Breaking Even

Grocery Game Update: Week 3

Saving Money on Groceries

You may remember that I'm test driving what I think may be the most promising grocery money saving web site: The Grocery Game. The month trial for $1 did not motivate me to take any action and I decided that subscribing for two months for $10 was worth a shot.

I'll start out by saying there are some people who are alright with some change and people who are very much less so. I am fine with adjusting my shopping, my boyfriend is not.

We normally shop at Hannaford because my boyfriend prefers it and it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. Of course, the Grocery Game goes with high-low grocery stores (which is I'm guessing a grocery store with normally higher prices which has great sales) meaning the GG goes with the local Shaws store.

My boyfriend sulks everytime we go into the store. I remind him that I'm trying to save us money. I have also turned it into an experiment for both his interest and my benefit. Here's what we're doing.

1) We only buy things in Shaws that are on Terry's List. We don't buy anything else there. We buy all other groceries at our usual store.
2) We track our grocery spending (and savings) over a month or two... then we decide if it's worth it.

First GG savings this month: $15
This month's grocery bill: $394
This month's dining out: $90
Total food spending: $484

Last month's grocery bill: $510
Last month's dining out bill:$64
Total food spending: $574

Previous month's groceries: $373
Previous month's dining out bill: $138
Total food spending: $511

So whether it is directly the GG membership or not, I'm saving money on food in my life. Of course if I eat out less, my grocery bill will go up, which is why I'm looking at total food spending. But it's also easy to see that I can cut back on food even more.

There are still a few more weeks on The Grocery Game until I come out with my findings (and perhaps a graph!) But just so you know, so far, so good. 

Photo: That's right, I make sushi (and in general a lovely meal most every night). Sean in turn buys me flowers on occasion.

Tax Savings For Smaller Incomes

I’ve been scouting financial RSS feeds the past week or so for the best money-saving tax tips for the smaller income folks like myself. Here are three that sound like they may help some:

1) Make $15,500 AGI and contributed $2,000+ to your retirement? Uncle Sam has a deal for you! (Via Kiplinger’s) Don’t know your AGI? Figure it out with this handy calculator.

2) Have stock or other investments? In 2008, investors also have a rare opportunity to take profits on stocks or funds and pay no tax…While most investors pay a 15% tax on capital gains, those in the two lowest brackets, which this year means taxable income up to $65,100 for a married couple filing jointly or $32,550 for individuals, ordinarily pay 5%. This year, they pay nothing. (From Kiplingers)

3) Also CNN has ten tax breaks mainly for those with homes, retirement accounts, or kiddos.

Discuss these with your tax professional or keep these in mind when you are doing your own taxes, that is if you haven't done them already... Guess what I'm doing this weekend? 

How To Make Crappy Furniture Cool

When it comes to expensive things, I am doomed to hand-me-downs. I've never been the type to turn down, in particular, free furniture. The way I figure it, if I can't afford to replace it, I should seize the moment when someone offers it to me. My parents, garage sales, discount stores, and the dump are a few of my favorite sources.

This is not to say that things remain in the same condition as when I got them. I usually have to do something to them to make them my own. I’ll take you through a few examples of furniture in my house.

Recovered Ottoman

I found a great ottoman at the Vinalhaven dump. That’s right, the dump. Most dumps or transfer stations have a place where you can leave things that could still work. We all called the Vinalhaven area “The Swap Shop”.

I have a think for ottomans because I think they are really handy. They store and move easily. They make a great luggage stand in a guest room or extra seating at parties. Oh, and you can use them for their original purpose. I took the one I found on Vinalhaven, added a foam topper on it (the springs were sticking out), and then covered it with fabric (I like Amy Butler fabrics). For about $10 worth of supplies, I have a cool looking ottoman that just happens to go perfectly in my living room.

Supplies: Foam topper, staple gun, 1.5 yards for fabric

Difficulty: 3-4 out of 10, you’ll need a friend or patient mother to help you hold the fabric down while you staple.

Painted Bookcase

I see these small pieces of furniture all the time in Goodwill (and now you can shop Goodwill online too, who knew?). My particular piece was retrieved from my parent’s basement. Usually this type of furniture seems a little small to be able to do anything useful (in this case, it doesn’t hold a lot of books) but there are plenty of small places in your house you could maximize with a small piece like this. Also, it usually is made of fake and/or terrible wood making staining out of the question. You have to paint.

In my case, I painted my little bookshelf a shade of khaki (kind of boring) but then added paint swatches to the top. You can get them at a hardware store and they are usually numbered so you can get them in the right order. I went with a multicolor approach but you could also pick shades of red, for example. (I remember seeing this idea in some decorating magazine like Readymade or Domino.) I get so many compliments on that table.

It turns out that the shelf is a perfect size to put in the entry into the kitchen. It holds our keys, Sean’s cell phone, and a dog leash as well as my cookbooks. For $20, I have enough paint and Modge Podge to do at least two of these type of projects.

Supplies: 1 quart paint, paint brush, paint swatches (free), and Modge Podge.

Difficulty: 2, just take your time with the painting (you want it smooth). Also you may need to do three or four thin coats to make it look even.

I have a few other things I could cover but I’ll leave that for another time. In the meantime, some rules to live by:

Nicole’s Tips For Furniture Finding and Fancifying

1)      Try the dump.

2)      Cover with fabric or a coat of paint.

3)      Don’t be afraid to try something bold; you did get if for free. You can always repaint or recover if it doesn’t come out well.

4)      Search decorating magazines and the internet for inspiration.

Here's to you finding a project to get excited about that's good to your budget.

Cheap & Chic: Scarves

I've been thinking a lot about scarves lately (for one reason, see the last paragraph).

I have about 10 scarves, mostly of the Pashmina variety and I wear them a lot with coats and even indoors. Today, I just noticed I have a stain on my shirt which a scarf thrown around my neck would cover completely. Darn!

Scarves have also been talked about on the blogosphere as functionable fashion and as a new celebrity trend. Personally, I think scarves Maces in Rockland, Maine has the cheapest pashmina scarves I have ever seen. They are $6 all of the time. I would like to think that there is no child labor or anything like that involved. Needless to say, I can’t afford to spend $50+ on a scarf that’ll probably get caught in my jacket at some point anyway.

I have 6 or 7 pashminas in cool colors that I can add to outfits for warmth and style. I’d love to give you the Mace’s link but they don’t have a site. The good news is I did find a similar but online source.

Oh and check out this great video about how to wear scarves. That's right folks, I'm moving into video.

Photo: Me rocking my brown pashmina

The Magic of Life: 14 Things I (Almost) Never Have To Buy

Do you have things in life that you use but no matter what they always seem to be there in reserve? I have things I haven’t bought in months (and sometimes years) that still seem to be well stocked in the house. They are barely a flicker in the fire of my budget. Perhaps you can identify with some of these:

1. Pens and Pencils- So when I got a little fat in college, I asked my mother (nicely I hope) to not send me any more junk food. She began to then send silly socks, healthier food, and pens and pencils in my care packages. Between mom’s generosity, accidentally kleptoing, free giveaways, and provisions from every job I’ve ever had, I have enough writing tools in reserve indefinitely.
2. Toothbrushes- There has been a debate in our house about how often one is supposed to change toothbrushes. Here’s one opinion on the subject. I get one from my dentist every six months when I go in for my cleaning. Apparently that’s enough for me because I can’t think of when I ever needed to buy one.
3. Cleaning Products- Maybe it’s because I move all the time and other people tend to leave cleaners behind or maybe it’s that I’m not as clean as the rest of Americabut about $50 worth of cleaning supplies (the bulk of it being laundry detergent) is more than enough for me for a year. And that isn’t $50 of cheap cleaner. I buy the organic, good for the environment stuff so I can feel alright when Sadie is licking the floor or cabinets. I like Method a lot. If I was really industrious and cool, I’d make my own.
4. Paper- I buy one ream of paper every couple years for printing projects that are going somewhere special. Otherwise, I recycle office paper used only on one side in my printer for stuff only I will see. I have also cut paper into small squares and stapled them together for a not so fancy notepad.
5. Candles- Perhaps it’s my femaleness or the fact that candles make good gifts in general but I have enough good smelling ones to last me through many a potential power outage. I have also been known to remelt (I used one of those candle warmers to get the wax pourable without dirtying a pan) and recombine bits of candles into one new one.
6. Perfume, Body lotion, soap…- Again, perhaps my femaleness makes me more inclined to get this sort of thing as a gift. All of these things seem to appear far faster than I could ever use them. I have five perfumes going right now, and this is after giving several away. Oh well, at least I smell good!
7. Wall calendars- everyone seems to be giving away a calendar at the end of a year. While I saw a cool woodblock pattern one this year, I couldn’t justify buying it. We already had two perfectly good (and free) wall calendars.
8. Socks- Mom has single-handedly kept me in socks for years between college care packages and other gifts. Also it probably helps that the moment it gets warm enough, I don’t wear them anymore, which saves a few months or so of wear and tear every year. Oh and I’ve also been known to sew holes. Cheap, yes. Practical, yes.
9. Vases and flower pots- Often coming with flowers, vases can be washed and reused. After a couple years of dating the right type of people, you should have amassed quite a collection. If you’ve expressed interest in flowers that last through time, the same can be expected for your flower pot collection.
10. Dishes and napkins- I feel like dishes are either given to you or so cheap that you can buy a set and use them for years. My $20 set of Corell white dishes is still going strong. I’ve received glasses from my friend Kate and silverware from Mom. Also, cloth napkins can be made and washed easily enough that you almost never have to replace them. One set I’ve had for six years is getting just a little warn out. (As a complete aside, cloth napkins may or may not be more environmentally friendly than paper.)
11. Pajamas- Between gifts and retiring old sweats and t-shirts to my pajama drawer, I have always had enough things to sleep in and putter around the house in.

Of course, there are the perennially free things like:

1. Plastic Grocery Bags, which have many uses as litter collectors, dog poo holders, lunch bags… (not all at once, of course).
2. Boxes, which you should never have to buy. (A little tip: if you need some boxes for moving, ask a small town grocery store a couple weeks before you move. My Vinalhaven grocer had stashed away over 40 free medium-sized boxes for me (the ones that liquor come in). Of course, when I was moving in, my neighbors thought I had a drinking problem but that’s another story…
3. Kindling- maybe it’s that I live in Mainebut every time I see a bunch of kindling at convenience stores for $5 certain times of the year it makes me laugh (at least I’ve seen this in both Lewiston and Freeport). Just walk in the forest in the fall (with your blaze orange, of course) and collect some tree branches. As long as you only have a fire occasionally, your hunter-gatherer instincts should lead you to enough wood for a few winter time fires. You can also burn other things to fuel your fire, but that’s another story.

So the next time you get a gift that’s a little overly practical or find something that seems kind of basic around the house, just remember, it’s one less thing you have to buy, which is always good for the budget. Now think “Yay, socks!”or “Wohoo, mechanical pencils!” because that means more money for fun stuff. And isn't that kind of magical?

Is there anything free (or purchased so infrequently that it’s almost free) that I’m overlooking?

Photo from www.magicianstore.com

Would You Pull A Lindsay Lohan?

This week, Lindsay Lohan’s nude pictures for New York Magazine crashed their web site and got lots of people talking. It doesn’t take a genius to know sex sells and naked pictures of the attractive and famous sell especially well.

The whole incident made me think of college. I took an art class, not knowing a nude art model would show up in class half way through the semester. When Naked Guy walked in with a robe that fateful day, I couldn’t believe it was going to happen. Of course, after staring at him naked those three hours, I began to notice him everywhere on campus. The uncomfortable feeling I had every time I saw Naked Guy made me glad I didn’t ever try nude modeling… Or did it?

A nude model for the art class was the highest paying job on campus. I could have made $15 an hour versus the $5 an hour I made driving the security van, working in the planetarium, and manning the front desk of the science building. I could have worked less than I did and had more money. Darn my inhibitions at the time!

The Dartmouth has a good article about the psychology behind being a nude art model, meaning that there’s more to it then being the type of person who can walk around naked and not care. Meanwhile, an online search doesn’t yield much information as far as how much money nude pictures go for, which I’m guessing means the whole practice is fairly subjective and sometimes sketchy.

Perhaps you are uninhibited enough to give this a shot. Most art classes are at least a couple hours long and the hours vary, making this lucrative part time work. If you are interested, start by contacting the art department or your local adult education center for contacts. A comprehensive list of things to bring with you on the job can be found at good ol’ wikiHow.

Meanwhile, would you ever pose nude for an art class (or have nude photos taken) for money? Also if you’ve ever made some nude money (ok, let me rephrase, legit nude money), do share.

Photo of Rodin's La Penseur statue: www.garden-fountains.com/.../thinker.htm

A Free Budget Template And A Challenge

It occurred to me when I was putting my receipts into my monthly spreadsheet last night that I may not have said ever exactly how I figure out what I spend monthly on different items in my life.

You can go to the Microsoft web site for all the free budget planners you can think of. May I make a few suggestions:

• You may not be able to update and analyze a budget weekly or bi-weekly but you can probably commit a couple times a month to your finances, right? Plus monthly is how your bills are probably set up anyway. You might as well get a monthly template. Here’s the one I use.

• Decide on computer or pen and paper: For many things in my life, I am a paper and pencil kind of girl. Contrary to what you would think, you can do your budget this way with a template. Instead of filling it out on the computer, keep it tacked by your desk and fill it out in pencil. File them away when you are done, starting a fresh one every month. In budget instances, I prefer storing things on my computer.

• Round up or down to the nearest dollar. That movie receipt for $24.49 becomes $24 while the cleaners receipt for $7.56 becomes $8. You will thank yourself when you are looking at a sheet of nice round numbers and in the end, it all evens out anyway.

• Keep a Post it note stuck in your wallet and write down purchases for which you don’t get a receipt. Do it at the time of the purchase since there is usually a pen at the counter, otherwise you will forget. This may seem a little nuts but after a month, it will seem perfectly normal. Even the guy at my usual convenience store seems to think my writing “$1 coffee” on the paper in my wallet is perfectly normal now.

• Set aside a time (me it’s Wednesday nights and when my wallet gets full) to input your transactions into your budget. Pick a time when you aren’t likely to get interrupted. Do something you enjoy while you are doing it, like drinking coffee or listening to music. It’ll make the task seem more meditative or perhaps even pleasurable. It usually takes me 20 minutes.

So pick your template, download it off Microsoft, and then fix it up really general for you. Put your income in (net, not gross), your expected costs for different things. Then save it as “mybudgettemplate” or something generic like that. This way, all your base info is already in there. Then your template becomes “budget-feb-2008”, “budget-march-2008”, etc.

I warn you this will seem pointless the first couple of months you do it but then patterns will emerge. Perhaps you will notice, as I did, that you are spending more money then is coming in and adjust. You may realize you spend a lot of money on coffee. I guarantee you an epiphany within three months. (I had both of the example epiphanies and in general learned a lot about my spending habits.)

Are you ready to take the Three Month Budget Challenge? If so, email me with “I am ready!” the subject line. We will have weekly check-ins and otherwise be supportive of each other’s budget journeys. We’ll set up how it will work together. Think of it as a virtual budget club.

Picture from: www.learn2dostuff.com/Articles/B_BudgetMoney

Taxes On Your Own And Why That's Not A Bad Idea

I just finished an article from Smart Money Magazine called "10 Things Your Tax Preparer Won't Tell You". Apparently there are a few reasons for people to do their taxes on their own:

1) Tax preparers make more and costlier mistakes than the average person doing their taxes. "According to a study of IRS data, 56% of professionally prepared returns showed significant errors, compared with 47% of those done by the taxpayer. And audited taxpayers who used preparers owed an average of $363, while those who filed themselves owed $185."

2) Tax preparers are way less likely to take new clients after Feb. 1, after which they are slammed until the tax deadline.

3) The person you hire may not be the person who does your taxes. It could be some temp employee or some random person overseas. (Not that either of these things are bad. I just doubt that this is ever stated outright, making me think if if a person or firm can be dishonest about who is doing my taxes they are probably capable of larger dishonesties).

While I may have gathered my paperwork in December, I have not gotten the party started with the taxes. But it looks like I'll be doing them on my own for some good reasons besides saving some money. Meanwhile, have you started your taxes yet?

Ode To A Company: Threadless T-shirts

I do love a cool graphic t-shirt on the weekend. During the weekdays, I dress nice for work and lead an otherwise dull adult life. But when I pull on a cool t-shirt on Saturday morning, it makes me feel young and hip in a way I can’t describe. Needless to say, I don’t want a t-shirt identical to what everyone else has, nor did I want to pony up over $25 for a "Mary Is My Homegirl" t-shirt. What is a fashion-forward rural girl to do?

Enter Threadless. T-shirts are designed by people who know what they are doing and readers vote on what t-shirts get printed. Did I mention that they cost $15? Designs are periodically retired but brought back if enough people vote for them so they are always changing. You can submit a photo of you wearing a Threadless shirt for possible publication on the site so if you choose, you can be fashionable and semi-famous.

As a fashion staple, graphic tees are pretty versatile. You can layer them under a suit jacket at work for Casual Friday (that’s as casual as I’d get at work) or wear them on the weekends to your favorite bar and seem fun but not too dressed-up. I mean, haven’t us ladies done the whole camisole, jeans and heels going out outfit to death already?

http://www.threadless.com

A Possible Sponsor

Those of you who read me know how I'd love to make money at this blogging thing, only the right opportunity hasn't come along...until today.

This optimist web forum contacted me, asking if I could place an ad on my site for 24 hours to see how much traffic they would get. I checked out their site and there is nothing I see wrong with it so I said no problem. I think if they get enough referrals from this blog, I may be making some money on the side.

If you want to check out their site, you can click on the advertisment in my sidebar (at least at the moment it's there) but please don't feel any pressure. I just wanted to let you know what was going on so you'd know what the ad was doing there.

Winter Sports: Retro And Cheap

It is winter and I do live in Maine so there is lots of snow and ice. I’m sure other people live in places like this. It’s either hibernate until spring or pull on your boots and head outside. The daylight is short so getting out there even a few minutes can do wonders for your brain chemistry.

Not So Cheap: Skiing

There are several sports one can do that are quite expensive but the main one I think of is skiing. I know this first hand because I was on my high school ski team. You need boots, poles, bindings, skis, long underwear (ok maybe only I need that), snow attire, and some kind of pass to a ski place to partake in the sport. My boots were around $150 (bought new) and I got some used cross country skis and bindings at a local ski sale for $60. I bought the poles for $30 and a pass for the season even at an inexpensive place like Snowrada in Auburn (Maine) or 10^th Mountain Ski Club in Fort Kent will run you at least $25. A little less than $300 and I haven’t even put on clothes yet. Don’t get my wrong, I love to ski but it is far from being an affordable sport. Of course, if you take care of the equipment, you can have it for ten years like I have.
Find cross country ski trails (only bigger places though): Cross Country Ski Areas Association

Cheap: Ice Skating

Ice skating is a little cheaper. For $50-$100, you can get a decent pair of skates that are comfortable. And then you just pile on a bunch of clothes and find the nearest pond or rink. We have one in Ellsworth that seems loosely affiliated with the YMCA which is free. The rink I went to as a kid charged a whopping $2 for a day of ice skating and $1 a day for rentals. My friends and I got to skate to blaring 80s music and live our 10-year-old dramas all afternoon for the price of half a movie ticket today. (I think they made their money on the $1 hot chocolates but I digress.) My parents bought me really cool ice skates when it seems like I had stopped growing and, other than sharpening them occasionally, they have been maintenance free since. Yup, I’m still wearing them, even if they are a little retro-looking.

Find your local skating rink (very comprehensive): Arena Maps

Supercheap: Sledding

By far the cheapest winter sport is sledding. A carpet sled is about $1 but you can invest in a real high tech sled for more. You can also use cookie sheets, trays from your college lunchroom, or your butt in a slippery pair of ski pants. There may be some effort required to scout out a hill

Invest in a snow sled (I had no idea there was such a range): Sleds.com

Of course, I’m ignoring other great winter sports, like snowmobiling, snow shoeing, and curling. I’ll leave those to others who know more about them. Whatever you decide to do, get out there and get some exercise. It’s only winter a few months a year…

By the way, did I mention I'm down four and a half pounds? (That's right, I'm counting every half!)

Photo: Me pretending I'm good at the local rink

A Pedestal Sink: Further Proof That The Classifieds Aren't Dead

I think there are two types of people in the world: those who look at the classifieds and those who don't. I've always thought it was kind of fun. I think the same people who look at classifieds may also buy the latest copy of Uncle Henrys or shop eBay regularly but that's a whole other story.

Sean and I both saw the same classified ad in this week's The Ellsworth American for a pedestal sink: "like new", $35. It was in a town about 45 minutes away that we've never been to and yesterday was one of those sunny, cool winter Saturdays perfect for a drive.

There's always these moments when you are embarking on these adventures where you wonder, will it be what I expect? How can I say no nicely if it isn't? Am I giving up my Saturday afternoon for nothing?

Turns out Brooklin is a beautiful town with gorgeous ocean views and lots of boat builders. E.B. White used to live there apparently. My digital camera has had issues lately otherwise I would have loved to upload some pictures for you. It would have been worth a drive to see the town whether we got our sink or not.

But in our case, it turns out you can get something good in the classifieds. The older couple was nice and the American Standard pedestal sink was in perfect condition. They gave us all the little parts to go with it which I wouldn't have thought to ask for and some tips of how to put it in.

I guess those of us who have had this kind of experience continue to look at the classifieds just in case something like this comes around.

Of course there have been disappointments. There was the snowblower that turned out to be an electric shovel that Sean bought out of guilt this winter. But as my friend Stacy says, the easiest was to get out of buying something you have gone over to someone's house to see is to say "Sorry, this isn't what I was expecting. Thanks anyway." A polite and vague exit I may have to use someday.

Now the question is do we attempt to put this in? I mean it isn't like electricity that can kill you. The worse we can do is flood. Anyway I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, what have your experiences been with the classifieds? Any favorite stories, web sites, or small, slightly obscure publications?

Picture from: http://common.csnstores.com/common/products/ASD/ASD5837_s.jpg

Just When You Think You Have Nothing In Your Fridge...

Supercook to the rescue!

So I've been known for making meals on the fly with whatever I have in my house but now there is a web site that has systemized it, making me replaceable as a resourceful dinner chef.

Enter the available ingredients into the web site and it tells you what you can make. I just tried it with a mostly empty fridge, but apparently I can make Poertzelki and Portuguese Muffins. Who knew I was such a versatile cook? Thanks Get Rich Slowly and Supercook!

Giving Blood: Not A Bad Deal

Last night, My friend Jessica was going to the big citay to give blood so I decided to go with her. The good ol' Red Cross can use all the donations they can get I figure.

So we gave our blood and got 1) A free movie rental, 2) a coupon for a free Personal Pan pizza from Pizza Hut (reminds me of the ol' BookIt Days), a rose (Valentine's Day marketing), and all the Oreos and Vitamin Water we could shove in our mouth in 15 minutes (there may have been other things but that was what was exciting to me).

About $7 worth of free stuff, snacks, and the possibility of saving a few lives? Not bad for a night's work. And other places you can apparently get more free stuff.

(On a less alturisitic note, there are those sell-your-plasma places. When I told my mother that I was going to go to one in college, she lectured me on the phone for an hour then three days later there was a check in my mailbox from her. I didn't need money that bad so I didn't push the issue with Mom but I've always wondered is, are those places really that bad?)

Next Time: What I did with that super-unexpected Superbowl cash. Hint: I took advice from all your comments...

Image above from: http://redcross-yorkpa.org/images/image001.jpg

Two Project Updates

So for awhile now, I've had several projects going. Good for me (right?) but it probably left you wondering, "Hey, what ever happened to that?" I'd like to update you on a couple of fronts.

First of all, you may remember how I decided to become a total stagemom and use Sadie as a meal ticket. Well guess what?!? Cutestpetcontest has come through for us, at least so far... I'll keep you all posted as to Sadie's winnings. This may be come tease, as half the email is spent telling me how I could go about buying this book that Sadie is apparently in.

Secondly, remember my trying out of The Grocery Game web site? I finally stopped procrastinating last week (the weekly "Guess what you're missing" email from the company in my instance is actually kind of helpful). Sean and I did some of our shopping at "the other store" also known as Shaws since the Grocery Game does not price compare with Hannaford, where we normally shop. One trip saved us $10.91, more than paying for our month membership. (You can also try it for a month for $1.) I'll do this a few more weeks to let you know if it ends up being worth it or not. So far, I get it and I'm a total Grocery Game convert... plus they have coupons you can print off their site. We saved $1 on Sean's contact lens solution last week!

I'd love to compare these with other coupon sites. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? 

A Week In Food

When it comes to food, I am unwilling to compromise. I want to eat things that are good for me, meaning I don't want to eat things just because they are cheap.

I've had people tell me they spend $150 for two people per week at the grocery store. Sean and I spent $400ish last month on groceries and felt like we both overdid it. But how do we eat on so little money? Do I spend hours cooking everything from scratch every night? Back on Vinalhaven I did have that time, but am less inclined to now. Here's a week in food at our house (and a fairly typical one). You'll notice every meal includes vegetables and protein, doesn't have a lot of fat, and sounds pretty good, at least in my opinion:

Monday: Pizza
Dough: $1.50 (from a Portland company, a small splurge)
Salsa as tomato sauce: ¼ to ½ jar- $1.50
Feta and olives: ¼ pound from bulk containers at olive station- $2
Sausage: ½ package: $3
Sweet potato oven fries: $2 (for a bit of oil, salt, and two potatoes)
Meal Total: $10

Tuesday: Tofu Stirfry
1 block extra firm tofu: $4 (Nicole tip:cutting it small allows you to sneak it into the dish for those who think they are anti-tofu)
Oil for frying: $.50
Frozen stir fry veggies: $3
Oriental noodles: ½ package $0.50
Teriyaki sauce (several ounces): $1
Ginger (spice): $0.25
Garlic (a few cloves): $0.50
Meal Total: $9.75

Wednesday: Fish and salad
2 filets tilapia: $5
Seasonings: $0.50
1/2 pound Edamame salad from Hannaford Deli: $2.50
1 can corn: $0.50
1 can black beans: $0.50
1 c. ploye mix: $0.50
Meal Total: $9.50

Thursday: Instant Indian
1 package Indian Food Spices: $2
1 package mixed frozen veggies: $1.50
½ package frozen broccoli: $0.75
1 big pat of butter: $0.25
1 c. Jasmine rice: $0.50
½ jar coconut milk: $1
1 c. flour, some salt, and olive oil: $1 (for flatbread)
2 small chicken breasts: $3
Meal Total: $11

Friday: Tomato, Mozz. Salad and Sausage
2 tomatoes: $3
1 package mozzarella: $5
Balsamic vinaigrette, 4 tbsp: $0.50
Olive oil (a bit): $0.50
Sausage: ½ package: $3
Meal total: $12

Saturday: Crepes
2 c. flour: $2
1/4 c. sugar: $0.50
1/4 c. milk: $0.50
Eggs: $3
Salt and butter: $1
Peanut butter, jam, syrup, etc. to put on crepes: $2
Meal total: $9

Sunday: Leftovers!

For Two Lunches and Two Breakfasts, 5 times a week and snacks:
2 loaves of bread (we make sure to get the kind with no corn syrup): $4
Peanut butter (natural-1/2 jar): $1.50
Nutella (1/2 jar): $1.50
Honey (1/2 jar): $2
Rice crackers: $2 for a lot of them
Yogurts (6 Stonyfield Farms): $4
Mixed nuts: $5
3/4 lb natural turkey breast deli meat: $5
1/2 lb cheese: $3
Box of clementines/bag of apples/insert 5-8 pieces of fruit here: $6
Cereal: $3
Milk: $2
Bag of tortilla cips: $2
Total: $41

So for about $100, I've got almost all meals (weekend mornings usually involve a breakfast out) for two people covered. You'll also notice that there are remainders of items that carry into the next week, meaning that over the course of a month, we actually spend less than this in the average week.

For those who have asked, that's how I do it. So what's your favorite cheap and good meal secret? 

Happy Super Fat Tuesday From Ms. Frugality Burnout

I like to think that I coined the term Super Fat Tuesday early this morning. I thought I was so clever until a quick Google search proved my otherwise, as it usually does. Oh well.

As luck would have it, I won a Superbowl pool over the weekend for predicting the overall total score without going over. I know, I know, I know nothing about sports and just got lucky. But good for me, right? I am now $125 richer. As with unexpected cash flow in general, the question is save or spend. So what would you do with an extra hundred bucks if it just happened to you?

Reader Poll: What should Nicole do with her extra $125?
a) Pay her dentist bill from last month...what kind of budgeting guru are you?
b) Put the money towards a more extravagant birthday gift for the boyfriend; invest in love!
c) Save it for a fun excursion this spring. Wee!
d) Buy a material possession on her wish list as a reminder that she can still be fun.

Guess which I want to do?

Apparently "frugality burnout" is an actual thing to watch out for and cope with, especially as the New Year seems farther away. So here's a Super Fat Tuesday reminder from your Franco-American budgeter to go a little wild and Mardi Gras from time to time with your budget.

But please weigh in on what you'd actually do with extra cash. I'm curious!

Losing Weight: Pure Vanity or Money Saver?

It all started this summer when I realized that I only fit into a fraction of the clothes I owned. I hadn't worn them since moving to Vinalhaven two years earlier (and it's really not a trouser kind of place) and I clearly was unable to wear them. I had apparently had some weight sneak up on me.

Beer, desserts, lack of exercise and age can catch up to us all. It seems like it happens all of a sudden but really it's creeping on your for months or years on end. Like many Americans, it is time for me to lose weight.

Now I'm not (at least I don't think) what anyone would call fat but my BMI was 25 and I was winded going for a hike.

In my new year and a little before, I've been making a concerted effort to lose some weight. I'm down about three pounds but the past week or so, I've seemed to have reached a bit of a plateau.

It's clear that eating less will cause me to spend less on groceries (or perhaps I will buy less food but better food, evening out costs) but can losing weight really save money?

This article says we have the potential of saving $2,500 a year from being a healthy weight, though some of the figures like life insurance savings and employer incentives don't really apply to me. It does appear that eating bad for your convenience foods and doctors visits for weight-related health problems would apply to everyone.

Another article takes a hard to quantify but equally valid position that time spent and results achieved from exercising keeps you from spending money out of boredom or to achieve happiness.

In the meantime, it may be necessary to spend a little money to get that big return on your investment:

1) A gym membership may help motivate you to work out a few times a week. I've been going to the local Y twice a week mostly for strength training. Many women are afraid to look bulky doing this but muscle actually burns more calories than fat and strength training, unlike doing just cardio, contiues to burn calories after you finish your workout. The key is to do both. I also walk with some ladies at work during our lunch break for cardio.

2) Motivation may come from external rewards you give yourself. Apparently motivation in the way of money has proved to help people in this study. Buying myself a new workout outfit or some other nonfood reward for reaching a goal has helped me in the past.

3) You need some clothes that fit while you are working on reaching your goal. Have a clothes swap with some friends (I've hosted a couple of these and they are fun!) or go to SwapThing to swap online. You can also buy yourself a few pieces you can mix and match to get you through. Don't shove yourself in clothes that don't fit for punishment; if you're anything like me, it'll only discourage you. It took awhile to put on the weight and it'll take awhile for it to come off, and do you really think you deserve to be uncomfortable for several months?

Anyway best of luck to those of you trying to reach a healthy weight. Apparently we are not alone in our resolution. If you have any tips or ideas, feel free to share. I'm pretty excited for both vanity and budget reasons about my new goal.