Practicing Gratitude

It’s been a hell of a year, as it always seems to be. I’ve made an extra effort to practice gratitude this year, and here are some highlights from my gratitude journal because that’s what Thanksgiving is all about, right?

In no particular order: Danny D., my health, Mama Thomas, anniversary trip to Cabo, The OutCast Agency and all of my amazing coworkers, my girls and their babies, Buzzfeed, my soulmate, my iPhone (duh), TED Talks for inspiration and to ground me, family and my nephew-to-be, DRC Euro Trip 2013 (even with the hospital stay), sparkling wine, platinum hair, Nashville (mostly Deacon), and San Francisco.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet-And-Spicy Thanksgiving

It’s not too late to contribute to the Thanksgiving meal. You can bring the often-forgotten cranberry sauce by spending just a few bucks and about 15 minutes. No joke.

When everyone is asking for this recipe on their tryptophan high, you can thank me and Martha for this amazingly delicious Sweet-And-Spicy Cranberry Sauce.

Ingredients
3/4 pound fresh or frozen cranberries (I prefer fresh)
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, brown sugar, cloves and 1/3 cup water to a rapid simmer over medium heat. Cook until berries burst and mixture becomes syrupy, 10 minutes. Stir in cayenne and lime zest and juice. Season with salt. Serve at room temperature. Make up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate.

Nutritional Information
(based on 8 servings) 65 calories; 0 g fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g protein; 17 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber

A lesson in playing hard to get

Yup. I finally caved and re-joined the gym. The combination of it being too dark in the mornings to do my dorky power walking and the lack of motivation to do kickboxing videos while my husband awkwardly looked on were my main motivators. Oh. And I guess the fact that I need to get healthy.

What I learned in the process of checking out gyms is that I’m not good at playing hard to get. I am too transparent for that. I want what I want, when I want it. I don’t have time to negotiate, or wait and come back later to make you think that I am no longer interested. I barely have time to go to the gym.

So I did some research, made some calls, and then some appointments. At World Gym, I took the tour, signed up for a free 3 day pass, went every day for the duration and then paid the registration fee, the monthly fee and some other annual fee to join. This all happened within a week’s time.

The mister on the other hand did not do research, did not make calls or appointments, took the tour, signed up for a free 3 day pass, didn’t go once and two days after I joined he got a call from the sales person who offered to waive the registration fee and annual fee, a savings of about $100.

Unbelievable. Right? After just two days?

I guess patience really is a virtue. And playing hard to get will sometimes pay off.

Ack.

Necklace Obsession

 

I admit it. I have a problem. But who could pass up this H&M necklace?!? My latest find (for $9.95!) will be perfect for the holidays, the best time of year.

F is for Frugal Friday

Broken Social Scene, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2011

I always like to go in to the weekend with something fun or new planned. I also like to go in to the weekend with a frugal mindset; since I often spend more in these 2 days than in the 5 days of the work week combined (times 2!).

So in the spirit of the Alphabet Project, wanted to share some of my favorite Frugal Friday flashbacks (say that 10 times fast!):

– The one where I came up with “Frugal Friday“ (from before we lived in SF!)
– The one when we moved to San Francisco
– The one with the dryer balls

With those memories in mind,  here are a few things to do this weekend, for general fun times, without spending all your monies. For those in San Francisco, I will be at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, but thanks to the reminder from FunCheapSF newsletter, I am also considering a stop at one of my favorite museums thanks to B of A Free Museum Weekend too. Decisions, decisions.

It’s Friday. Be frugal.

If you are catching up, we are using the alphabet to guide us through ways to save money, time, etc. Catch up on the Alphabet Project here.

Beauty All Star: Sea Salt Spray

In developing our latest budget, we realized that I spend A LOT of money each month on personal maintenance. A girl’s gotta look good, right?

From hair appointments (going platinum is expensive!) to makeup to wax appointments to skin care, that stuff really, really, adds up. Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I know I am not alone.

Ever since, I have been trying to find ways to save on my daily use beauty products (’cause let’s be honest I am not going without root dyes or waxing).

One of the great things about platinum hair is that you don’t have to wash it every day, as a matter of fact, you shouldn’t. It’s amazing! It doesn’t get greasy for 4 or 5 days (TMI??), but it does lose some of its body. About two years ago my amazing hairstylist got me addicted to sea salt sprays. The spray adds texture and volume to any hair type. If you are not using one yet, you should start now. It really helps get that oh-so-desirable beach waves look, and for me, helps to add texture to hair that hasn’t been washed for a few days.

Of course as a first time sea salt spray user, I went with the expensive salon brand when I first got addicted to this product. But after the budget refresh a few months back (more on how that is going coming soon), I started looking for alternatives.

Thanks to a super awesome friend, I found out about John Masters Organics Sea Mist. While it’s a bit saltier than the more expensive brand, it works the same and adds the amazing smell of lavender to your locks. Coming in at $15, it is half the price of the salon brand, and because it is saltier, you only need a couple of sprays, i.e, it lasts longer.  You can order it online, or get it at Whole Foods, that is what I do.

How do you save on your must-have beauty products?

Tourist in my own city: Cable Car Edition

It may be fall everywhere else but it’s summer in San Francisco. A season when sun-starved locals gather in the city’s parks, and when we also get a short break from tourists before the holidays begin. For me this means it’s time to explore this amazing city that we live in.

As if I wasn’t already intrigued enough by San Francisco cable cars (don’t call them trolleys, trams or trains!), I recently learned that the San Francisco cable car system is the last one in existence. Mind blown. Now I realize what makes the cable cars so unique, and more importantly, understand why the tourists line up by the hundreds for a ride. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my fair share of cable car rides, so a trip to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum was the only natural next step.

This museum is where it’s at. It’s not just a museum it is the actual powerhouse for the cable car system complete with things like sheaves, winding machinery, extra cable and a gift shop! No joke.  You’ll spend no more than an hour learning everything there is to possibly know about cable cars while watching the actual pulleys that the cable cars are running on. And did I mention it’s FREE? But if you had as much fun as I did when you visit, a small donation wouldn’t hurt.

If you aren’t convinced yet, some fun facts:

– Cables move at 9.5 MPH all day long (seems slow, right?)
– 4 separate cables move in a continuous loop, all go through the museum/powerhouse
– 26 cable cars operate at one time; there are 40 total in the fleet
– It takes 6 hours to change the cable, which they do in the middle of the night (obvs)

Here’s a sneak peek of the sheaves in action:

 

 

Any other off-the-beaten path sights we should check out before the holidays hit?

E is for Eating In

 

We all know that it is cheaper to eat in than to dine out, so why is it so hard? I recently committed to cook dinner at home twice a week to help reduce our spending and get us back on track with our savings. Know that 2 doesn’t seem like a lot, but when I say “2” I mean new recipes, real dinners. We’ll still eat in other nights but that’s when I will make our quick weekly staples: tacos, pre-made meatballs, and whatever else you can make with a rotisserie chicken from Safeway.

In addition to saving some dolla billz, I find eating in helps us to eat healthier and save even more on food because leftovers make for good lunches. Cooking is also great for stress reduction; when I’m trying a new recipe my mind can only focus on one thing: not effing it up.

That said, I am always looking for healthy and fast recipes. I’ve told you about a few of my faves before, check those out here and here, and wanted to share another easy, quick and delicious dish. It’s another Weight Watchers recipe, so it’s on the healthier side and comes in at $3.75 per serving: Orzo with Asparagus, Tomatoes & Cheese.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 pound uncooked asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 medium plum tomatoes
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
(recipe also calls for 1 medium yellow onion, chopped,  I dig onions and all but it’s a bit much in this)

Directions
Cook the orzo according to package directions, adding the asparagus during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until the onion is slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved orzo and asparagus and heat through, about 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, the basil, salt, and pepper.

Yields 1 1⁄4 cups per serving.

Nutritional Information
(based on 4 servings) 284 calories, 19 g protein, 7 g total fat, 39 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 589 mg sodium, 8 WW points

What are your fave recipes? Please share!

If you are catching up, we are using the alphabet to guide us through ways to save money, time, etc. Catch up on the Alphabet Project here.

Target: The $100 Store

I know I am not the only one who can’t go in to Target without spending at least $100. From the dollar bins by the front door to the hidden shelves of sale items at the end of the aisles, I swear I am really saving money on things when I walk out of there $100 poorer (I know this is completely not true, but stay with me).

Enter the Target REDcard. If Target is also your $100 store, then you need one of these. Stat. It’s not a credit card (although there is a credit option), it’s a debit card linked directly to your bank account that comes with benefits:

5% back on purchases: Instead of $100, you will spend $95

Free shipping: Kind of like Amazon Prime, without the super fast shipping; this is also great for people like me who have a hard time getting to a physical store

30 extra days to make returns: For those of us who are indecisive

There is not much that could make me love Target more, but they’ve done it with the REDCard. I realize that in my effort to save even the smallest amount of money, I am giving them the right to track all of my purchases (it’s so hard to fight The Man). But hey, just add it to the list of things I have signed up for (from loyalty/club cards to e-mail newsletters) to save a few dollars.

Every little bit counts, right?

D is for Due Dates

The Alphabet Project continues. If you are catching up, we’re doing a series on What’s My Deal?, check out what you’ve missed thus far, here.

Did you know you can change the due dates for most of your bills so that they work for you, not against you? This may be common knowledge to some, but when I figured this out a few years back I was not only amazed, but relieved. So this is me, sharing the wealth; figuratively, but almost literally.

Now that you know what you are spending (this is assuming you’ve got your budget in order), it’s time to take control of those due dates. The goal is to even out your spending throughout the month so you don’t find yourself with little or no cash on hand at any point.

This is a fairly simple process: figure out what dates can be moved and then move ’em. Typically, most of your utilities and credit card payment due dates can easily be adjusted through a web or phone request; things like rent and mortgage payments are often not flexible. Do some research and see what can be moved around and what cannot.

We have arranged our due dates so that half our bills are due during the first half of the month, and the rest are due the second half of the month. While this doesn’t change what you spend on bills, it gives you more control of your spending and that’s what budgeting it all about, after all.