What's Cooking?

Going out to eat is awesome. You don't have to grocery shop, spend hours cooking, clean up, and it's (usually) a social time. However, it can really take a bite out of your finances. According to a Mint.com study of their users' behaviors, the average person spends $29 per transaction at restaurants (not including fast food chains) and eats out 6 times a month. That adds up pretty quickly, especially when you can cook at home for less than $2 a meal in most cases. Here are 10 cheap staples I keep in my kitchen to whip up quick, easy, healthy meals that don't break the bank:

Protein

*Tuna - canned tuna is a great thing to have on hand. You can make the old lunch sack fave tuna sandwiches (or go gourmet with tuna melts by adding a slice of cheese and sticking it under the broiler), or add it to salads or pasta. This is one of my favorite fish cake recipes (it calls for salmon, but tuna's great with it as well). Plus, it's a great way to get servings of Omega 3 fatty acids. You can usually find cans for less than a dollar, making tuna a pretty good bang for your buck. Just don't overdo it - have less than 6 ounces a week due to mercury concerns. Also, look for tuna that's dolphin safe.

*Beans - I always have a couple of cans of beans in my pantry. They are a great source of healthy, vegetarian protein and they are really versatile. They can be added to soups, they can be blended into a dip or spread. And for usually around $1 a can, you can stretch your dollars with this pantry staple.

*Eggs - I feel like eggs get a bad rap sometimes because of their cholesterol. Sure, maybe you shouldn't have fried eggs for breakfast most days of the week, but adding a few servings of this healthy protein into your diet is good for your body and your wallet. Eggs can be more than scrambled for breakfast - they can be hardboiled (makes a great snack or chopped up in a salad), mixed with leftover rice and veggies for fried rice...endless possibilities. Most markets have a dozen eggs for around $2 (or less than 20 cents per serving!) - great value.

Produce

*Baby Carrots - baby carrots are my favorite all-purpose vegetable. You can usually find a 1 pound bag for a few bucks. Not only are they cheap, but they are already washed and peeled, saving you a few minutes for other things. I usually grab a handful for a snack, chop up a few for salads, or roast them with a little bit of olive oil and herbs.

*Mixed Greens - another staple in my fridge is a container of mixed greens. Obviously, they are super easy for salads, but add greens into your sandwiches or wraps for a great crunch and extra fiber. If you plan to eat a lot of greens, warehouse stores like Costco can't be beat (usually finding a 32 oz tub for $4 - makes 4-5 good sized salads).

*Onions - they might be tear-inducing, but I consider onions a pantry must-have. For one, they usually take 2-3 weeks to go bad. They can add great flavor to just about any dish and you can usually get a large onion for under $1. Most of the time, I don't even use a whole onion - I just stick it in the refrigerator and don't peel the part of the onion I'm saving to preserve the freshness.

*Potatoes - potatoes are to me what shrimp was to Bubba in "Forrest Gump". You can do anything with them - bake them, mash them, fry them, roast them, add them to soups...and it doesn't get much cheaper than getting a sack of potatoes. Plus, much like onions, they take quite awhile to go bad.

Grains

*Pasta - noodles are a great thing to always have on hand. It's cheap, quick and easy to cook, and it's the blank canvas of cooking - you can add just about anything to it and it tastes awesome! I usually stock up on pasta when it's on sale because the expiration date is usually years away. And when does spaghetti not sound good?

*Rice - I. love. rice. I do. It's cheap, versatile and easy to cook (if you have a rice cooker, it's practically impossible to screw up). Not only is it a great side or good in burritos, but you can have it for breakfast (microwave with a little bit of milk, raisins and brown sugar) or dessert (rice pudding!).

*Oatmeal - I know most of you are thinking that oatmeal can't be anything other than breakfast. Well, it is awesome with some maple syrup, but I also add it to smoothies for some extra fiber. Oatmeal can also give your lunch and dinner entrees some crunch and texture - sub them in for breadcrumbs. I haven't even mentioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or any fruit crumble for dessert! I get a container of plain oats for $2 that lasts me for a good month or so.

Obviously, this is not a completely stocked pantry. But with a few condiments, some salt and pepper, and a little creativity, I bet my Top 10 could make some pretty interesting (and inexpensive!) meals.

What's something you always have in your kitchen?

Think Small!

Bigger is better, right? Well, I'll take a bigger piece of cake, a bigger salary or a bigger blanket to avoid cold toes, but I don't think bigger is always better. For instance, take housing.

Since we've had baby on the brain for the last 9 months or so, people keep asking us what "stuff" we need. Baby stuff can be endless and take up a lot of space in your house. But my husband and I have been pretty good (in my opinion) of avoiding "stuff" for stuff's sake, primarily based on the fact we don't have room for it in our 1400 square foot house. It got me thinking that maybe having a small house is the way to go. How else can having a small house save you money?

*Energy costs - this is kind of a no-brainer, but the less space you have to heat or cool, the more money you save! Right on! Not only that, but if you have fewer rooms, you likely have fewer electrical appliances plugged in, meaning the "vampire draw" (or appliances that suck up energy without being used) will be less!

*Less space to fill - just like my husband and I refuse to get "stuff" for our baby because we don't have room for it, this can apply to just about every space in our house. We have a small kitchen, so our cabinets are full of things we use frequently instead of the random appliances that we'd use once a year. I can't be a crazy bag lady and have multiple half-used bottles of beauty products in the bathroom because we have 1 bathroom with 4 shelves of storage. If I don't have 7 rooms to fill with furniture, I'm saving thousands of dollars! It keeps us conscious of what we buy and helps us better identify when it's time to give other things a better home when we're not using it anymore (tax deductions or garage sales put money back in your pocket!).

*Less upkeep - whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, the less space you have means the less time and money you spend on cleaning, renovating or replacing. I can tell you I already hate spending half of my Saturday cleaning my 3 bedroom home (and I'm too cheap to pay someone to do it)...I would absolutely cringe spending my entire weekend cleaning a 5 bedroom and multiple bathroom home. Who wants to clean more than one shower? Not me.

*Healthier in a small home? - I could be reaching here, but I would argue you could be a healthier person if you live in a smaller home. Think about it - a smaller home is easier to keep clean, meaning there would be less germs and air pollution. Although I guess you could argue you might be in better cardiovascular shape if you had a bigger home (walking further, climbing more stairs, etc).

Image from MyBallard

Obviously, you have to have a space that works for you and your family. But if you can get by with a smaller home, it will benefit your bottom line in multiple ways.



Anyone else who loves living in a smaller place and saving money? Anyone who lives in a big space that feels it's worth it?

Is $75,000 the Magic Number?

As I was watching Oprah a few weeks ago, she had a man named Dan Buettner on her show discussing how to be happier the "blue zone" way? What the heck is a blue zone? According to Mr. Buettner, blue zones are places in the world where people are exponentially happier and live longer than in other parts of the world - and these places share many commonalities. Residents have high rates of being physically active, of drinking wine (yes please!), eating a primarily veggie-based diet, of belonging to a faith-based group...there are a total of 9 indicators (the "power 9" as he calls them). One point of contention between him and Oprah was on the topic of money. He said research suggested that at a salary of $75,000 per year for a family of four, your happiness plateaus. As you can imagine, Oprah begged to differ.

But I'm wondering if that's really true. Clearly, something to take into account is location. Obviously $75,000 goes a lot further in Cedar Rapids or Cleveland than it does in Seattle or San Francisco. Another thing - happiness is kind of subjective, right? Would you be happy if you didn't own your home? Would you be happy if you couldn't take a vacation? Would you be happy if you didn't have designer clothes? Some things that might be key to your happiness might be more difficult to obtain on $75,000 a year.

Apparently, the $75,000 magic number relates to day-to-day happiness, and that once people make more than that, their day-to-day happiness plateaus. And by people, I mean persons over the age of 15, men and women, and people all over the world. There's also a difference between money and satisfaction (strong correlation) and wealth and positive emotion (more complex). Read more about the story here.

What do you think? Is $75,000 the magic number for universal happiness?

Is Your Health Tied to Your Financial Wealth?

I don't know how many of you watch "The Biggest Loser" - I love that show and I'm excited for it to start up again TONIGHT! I am always impressed with how people completely change their lives and motivate those around them to do the same. But I never gave much thought about how being unhealthy and overweight can contribute to draining your bank accounts. Suze Orman was on an episode last season that still sticks with me months later, and she definitely had some food for thought:




- America spends $147 billion dollars annually on obesity-related illnesses compared to $90 billion on cancer.


- Obese employees earn $7,000 less every year than healthy employees - healthy people are up to 3 times more productive, less likely to get tired, spend less on health care and insurance, and they are less likely to miss work because of illnesses


- Obese people spend considerably more on life insurance ($500-$1,000 a year)

- Americans spend $4.4 billion dollars on gastric bypass surgeries (220,000 people a year get bypass surgery at a cost of approximately $20,000 per surgery)


- If you are at an ideal weight, you'll save approximately 1 MILLION DOLLARS over the course of 40 years.




These numbers were staggering, and some of them were, quite frankly, frightening to me. It does seem like staying healthy is expensive - healthy food, gym memberships, running shoes, fitness clothes... but compared to higher health care costs, lost wages, and more potential costs associated with obesity, it seems like an easy financial choice, not to mention a much healthier one.

100! (continued)

Finishing what I started yesterday...ways to save money, #51-100!

Traveling

51. Check out Travelzoo! They have great deals!

52. Try to get a hotel room with a mini refrigerator, and stock up on milk, orange juice, yogurt and other items at a grocery store so you can spend less money at restaurants.

53. Better yet, if you have a mini kitchen, you can try cooking instead of going out to eat!

54. Timing is everything - traveling in the off-season can save you a ton of money. Go to ski resorts in the spring, or go to Europe in the fall or winter.

55. Be flexible - changing what day or even time of day you fly can save you some cash. Websites like Expedia or Kayak can help you in your search.

56. If you want to try an expensive restaurant, try it for lunch instead. It's probably easier to get a table, and lunch almost always tends to be cheaper than dinner.

57. Don't spend your travel budget on your hotel - unless you're going to be doing much more than sleeping in your room, spend your money elsewhere. Wouldn't you rather go on a zipline and stay in a 2 star hotel than watch TV in your 4 star hotel? I would.

58. Check for membership or student discounts. AAA offers discounts on hotels, rental cars and even events, and student IDs can get you discounts at museums or other tourist attractions.

59. Look for mass transit options. If you're in a larger metropolitan area, chances are the mass transit options will be cheap and relatively easy. I got a MetroPass for the subway when I was recently in New York and it was way cheaper than getting a cab to all those destinations.

60. Join a rewards or frequent flier program. I have an Alaska Airlines credit card and it definitely helps scale down our travel expenses by offering companion fares and extra miles for every year you have the card.

61. Although it's probably not for me, you can have free lodging (and maybe even a car) if you're willing to swap houses with someone.

62. Make sure to set a budget and stick to it. It's easy to get carried away when you're on vacation and justify spending money you don't have. Decide what your priorities are and allocate money accordingly.

63. Really work on your packing. If you can pack everything in a carry-on, you can avoid paying $25 or more for each item you check. Opt for items you can layer instead of bulky sweaters that take up more room.

64. I like to pack multipurpose items when I travel - it saves space and it's cheaper than buying a specific item for everything. I use conditioner for shaving cream, I have a multiuse makeup stick for lipstick, blush and eye shadow...

65. You can see the world and do some good work for others by joining Peace Corps, Art Corps, or other service agencies.

66. Utilize your hotel shuttle service. Not only can they take you to and from the airport, but many can take you to other tourist destinations.

67. I love this tip from Wise Bread's 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget - eat soup! Soup is usually very cheap and very filling.

68. If you have to rent a car, rent the smallest one you can. The smaller the car, the cheaper the rate and the less you'll spend on gas.

69. Use search engines like Bing or Airfare Watchdog that shows you how flight prices are trending and will alert you when prices change.

70. Have fun! Don't obsess about saving every penny and ruin your vacation. Plan ahead of time, leave some breathing room in your budget for peace of mind and enjoy your time!

Personal Care

71. According to a study in Women's Health, most people waste 10-20% of grooming products because they use too much. Check out their suggestions on how much you should really be using.

72. Unless you have really oily hair, you may not need to shampoo it every day. You're stripping natural oils from your hair and you're wasting half of your shampoo! Plus, the more you shampoo it, the quicker you have to color your hair (if you do that sort of thing).

73. Keeping with the hair theme, you only really need to condition your ends, so don't fill your palm with conditioner and slather it over your entire head. It will make your hair greasy and again, you're wasting conditioner!

74. I know it's fun to get a mani/pedi once in awhile, but they definitely start to add up! An expert gives tips on a perfect at-home manicure and pedicure.

75. Start getting multipurpose makeup - as I mentioned earlier, it's great for traveling, but I use it at home. Check out NARS Multiple.

76. Unscented lotion, like Cetaphil, is great for everything. My husband and I use it for hand, body and facial lotion. It's cheap, it's effective, and if I wanted to wear a fragrance, I just layer it on top of the lotion.

77. Use toothpaste on pimples. Seriously! Make sure it's the PASTE and not the gel...

78. Try going to a beauty school to get your hair done. It might take awhile (lots of other people do this) but you can save a ton on haircuts and colors.

79. Drink water - this can save you a lot of money on skincare products and makeup because it flushes all the toxins out of your body and makes you feel great!

80. Laugh - you always look good when you're truly happy.

Shopping and Clothes

81. I love Fantabulously Frugal! She posts great deals on clothes, home items, and more!

82. I actually made money during the holidays because I shopped with ebates! Check it out!

83. Follow your favorite stores on Facebook or Twitter, or if you don't mind the added bulk to your inbox, submit your email address. You'll get head's up on sales or maybe even special coupons.

84. Launder your clothes less if you can. That is the fastest way to make your clothes look old. Sometimes, you can opt for the lint roller instead of the dry cleaner.

85. Invest in classic pieces made of quality materials instead of buying cheaply made clothes. They'll last a lot longer and you'll get a better bang for your buck in the end.

86. If you have a great pair of shoes, polish, shine and repair them instead of throwing them out.

87. Pay attention to how you wash your clothes - wash in cold water and inside out, and make sure everything is zipped up so things don't catch during the wash cycles.

88. Just with lots in life, timing is everything. Best time to buy jeans: October after all the back to school shopping is done. Best time to buy winter coats: February or March when the spring stuff is moving in. Do your clothing shopping in off season and you can score some great deals.

89. Make sure your wardrobe is versatile. Buy pieces that have more than one use or way to wear. Ladies - a little black dress can go anywhere - work, after work, parties, weekends, weddings...

90. Check out Frugal Femme's great advice on what you should have in your closet!

Health Care

91. Look into getting a Health Flexible Spending Account. Just like the Transit one, you save pretax money in an account you can later use to cover health care costs (even things like aspirin)!

92. If you can, opt for urgent care clinics as opposed to the emergency room. If your situation is an emergency, DON'T but many people could probably visit the urgent care clinic instead and save a lot of money in the process.

93. Keep an eye out for free things offered by drugstores and health fairs - free vaccines, free skin checks, free cholesterol checks are among some things you can probably get!

94. Ask your doctor to prescribe you a generic version for your prescriptions.

95. Even better, ask your doctor to give you free samples in lieu of buying your prescriptions.

96. Utilize your time wisely in a doctor's appointment. Make a list of all your questions to make sure you get everything answered.

97. If possible, see if you can set up a phone or email appointment with your doctor. It's free and it saves you a copay and a trip!

98. Drink coffee and wine! Studies have shown a glass of wine is good for your heart and having coffee may reduce your risks of getting Type 2 diabetes.

99. Drink tea, too! It's been shown to do many things, from help get over a cold to help with memory loss.

100. Staying healthy is the best form of prevention - eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep.

Okay, that's it! Hope this helps you think about how to save money in 2010! Wishing you and yours a wonderful, safe, happy and healthy New Year!

How the Recession Changed Us

I read a really interesting article in Parade on Sunday about how the economic crisis over the last year has changed Americans. You could probably guess that there was a lot of negativity:

-79% of people had been personally affected by the recession
-68% of people had lost their job or had their pay reduced, or they knew someone who had
-Over half of people had trouble paying their housing costs or knew someone who had

It talked about people cutting back on vacations, holding off big ticket purchases, postponing home additions or renovations. People are feeling cheated because they "played by the rules", and many are losing faith with elected officials.

I, like many of us out there, was personally affected by the recession. Three weeks after my husband and I returned from our wedding in September, we realized his bank was being purchased by another bank and he'd most likely be out of a job. By December, it was official, and by February, he was unemployed. He recently was hired by a great company, but for months, we lived in uncertainty.

But what I learned, and what millions of others are learning, is that through the challenging circumstances, there's still so much to be grateful for. First off, we made saving money our priority. We hosted game nights and potlucks instead of going out and spending money on food and drinks, and 46% of people said they're forming better relationships with friends as a result of the economy. In July, I started volunteering for the Humane Society - 30% of those surveyed began volunteering for a charity or cause. And my husband and I are definitely have a stronger marriage because of everything we had to go through - 52% said their relationships are stronger with their spouses.

The recession has enabled people to get more creative. More people are learning new skills or becoming do-it-yourselfers. More people are reading for pleasure. People report being healthier and more active. Frugal Femme and I started this blog!

I do tend to look on the bright side of things, and while this recession has been incredibly painful for millions of families, I think it's helping us remember the important things. It's not about big houses, fancy cars, or the hottest clothes. It's about family, friends, taking care of yourself, giving back, and helping out.

I don't know if I could have said that in February when my husband lost his job. But we both gained a lot of knowledge and lessons that many couples probably don't learn until years down the road. Many of the things Frugal Femme and I talk about in this blog are tips and strategies that I'll continue to use. After what we went through, I'm passionate about saving. I try to save at least 10% of my paycheck. And I've become better about gift buying - I now prefer to give gifts that are more personal, like a batch of homemade cookies, than going out and spending a lot of money on something meaningless.

Anyone else out there that was personally affected by the recession who feels like sharing? Do you feel like you're better off in life because you've struggled?

Saving Money on Health Care

An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Oh, if it were only so simple...

Okay, so this is not going to be one of those blog posts about the current health care debate in our nation's capital (I'm so not going there), but it is about taking stock in how you currently take care of yourself and if it's benefitting your health and your overall bottom line. As I sat in my open enrollment meeting at work today, I got to thinking about how I could do an even better job of using my money most effectively to take care of myself. I consider myself very lucky to have health insurance, and most of my advice and thoughts come from a place of having health insurance. But I hope this gets everyone thinking about how they can put their health first without it costing them an arm and a leg.

#1 - Re-evaluate your pharmacy. This may not be for everyone depending on access to pharmacies, but I just always assumed that prescriptions were about the same at all pharmacies. They aren't! My health insurance company has their own pharmacies and if you refill there (in person or online), you get your prescriptions for 30% less. If you make frequent trips to the pharmacy, that could be a huge savings. Plus, if you order online, they'll ship to you for free!

#2 - Sign up for a medical flexible spending account. I am definitely a big believer in these pre-tax accounts. Basically, you take money directly from your paycheck (so you don't pay taxes on it) and spend it on medically related items. Well, what if you're lucky enough to not spend much on medicine? You can use it on co-pays, First Aid kits, and even sunscreen (of a certain SPF, of course). Apparently, baby oil does not count as a medically related item. I even found out certain vitamins or supplements can count if they can cure an ailment (example, if you're anemic and need to take iron supplements, etc). Of course, you'd have to check the specific company's definition (it varies from carrier to carrier, I'm sure), but overall, it's been a huge savings for me and it's nice to know that I've put money away for planned medical expenses. It has even helped offset the cost of unplanned medical expenses. The only bummer is it's a use-it-or-lose-it account: whatever you haven't spent at the end of your plan year goes away. Trust me - I have yet to have a year when I've had trouble finding a way to spend it.

#3 - Utilize urgent care facilites. Again, this may not work for everyone, but if there are urgent care facilities in your area, visiting them is almost always MUCH cheaper than the emergency room. I really don't think about urgent care at all - if I'm in a health emergency, I always think emergency room. But what happens? You usually wait for hours and you pay through the roof when you get your bill. An urgent care facility is well equipped to handle emergencies and in most cases, will get you out quicker. The extra bonus? You don't pay as much! Put the closest urgent care facility address and phone number on your refrigerator - hopefully, you won't have an emergency, but it will help to know where you can get reliable, quick and cost-effective care.

#4 - Get to know your benefit package REALLY well. I wear contacts and glasses, so I just assume that I need to have vision coverage, too. Well, not really. My health insurance covers a yearly vision exam. I have the flex account to cover expenses of my contacts. So I only need my vision insurance to cover the cost of frames that I get every couple of years. This year, I'm planning to forgo the vision insurance since I have contacts and frames to last at least another year, saving me $9/month. Hey, it's not a ton, but why pay for something twice? Talk to your plan administrator to see if you're duplicating some expense or ask for help to strategize. They want to keep costs down, too.

I wish everyone good health, and I hope some of these tips come in handy for you! Anyone else have ideas on how to minimize health care costs?