Holiday Help: Drink and Be Merry!

So, a week until the holiday season officially kicks off! I've got my card table to seat more people (a table and 4 chairs for $40 - thanks Target!), table runner, napkins, decorations, menu...now I just need some drinks! I definitely don't want to break the bank for drinks - I'm keeping my budget at $25 for 5 people. What am I going to do?

First, I'm going to make a seasonal cocktail. I saw Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving episode and thought a pomegranate prosecco drink sounded great! I can't find it anywhere to share, but basically, she took a bottle of pomegranate juice and a few slices of fresh ginger. Let that steep for awhile and add an entire bottle of chilled prosecco. Mix and voila! I found a bottle of prosecco for $7 and pomegranate juice for around $4. For a non-alcoholic version, I bet ginger ale would be fantastic in place of the prosecco, and a whole lot cheaper!

For my wine, I'm going to have a rose (I hear it is fantastic with turkey) and beaujolais nouveau, which also pairs well with turkey. You can find both wines for modest prices. Beaujolais is also a great wine to have because it comes out the 3rd Thursday of November! Perfect timing, don't you think?

I'm leaving beer off because I think it's a little heavy with all the food. I'm sure if my husband's reading this, he's getting ready to go pick up some PBR Light. I bet he'd say nothing goes better with Thanksgiving than PBR Light because it's American, it won a blue ribbon, and it goes with just about anything. I think I'll disagree, but it's a great price point!

Since I love wine, but I'm far from a wine expert, I have a FANTASTIC blog, Good Wine Under $20, and her post for good holiday wines here.

Cheers! Salut! Prost! Happy Holidays!

Free Beer!

Okay, so not exactly, but we have another guest post this week from David Seidman. David is a true frugalisto. He would rather do something himself than pay someone else to do it, and that includes making his own beer and his own business. David mixed his business smarts, his frugal sensibilities and his desire to save people money to create splitts.com, an online matchmaker to help people share large purchases like boats, vacation homes, and even airplanes. If you're interested in finding about what splitts.com has to offer, check it out. Here, David shares his love of the homebrew.

Okay, brewing your own beer (“homebrewing”) isn’t quite free, but it’s a lot cheaper than at the store or the bar. An average microbrew costs anywhere from $1-$3 or more at the grocery store and $4-5+ at a bar, but you can brew it yourself for as cheap as $0.50. On top of that, it’s really simple and you’ll have a lot of fun doing it.

The big sucker punch here is up front – a basic starter package costs about $50, but most people wind up buying about another $50 or so in equipment, and sky’s the limit for fancy gadgets (spouses: great gift opportunities!). Once you have the basic equipment, you’ll spend about $30-40 per 5 gallon batch for good-quality beer. Cheap light beer can be, well, cheaper, and really hoppy or malty beers cost more. Wine is also simple to make but it has a different process that takes longer and doesn’t save you as much money. Also, it gives me a hangover.

So how does it work? Well, it’s a lot like cooking. You boil some water, and while it comes to a boil you steep a teabag-like bag of grains in the water. These give it flavor and color. Once the water’s boiling, you stir in “malt extract”, a syrup made from malted barley, the base ingredient in your beer, and throw in some hops. You boil this for about an hour, adding hops at a few key points along the way. Then you cool it down, pour it into your fermenter (a big bucket with an airlock), toss in the yeast, seal it all up, and put it in an out of the way place for a week or two. Like magic, the yeast will turn the malt into alcohol, and you’ll have beer! Flat beer, though. So the next step is to transfer it into bottles (there’s a gizmo for this) along with some sugar. As the yeast digests the sugar, it makes carbon dioxide, and in a couple weeks your beer is carbonated and ready to drink!

To get started, you can order any of the basic starter packages off the internet, or go into your local homebrew store. In the Seattle area, Larry’s in Kent, Mountain Homebrew in Kirkland and Homebrew Heaven in Everett are all good. They’re used to beginners and can get you all set up. They can also help you pick out a recipe and get all the ingredients. You can make any kind of beer you’re interested in drinking, and once you know what you’re doing you can even make up your own recipes, try crazy ideas (maple syrup beer, anyone?), and you’ll always have beer on hand when you want it. There are lots of great sites on the internet (search for “homebrew”) to help you out, or find a friend who homebrews - brewers are a friendly bunch (nothing to do with the alcohol…) and most people love helping their friends get started. So take up a hobby that actually saves you money! And as the homebrewers’ tagline goes: Relax, Don’t Worry, Have a Homebrew.

Friday Deals

Good morning and happy Friday the 13th! Some deals for you on this chilly Friday!

*FREE Aveda Rosemary Mint Body Wash - as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm a big fan of being an Aveda Rewards member. You get free offers every few months in the mail, but this is for everyone. Go to Fantabulously Frugal and print out the coupon.

*FREE shipping on your order at J.Crew when you become a fan on Facebook! The promo code is LOVEJCREW. It expires today so get! And take advantage of their great fall sale! While you're on Facebook, become a fan of Lean with Green!

*FREE shipping on lots of holiday items at Pottery Barn! New monogrammed stockings, anyone?

*Need some new books? Borders.com is having a buy 4, get the 5th book FREE sale! Plus FREE shipping on orders over $25!

*Macy's is offering 10%, 15% and 20% off items with a promo code SAVEMORE. Only available online.

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Help: Thanksgiving Dinner Edition

As we get closer and closer to the holiday season, Frugal Femme and I will be doing a series of posts dedicated to having fun during this special time, but also keeping your pockets lined with more than just spare change. Sound good?

According to a 2008 study by Forbes, the average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $44. 61. They included the turkey and 12 traditional dishes, like pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes. However, the fine folks at Forbes did not include alcohol...and really, can you survive Thanksgiving without it? I digress...

As I'm putting together my menu for my second Thanksgiving that I've hosted, I'm determined to keep my costs down this year and I figured I'd throw my suggestions out there and see if any of you had any ideas! Here's what you can do to keep costs down but still have a fabulous Thanksgiving meal!

*Make it a potluck Thanksgiving. Okay, so right off the bat, I won't be doing this one. My in-laws are coming up from Portland. Since they're making the 3+ hour drive (not including what promises to be horrific traffic), I don't want them worrying about cooking. I have given them the task of picking up rolls, dessert (I don't want to bake a pie) and alcohol so that will definitely save me some money. But if you're having a local Thanksgiving (or if you're less of a control freak than I am) definitely spread the meal love around. Assign people coming over to bring something. For your cousin who doesn't cook, how about drinks? For your recently college graduate brother, why not something inexpensive like dinner rolls? This will not only take time off your hands and free up space in your refrigerator, but will save you a significant amount of money. Plus, it leaves your guests feeling like they contributed something to make the holiday memorable.

*Shop around and do it now! I just saw a deal at my local Safeway for 27 cents/lb for turkey! Hopefully I can clear out enough space in my freezer to get a great deal on the turkey, but there are definitely bargains out there. Stores will mark up prices as it gets closer - you can't have Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey, right? - and they'll definitely take advantage of late shoppers. I bought my turkey two days before Thanksgiving last year and paid around $14 for a 12 lb turkey as opposed to $3.24 (currently the deal at Safeway). WOW! That's a $10 savings!

*Buy produce in bulk. Since you're most likely cooking for a larger group, you can now take advantage of buying fresh produce in bulk. I know I'm cooking mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts, so I'll go to Costco and buy a 5 lb bag of brussel sprouts for $6 and a 15 lb bag of potatoes for $7. First, I'm doing a trial of recipes so I know I'll need more than just for Thanksgiving dinner. Plus potatoes can keep up to a month if stored correctly, so I'll just use them for regular dinners...this makes my husband very happy.

*Buy frozen/canned items. Fresh produce is obviously going to be more expensive, and unless your recipes call specifically for fresh, you can definitely substitute frozen or canned items. I think frozen green beans would be just fine in a green bean casserole. Are you going to make pumpkin puree? No, we'll leave that to Martha Stewart. Buy canned pumpkin.

*Don't make everything from scratch. Who said Thanksgiving has to have all homemade items and days spent toiling over every detail? Not me! Last year, I bought my stuffing from Trader Joe's and it was great! True, my mom's stuffing is better, but I spent $3 and 20 minutes instead of a lot more time and definitely more money.

Ultimately though, it doesn't matter how much money you spend. Thanksgiving is a time when we give thanks for our friends and family, and regardless of how much you spend at the grocery store, it's about the time we spend with our loved ones. Maybe start a new tradition - I'm going to start a guest book (thanks to my friends the Duttons for this idea!) and have my guests write what they're thankful for. How cool would that be to look back on years later?

What about you? Do you have money saving strategies for holiday dinners? What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Stay tuned next week for tips on saving money on holiday beverages!

Guest Post: Hosting a Party on a Budget

Hey all! We're VERY excited to have the lovely Alysia from Prost to the Host write a post on how to host a fabulous party on a small budget! Prost to the Host is a blog that features everything lovely and fresh in the world of entertaining! Make sure to check it out - she has a beautiful site and fantastic ideas! Thanks Alysia!

Hello beautiful! I am Alysia from Prost the Host, LLC and I organize parties and weddings in my spare time. Budget is the number one factor in determining a celebration. While the economy is slowing picking up, people are still cautious with spending and it seems everyone is on a budget. One can still have a fabulous celebration without busting the bank. As we get closer to the holidays, there are many opportunities to host. The cost to host can add up quickly if one is not careful. Here are a few tips on cutting costs without trimming the fabulous.

Time is NOT on our side
The biggest factor in overspending during a celebration is how much time you spend planning the event. Not having enough time will cause one to pay for convenience by paying expedited shipping costs, buying prepackaged food and shopping for items without price comparisons. Timing is truly of essence when you are trying to keep within a budget. If a Fourth of July party is your annual party, be mindful of the sales associated with after holiday sales and stock up for the following year. Discounts are often as high as 90% for post-holiday sales.

Budget Cuts
Determine what factor is most important to you and adjust the budget. By choosing one or two areas of importance, it will enhance the overall party and make you feel like you are not scrimping on every aspect.
*Use evites or emails to invite your guests rather than mailing invitations. If paper invitations are important, opt for printing your invitations at home or Kinko's.
*Decorations are only necessary if you have a theme. To avoid extra costs, plan your fete in locale with interest. Parks and backyards are naturally pretty and don't need much, while a gym or rental space may require more to dress up. To add a bit of drama, use candles to warm a space. Tealights come in bulk and are an inexpensive and chic way to add depth and drama without going overboard on decorations. Bring the outdoors in! Create fruit centerpieces, branches with fall leaves or herbs such as wheat grass and rosemary. Growing your own herbs is simple and an affordable way to dress up a table and branches from your yard are free.
*Know your area. Flowers from local farms are cheaper than grocery stores and florists. Being aware of the season will help gauge what is actually growing and available since out of season tulips and orchids are beyond expensive.
*If you host often, invest in buffet dishes and bulk glassware to avoid constant disposable purchases. This is an eco-friendly option that will save you green in the long run. Ikea has dishes as low as $0.79, also check out World Market, TJ Maxx etc for glassware.

Eat, Drink and Be Frugal
*If offering alcoholic drinks, stick to a simple bar. A beer and wine bar are acceptable options. Or add a liquor drink to go along with the theme. Keeping the mixers and ingredients simple will limit the costs involved.
*Search for beer distribution warehouses in your area. For example, Columbia Distributing (http://www.columbia-dist.com/Contact-Us.aspx) offers discounted beer and wine. Call ahead for selection options and times. In addition, in the Pacific Northwest, we are lucky to have such an abundance of distilleries and breweries. Which means, in terms of beer, buying in bulk (e.g. half barrels, pony kegs etc), are more cost effective than purchasing cases.
*If wine is of great importance, join your favorite winery and receive member-only discounts. Or buy 6 bottles or more from your local grocery for the "bulk" discount. Don't forget to check out Trader Joe's and World Market for delicious and nominally priced vinos.
*There is no shame in a BYOB party.
*Food costs are a hidden expenditure that can quickly add up. Avoid meal times and offer appetizers and finger foods instead. Skip the pre-made, deli and packaged food aisles. Making the dish from scratch is often cheaper.
*Know your crowd. If you have a meat/potatoes crowd, skip the crudité platter as it will just go to waste.
*Presentation is important! Single servings look more visually stimulating than mountains of food.

Coupons, Sales and Discounts Oh My!
*If purchasing items off the internet, search for free shipping or discount codes prior to purchase. Every store has a coupon, you just need to find it.
*Sign up for store's email lists and receive discounts and coupons for members-only. Only sign up for shops you truly enjoy or your email will fill will spam. My favorite party one-stop shop is World Market as they frequently offer 25% off coupons.
*Check out the library for the Sunday newspaper and see if the coupons are worthwhile. Then purchase your own copy.
*Everyone has a website. Check out your favorite brands' websites for their manufacturer coupons and pair with your grocery "double" coupon for double savings.

Hidden Gems
We are creatures of habit. We go to the same shops and often forget of other retail options. Mix up the routine and check out these stores for affordable loot. Always check out the clearance aisle!

Craft Stores: Michael's, Joanns - always have online and newspaper coupons
Home Improvement Stores: Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Lowes
Discount Chains: TJ Maxx, Ross, Dollar Stores
Online: Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, Plum Party, Bake It Pretty
Clothing Stores: CB2, Urban Outfitters

Details, Details, Details
The little details really make a party stand out from the rest. These inexpensive ideas will take your party to the next level.
*Add some DIY flair to you food and drinks with food tags made of leftover paper and ribbon.
Patterned fabric cut in placemats make a table pop with color.
*If you don't have a theme, pick a color scheme. Color can bring all the elements of the party together. Color specific drinks, food and decorations have a powerful impact.

Best of luck! If you host a party and want to share with me, email me (prosttothehost@gmail.com). In the end, there is nothing shameful about living within one's means. As long as the guests are happy, it was successful. A prost to you, the party planner! Cheers!

How Much Should You Save for a House?

Now that my husband has a good job and the real estate market is friendlier to first-time home buyers, we've decided to start the search for Our. First. Home. Exciting! Scary! Nervewracking! EXPENSIVE!!!! All of these words come to mind when buying a home and definitely the last word...here in Seattle, the median price for a home is between $400,000 and $500,000! Not a super affordable place to live, but I know those of you who live in California are going to tell me I'm lucky prices are so low.

So we've been doing a little research about how much to save. As mentioned before, we did a really good job of saving over the past year, but factoring in all of the costs for a house, I'm not sure it's enough.

I'd love to get some tips and hear stories from those of you who have been in my shoes before. Besides a down payment, what else did you save for when buying a house? Closing costs? House emergency fund? Anything you wish you did differently in your search? I'd love any of your advice! Thanks, readers!

Brand v. Generic Faceoff - Tailgate Edition

After reading this Wise Bread post a few weeks ago, I was inspired to do a DIY taste test. Knowing that I'd be hosting a football party to watch the Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal seemed like the perfect opportunity to host a tailgate edition of generic v. brand taste test. Frugal Femme and I figured out what we'd test that were typical tailgate snacks and we came up with soda, potato chips, onion dip, tortilla chips, salsa and pretzels. After not being able to find generic potato chips and soda being declared a "flop", we were down to four items.

The ballots

We had our participants (i.e. willing friends) take a blind taste test and rate which item they thought tasted the best. We asked them to add their comments on why they prefered Food A to Food B. Here's what our research determined.

The Faceoffs:

1) Safeway Brand onion dip v. Lipton onion dip -in a blind taste test, the participants preferred the Safeway brand 2 to 1 compared to the Lipton brand. The Lipton brand was "too overpowering" for one participant, and another prefered the Safeway brand because it had a "nice, mild onion flavor".

2) O Organics (Safeway Brand) white corn tortilla chips v. Tostitos white corn tortilla chips - Tostitos won, but just barely (by 2 votes). Some people said they prefered the O Organics brand because there was "more crunch", but Tostitos eked out a victory.

3) O Organics (Safeway Brand) mild salsa v. Tostitos mild salsa - the O Organics won by a hair (two votes). One voter said about the O Organics brand "you can tasted the individual ingredients" while saying about the Tostitos brand "tasted like processed tomatoes".

Eric enjoying the taste test!

4) Safeway Brand pretzels v. Snyders pretzels - our testers were tied on this one. We even had a self-described pretzel expert in our group and she could not tell the difference between the generic and store brand!

So what's the point? Well, besides having a fun taste test, knowing that overall generic brands taste just as good if not better in most cases could save you a lot of money when you're shopping for party food, or just your grocery budget in general. Clearly, we know that some things are worth the splurge for a brand (soda!), but you're not missing much else.

What about you? Are you buying brands because you think they taste better? Do you always buy generic to save some money? Are there some products you refuse to buy generic?