold the door for someone, especially if you see they have their hands full.
In the morning when you retrieve your newspaper from the end of the driveway, grab your neighbor's too and place it on their porch.
Take an extra minute to greet the person who serves your coffee or helps you at the bank. Give him or her a nice smile.
Call someone who lives alone or has been ill recently just to see how they are doing.
Offer to collect your neighbor's mail or water their yard while they're away.
Take a minute to find a few things around your house you can donate to a thrift store, homeless or battered women's shelter, or animal rescue.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. I would love to hear your ideas too. Once you get in the habit of doing nice things for others, it will become automatic. Give it a try today, and remember, your good karma is sure to come back to you!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Carve Out Some Frugal, Fun Time With Family and Friends
When October rolls around, one of the things I look forward to the most is my sister's annual Pumpkin Carving Party. We always have at least 20-25 participants in the carving contest, and lots more people just socializing, drinking wine and watching the contestants. She fills the whole house with decorations collected over the years. Some people wear costumes, some wear Halloween t-shirts, and some just come as they are.
It's not a really expensive event to plan, because everyone brings a dish for the buffet, and a pumpkin to carve. If you can't find a pumpkin you like, try a turnip, beet or butternut squash. Those all work well, and have a unique look. The hostess provides drinks, more food, and prizes for the contest winners. We pick up prizes inexpensively at the after-Halloween sales for the next year.
Usually people arrive in mid-afternoon, hang out, talk and eat for a couple of hours, then the carving begins. We have a binder of patterns that we have saved and photocopied over the years for those who don't know what they want to carve, but most people just free-hand a design with a permanent marker. We stock up on those carving kits with the tools after the holiday every year, so we have plenty on hand. We also stock up on those little votive candles at the end of the season. When it starts to get dark, we line all the pumpkins up, light candles inside each one, and draft some party-goers who did not carve to be impartial judges. We have categories like cutest, spookiest, most original, most traditional, scariest, friendliest, etc. We make sure all the small children win a prize so no one feels left out. We always try to have a variety of prizes for different age groups. At the end of the night, everyone takes their pumpkin home to display.
Host a Pumpkin Carving Party this year. You, your family and friends will all have a great time, guaranteed! Don't forget to save and roast the seeds in the oven. Salt lightly for a tasty, inexpensive and healthy snack!
It's not a really expensive event to plan, because everyone brings a dish for the buffet, and a pumpkin to carve. If you can't find a pumpkin you like, try a turnip, beet or butternut squash. Those all work well, and have a unique look. The hostess provides drinks, more food, and prizes for the contest winners. We pick up prizes inexpensively at the after-Halloween sales for the next year.
Usually people arrive in mid-afternoon, hang out, talk and eat for a couple of hours, then the carving begins. We have a binder of patterns that we have saved and photocopied over the years for those who don't know what they want to carve, but most people just free-hand a design with a permanent marker. We stock up on those carving kits with the tools after the holiday every year, so we have plenty on hand. We also stock up on those little votive candles at the end of the season. When it starts to get dark, we line all the pumpkins up, light candles inside each one, and draft some party-goers who did not carve to be impartial judges. We have categories like cutest, spookiest, most original, most traditional, scariest, friendliest, etc. We make sure all the small children win a prize so no one feels left out. We always try to have a variety of prizes for different age groups. At the end of the night, everyone takes their pumpkin home to display.
Host a Pumpkin Carving Party this year. You, your family and friends will all have a great time, guaranteed! Don't forget to save and roast the seeds in the oven. Salt lightly for a tasty, inexpensive and healthy snack!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Create, Relate, Celebrate!
Today marks the fourth annual World Cardmaking Day. This occasion was created to celebrate the creativity involved in making your own cards, to provide an opportunity for card-makers around the world to connect, and to officially kick off the holiday card-making season. Why not celebrate by making some handmade cards?
Basic card stock can be found at craft stores such as Michael's or Joanne's, or even sometimes at your local dollar store. Although you can buy a lot of beautiful stickers, rubber stamps and ink at such stores, I think it's a lot of fun to use materials found around the house. A potato can be cut in half and then carved into a stamp. Magazines provide good sources for pictures or letters that can be cut out and glued on, ransom note style. Buttons or dried flowers can be adhered with craft glue. A plain old glue stick works great for flat stuff such as cutouts, photos or postage stamps. One interesting effect is to draw a word lightly on the wrong side with pencil (keeping in mind it will need to be backwards to read correctly on the front) and then poke a pin through at regular intervals along the lines. You can also stitch designs on the card with embroidery stitching. You are limited only by your imagination.
When your card is ready for an envelope, you can either buy a box of blank envelopes, or fold your own. Old calendar pages, wrapping paper, maps or comic pages are great for this. Here is a basic envelope template which can be resized as necessary:
http://www.houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/4x4env01.html
People are so used to receiving electronic greetings these days, think how excited they will be to receive an actual handmade card! Have some fun today and make a card or two. Reaching out to those you love in a creative way is what it's all about!
Basic card stock can be found at craft stores such as Michael's or Joanne's, or even sometimes at your local dollar store. Although you can buy a lot of beautiful stickers, rubber stamps and ink at such stores, I think it's a lot of fun to use materials found around the house. A potato can be cut in half and then carved into a stamp. Magazines provide good sources for pictures or letters that can be cut out and glued on, ransom note style. Buttons or dried flowers can be adhered with craft glue. A plain old glue stick works great for flat stuff such as cutouts, photos or postage stamps. One interesting effect is to draw a word lightly on the wrong side with pencil (keeping in mind it will need to be backwards to read correctly on the front) and then poke a pin through at regular intervals along the lines. You can also stitch designs on the card with embroidery stitching. You are limited only by your imagination.
When your card is ready for an envelope, you can either buy a box of blank envelopes, or fold your own. Old calendar pages, wrapping paper, maps or comic pages are great for this. Here is a basic envelope template which can be resized as necessary:
http://www.houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/4x4env01.html
People are so used to receiving electronic greetings these days, think how excited they will be to receive an actual handmade card! Have some fun today and make a card or two. Reaching out to those you love in a creative way is what it's all about!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tweak Your Routine To Sneak In Savings
Adjusting your habits even slightly can result in savings which can really add up over time. What are some of the ways you could tweak your routine to sneak in savings?
One way would be to get up earlier and go to bed earlier, allowing you to do more things by daylight. This would save energy used for lighting, resulting in a lower electric bill. I've also chosen to do things like reading that use more light earlier in the day, and then watch TV or listen to music which require less light, later in the day.
Another slight adjustment I've made to my routine is to walk to the grocery store when I only need a few things, or walk to perform other errands, especially in cooler weather. This saves gas, wear and tear on the car, and I get some much-needed exercise all at the same time.
You could also spend your free time on a paying hobby, such as making crafts for sale, writing articles to be published, or panning for gold, instead of watching TV or pursuing a hobby that costs you a lot of money.
Another small change I've made is to dry clothes in the dryer for a few minutes and then hang to dry after washing. This helps me avoid "crunchy" towels and jeans, and saves energy and wear on my dryer.
When cooking pasta, I always use the Indian method I read about somewhere. Bring the pasta to a boil, then add the pasta, turn the burner off and put the lid on. The pasta will cook in the still-hot water in about 15 minutes. This saves the energy that would be used to simmer the noodles for 10 minutes or so using the traditional method.
One more thing I stopped doing years ago was blow-drying my hair. This saves me time in the morning, and electricity. It works fine for my all-one-length long hair, but may or may not work for your hairstyle. Give it a try and see.
Buying staples such as oats, flour, sugar, pasta etc. from bulk bins is another tiny thing I do differently nowadays. They are much cheaper that way, and I like reusing jars and other containers to store them.
I discovered that my grocery store has an extensive section of marked-down baked goods that have reached their sell-by date in the back of the store, so now before I buy bread, I always check there first. I store it in the freezer anyway, so it never goes bad before I can use it.
When I want to eat out at a restaurant, I always choose between those that I have coupons for, rather than making a completely random selection. This saves quite a bit of money, and I always find one for whatever type of food I might be in the mood for.
I always cook small meals in my toaster oven, because it uses a lot less energy than the regular oven. I have also become very proficient with my microwave and crock pot.
It may sound silly, but if I'm home alone, reading my book on the couch, I use my book light, which is powered by rechargeable batteries, rather than needlessly lighting the whole room.
When I use my dishwasher, if I only have a lightly soiled load, I use the "ecowash" setting, and I always turn off the "dry" setting. These two things save a lot of energy, and my dishes dry just fine if I prop the door open a little at the end of the cycle.
These are just a few of the ways I have made slight adjustments to my daily routine to save money and/or time. What are some of the tweaks you sneak into your routine? I look forward to hearing some of your solutions I haven't thought of.
One way would be to get up earlier and go to bed earlier, allowing you to do more things by daylight. This would save energy used for lighting, resulting in a lower electric bill. I've also chosen to do things like reading that use more light earlier in the day, and then watch TV or listen to music which require less light, later in the day.
Another slight adjustment I've made to my routine is to walk to the grocery store when I only need a few things, or walk to perform other errands, especially in cooler weather. This saves gas, wear and tear on the car, and I get some much-needed exercise all at the same time.
You could also spend your free time on a paying hobby, such as making crafts for sale, writing articles to be published, or panning for gold, instead of watching TV or pursuing a hobby that costs you a lot of money.
Another small change I've made is to dry clothes in the dryer for a few minutes and then hang to dry after washing. This helps me avoid "crunchy" towels and jeans, and saves energy and wear on my dryer.
When cooking pasta, I always use the Indian method I read about somewhere. Bring the pasta to a boil, then add the pasta, turn the burner off and put the lid on. The pasta will cook in the still-hot water in about 15 minutes. This saves the energy that would be used to simmer the noodles for 10 minutes or so using the traditional method.
One more thing I stopped doing years ago was blow-drying my hair. This saves me time in the morning, and electricity. It works fine for my all-one-length long hair, but may or may not work for your hairstyle. Give it a try and see.
Buying staples such as oats, flour, sugar, pasta etc. from bulk bins is another tiny thing I do differently nowadays. They are much cheaper that way, and I like reusing jars and other containers to store them.
I discovered that my grocery store has an extensive section of marked-down baked goods that have reached their sell-by date in the back of the store, so now before I buy bread, I always check there first. I store it in the freezer anyway, so it never goes bad before I can use it.
When I want to eat out at a restaurant, I always choose between those that I have coupons for, rather than making a completely random selection. This saves quite a bit of money, and I always find one for whatever type of food I might be in the mood for.
I always cook small meals in my toaster oven, because it uses a lot less energy than the regular oven. I have also become very proficient with my microwave and crock pot.
It may sound silly, but if I'm home alone, reading my book on the couch, I use my book light, which is powered by rechargeable batteries, rather than needlessly lighting the whole room.
When I use my dishwasher, if I only have a lightly soiled load, I use the "ecowash" setting, and I always turn off the "dry" setting. These two things save a lot of energy, and my dishes dry just fine if I prop the door open a little at the end of the cycle.
These are just a few of the ways I have made slight adjustments to my daily routine to save money and/or time. What are some of the tweaks you sneak into your routine? I look forward to hearing some of your solutions I haven't thought of.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thrifty Throwdown
Have you ever wondered which of two options is the most frugal? That's when it's time for a quick comparison, or as I like to call it, a thrifty throwdown.
Take toilet tissue, for instance. Which is more economical - single or double-ply? That probably depends on your household's habits. For me it's a toss-up. I pretty much use the same amount either way. If you have a family member that likes to grab the roll and wrap and wrap and wrap great wads of the stuff around his hand, then you will probably find the single-ply to be cheaper. If you have a CVS in your area, I find those $5 off $20 coupons they sometimes let you print out with your card to be great for stocking up on CVS brand toilet tissue when it's on sale. It's very cheap this way.
What about cloth vs. paper napkins? I'd say it comes firmly down on the side of cloth napkins. I have been using the same set of handmade cloth napkins (one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received) for about fifteen years now. I would have had to buy an awful lot of paper napkins in that time, not to mention the environmental impact of using all that paper. What about the cost of laundering the cloth napkins? I find they take up very little space in a load, so it's no trouble just to throw them in with my normal loads. If your family are not messy eaters, they can be used several times before being washed. Use napkin rings to keep track of whose napkin is whose.
Consider bottled water vs. a reusable bottle and a filter system. You would have to figure out how much filtered water you drink, both at home and and away. Then you would need to look at how much bottled water sells for (don't forget the bottle deposit, which you will get back if you return them to a recycling center), the price of the filter system and replacement filters, and how much water you can filter with them. I can get the filters pretty cheap on sale, with a coupon. For me, the home system and reusable bottle makes a lot more sense, although I still can't get my significant other to use a reusable bottle. He says he will just lose it. So, I make sure I at least recycle all his bottles. Economics aside, it takes energy to recycle all those bottles, even if they do all get recycled. For most people, the reusable bottle and filter system will be the better choice.
Should you boil water for tea and coffee on the stove, or heat it in the microwave? That depends on whether your stove is gas or electric, and how much you pay per gas therm or kilowatt. This information can be found on your bill. You would need to calculate how long it takes to boil the water, and how much energy your stove or microwave uses in this time. Even easier, would be to do it one way the first month, and the other way the next month, and compare your bills. You would have to make sure all your other energy usage was about the same as usual to get an accurate comparison.
Is it cheaper to use regular light bulbs, or the new CFL bulbs? The regular bulbs are a lot cheaper to buy initially, but the CFL bulbs last a lot longer. They also use a lot less energy. The only time the CFL bulbs are not cheaper to operate is if you have them somewhere where you turn the light off and on constantly. Then they wear out a lot quicker, and the initial cost of purchasing them will not be recouped in energy savings.
During the course of your day, when you think of something that can be done more than one way, take the time to do a quick frugal faceoff. Once you've done the calculations, you will save each time you perform the activity in the most efficient way. Unless the factors involved change significantly, you only have to do the math once. Save all of us some brain strain, and post your own able analyses here.
Take toilet tissue, for instance. Which is more economical - single or double-ply? That probably depends on your household's habits. For me it's a toss-up. I pretty much use the same amount either way. If you have a family member that likes to grab the roll and wrap and wrap and wrap great wads of the stuff around his hand, then you will probably find the single-ply to be cheaper. If you have a CVS in your area, I find those $5 off $20 coupons they sometimes let you print out with your card to be great for stocking up on CVS brand toilet tissue when it's on sale. It's very cheap this way.
What about cloth vs. paper napkins? I'd say it comes firmly down on the side of cloth napkins. I have been using the same set of handmade cloth napkins (one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received) for about fifteen years now. I would have had to buy an awful lot of paper napkins in that time, not to mention the environmental impact of using all that paper. What about the cost of laundering the cloth napkins? I find they take up very little space in a load, so it's no trouble just to throw them in with my normal loads. If your family are not messy eaters, they can be used several times before being washed. Use napkin rings to keep track of whose napkin is whose.
Consider bottled water vs. a reusable bottle and a filter system. You would have to figure out how much filtered water you drink, both at home and and away. Then you would need to look at how much bottled water sells for (don't forget the bottle deposit, which you will get back if you return them to a recycling center), the price of the filter system and replacement filters, and how much water you can filter with them. I can get the filters pretty cheap on sale, with a coupon. For me, the home system and reusable bottle makes a lot more sense, although I still can't get my significant other to use a reusable bottle. He says he will just lose it. So, I make sure I at least recycle all his bottles. Economics aside, it takes energy to recycle all those bottles, even if they do all get recycled. For most people, the reusable bottle and filter system will be the better choice.
Should you boil water for tea and coffee on the stove, or heat it in the microwave? That depends on whether your stove is gas or electric, and how much you pay per gas therm or kilowatt. This information can be found on your bill. You would need to calculate how long it takes to boil the water, and how much energy your stove or microwave uses in this time. Even easier, would be to do it one way the first month, and the other way the next month, and compare your bills. You would have to make sure all your other energy usage was about the same as usual to get an accurate comparison.
Is it cheaper to use regular light bulbs, or the new CFL bulbs? The regular bulbs are a lot cheaper to buy initially, but the CFL bulbs last a lot longer. They also use a lot less energy. The only time the CFL bulbs are not cheaper to operate is if you have them somewhere where you turn the light off and on constantly. Then they wear out a lot quicker, and the initial cost of purchasing them will not be recouped in energy savings.
During the course of your day, when you think of something that can be done more than one way, take the time to do a quick frugal faceoff. Once you've done the calculations, you will save each time you perform the activity in the most efficient way. Unless the factors involved change significantly, you only have to do the math once. Save all of us some brain strain, and post your own able analyses here.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
An Apple A Day Helps Keep High Grocery Bills Away
With the first chilly Fall mornings, a frugalista's thoughts turn to - apples? They're cheap this time of year, they're nutritious and they're versatile. Whether you take a weekend trip to your local U-pick farm, or buy them on sale at the grocery store, there's a lot you can do with them.
Apples are the perfect lunch box fruit. They don't need peeling, they're not messy and most kids and adults like them. Just make sure to wash before eating if they're not organic, to remove pesticides.
Peeled and sliced, you can bake them into a pie, or simmer them into a side dish that's good with kielbasa, pork chops or chicken.
Chop them up and simmer them down, add a little cinnamon and brown sugar, and you've got apple sauce. Apple sauce can also be canned and enjoyed year round.
Sliced and dried, you can seal them into air-tight bags or jars and keep them a long time. I see dehydrators all the time at yard sales and thrift stores.
On a really cold winter day, I like to bake apples. I core them, put them in a cake pan, and fill the hole with pats of butter, raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then I bake them at 350 degrees until they're soft.
If you've got the right equipment, you can make cider and juice. If not, you can buy it at your local orchard or farmer's market. It's full of vitamins. I like mine hot, with spices (mulled). Here's a recipe:
2 qts. apple cider
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 orange (unpeeled)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole cloves
brandy (optional)
Combine cider, sugar, ginger and orange in slow cooker. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag; add to crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 2 to 4 hours. The entire house will smell great! Remove the bag of spices. In a mug put a shot of brandy, then fill with hot mix from cooker. If you don't want the brandy, just serve as is from the cooker.Makes 10 to 12 servings
A little hard on the teeth perhaps, but caramel apples are another Autumn favorite. Just insert popsicle sticks, melt some caramel candies in the microwave with a little milk, dip, and allow to cool.
If you want to get crafty, you can try a project I did once as a kid - apple dolls. There are some instructions here:
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10843
No matter how you slice, dice or spice them, apples are an inexpensive, healthful and delicious fruit that should be on your fall grocery list.
Apples are the perfect lunch box fruit. They don't need peeling, they're not messy and most kids and adults like them. Just make sure to wash before eating if they're not organic, to remove pesticides.
Peeled and sliced, you can bake them into a pie, or simmer them into a side dish that's good with kielbasa, pork chops or chicken.
Chop them up and simmer them down, add a little cinnamon and brown sugar, and you've got apple sauce. Apple sauce can also be canned and enjoyed year round.
Sliced and dried, you can seal them into air-tight bags or jars and keep them a long time. I see dehydrators all the time at yard sales and thrift stores.
On a really cold winter day, I like to bake apples. I core them, put them in a cake pan, and fill the hole with pats of butter, raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then I bake them at 350 degrees until they're soft.
If you've got the right equipment, you can make cider and juice. If not, you can buy it at your local orchard or farmer's market. It's full of vitamins. I like mine hot, with spices (mulled). Here's a recipe:
2 qts. apple cider
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 orange (unpeeled)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole cloves
brandy (optional)
Combine cider, sugar, ginger and orange in slow cooker. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag; add to crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 2 to 4 hours. The entire house will smell great! Remove the bag of spices. In a mug put a shot of brandy, then fill with hot mix from cooker. If you don't want the brandy, just serve as is from the cooker.Makes 10 to 12 servings
A little hard on the teeth perhaps, but caramel apples are another Autumn favorite. Just insert popsicle sticks, melt some caramel candies in the microwave with a little milk, dip, and allow to cool.
If you want to get crafty, you can try a project I did once as a kid - apple dolls. There are some instructions here:
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10843
No matter how you slice, dice or spice them, apples are an inexpensive, healthful and delicious fruit that should be on your fall grocery list.
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