Blossoming savings

Yesterday my family gathered in the kitchen after visiting an apple and pumpkin farm.  While we scoured the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin, my sister Camille revealed a unique and tasty money-saving tip.  She gathered the pumpkin blossoms and took them home for a tasty snack.  There are lots of recipes online for making this treat, but my sister took a minimalist approach, with a simple beer batter. She seeded the blossoms, then washed the blossoms, then sat them on a paper towel to dry.

Then she dipped her blossoms into the batter (which consists of beer, flour, s&p and a little water) and fried the blossoms. After laying them on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease, she lightly salted them and served them up!

Not only is the treat nearly free, it’s also probably better than the alternatives you’d find in a pub or grocery store when you’re craving something fried.

My sister, who lives in a small condo and nurtures a rooftop garden, first made this snack this summer, when she discovered that her zucchini plants did not yield any fruit.  She made the best of the situation, however, and avoided waste by turning the blossoms into a tasty treat.

Don’t forget to discard the stems, and enjoy! Also see Money Saving Mom for tips like growing vegetables on your patio.

Snack Happy

One great way to reduce your grocery bill is to look over your past month of grocery receipts and look at what your most expensive items were.  Then you can think creatively about how to reduce the cost of what your’e spending on these items.

Snack foods are generally products that are highly marked up and are packed with salt and preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients.  By switching to home-made snacks, you are not only going to reduce your grocery bill, you may very well reduce your waistline as well.  Not to mention that it’s better for the environment, because you can just re-use your own packaging (tupperware, mason jars) at home.  Here are some examples of how you can replace your favourite snack foods.  I’ll start with my favourites:

Hummus - I can’t believe how marked up chickpeas are.  I prefer Presidents Choice garlic hummus, and even though this is the best deal around (especially when you buy the family size) it still goes for about $5 a container.  Instead, make your own hummus - it’s dirt cheap, consisting mainly of chickpeas, tahini paste (buy a jar and it will last forever), lemonjuice, garlic, olive oil and s&p (the majority of which you probably already have in your kitchen).

Salsa - Why is salsa so expensive?  It consists of a few basic ingredients and is easy to make.  Here’s how you can make it easily at home.  Chop tomatoes, jalepeno, onion, cilantro, garlic (all to taste) and mix in lime juice, a teaspoon of olive oil and s&p.  Let it sit in the fridge for at least 12 hours and presto, you’ve got a delicious salsa waiting for you. (Note: you can also add chili powder.)

Guacamole - Why anyone would bother buying the expensive, pre-packaged stuff is beyond me.  You’re missing out on the best part - mashing the avocado!  For some reason, I love preparing avocados.  They’re just so… fun!  And tasty.  All good guac needs is to be mashed with some lemon juice, s&p, and garlic.  I usually include a tiny bit of olive oil too, especially if the avo is just on the edge of being ripe enough.  Minutes later, and for the cost of about $1 (depending if avos are in season) and you’re done!

Roasted Garlic -  Cover a head of garlic in tin foil - you can add a little olive oil on the top if you want, but you don’t need to - and sit it in the oven at a high temp, between 350-400,  for oh, about 45 minutes.  When you unwrap it, you’ll find gooey, tasty garlic, that is easily and delightfully spread on crackers or crispy pita chips.  That is another great, cheap snack!

Popcorn -  Forget those pre-packaged microwave popcorn pockets that are woefully bad for the environment when you can do it yourself.  Here are a couple of suggestions.  Buy your popcorn at the Bulk Barn or another bulk store - since you don’t pay for packaging you can get a big bag of popcorn for pennies.  Then you can use a popcorn popper (these are super cheap nowadays; as my sister pointed out to me recently, you can pick one up at any department store or at a garage sale - but as garage sale season has now passed, I would recommend ebay or simply seek out a handmedown from friends or family members.) But Alton Brown has kindly shown us that we can make microwave popcorn at home, using brown paper bags.  You can buy a stack of $100 for $1 at the dollar store.  Put in the popcorn in the bag and fold the top a couple of times; seal it with two staples (not more, not less).  Microwave it as you normally would and then add your butter or other toppings.

Chips & Queso - It’s a very guilty pleasure but I love this gooey cheese.  It costs at least $4 in the store if my memory serves correctly.  One night as a university student desperate for a naughty snack, I came across a cheap alternative and realized it tasted just as good. Searing in a near empty fridge, I found Cheeze whiz, and mixed it with some chopped banana peppers (the pickled kind in the jar.)  I microwaved it until it had melted and was hot (it doesn’t take long, so watch it carefully and stir thoroughly) and found it entirely reminiscent of my name brand fave.

Babaganoush - This tasty Indian dish doesn’t have to cost you more than one eggplant.  Here’s an example of a good recipe for it - it’s easy!

1 1/2 lb Eggplant

3 tb Lemon juice
1 ts Salt
2 ts Minced fresh garlic
3 tb Sesame tahini
– (optional: substitute
– yogurt or sour cream)
1/4 c  Chopped parsley
1/2 c  Toasted pine nuts (I think this is optional so simply delete if you’re like me and never have pine nuts in your home)
2 tb Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prick eggplant all over with a fork.
Bake whole until tender (about 30 minutes).  Remove from oven, halve
and scoop out the flesh.  Blend in a food processor with the lemon
juice until smooth.  Mash the salt and garlic together and combine
with the eggplant, along with the tahini.  Cool and stir in the
parsley and pine nuts. Before serving, drizzle with the olive oil.
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or triangles of flat (pita) bread.

(Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook)
From: The Cook’s Garden catalog, Spring/Summer 1993 (page 20)

Tortilla Chips - Don’t have chips hanging around for salsa?  If you have left over tortillas, you can turn them into chips by brushing them with olive oil and brushing them with oil and chili powder and then baking them on a greased shet in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  If you have stale pita, you can use them for the same purpose.

If you are using your salsa for fajitas, you may also want to see some recipes for tortillas at Frugal Zeitgeist.

Veggies, beans… these are far cheaper than packaged snacks and sauces.  You control what goes into your food and your food tastes fresher, too!

Please share with me your favourite home-made snacks!

Canadian Living Coupons

As mentioned in a previous post, I recommend subscribing to Canadian Living because of it’s recipes, crafts, and coupons, not to mention the fact that it’s a fun magazine to receive in the mail every month - and it’s dirt cheap!  (I used my HBC points, so I got my subscription for free!)

I thought I’d let you know of some good coupons in this month’s issue (November), in case you are interested in purchasing one:

$5 off Loreal Paris Revitalift

2000 Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points when you buy any two Aquacurent Science Products

$1 off Oasis brand juice

60 cents off Kleenex Lotion Facial Tissues

75 cents off any variety of Creama (coffee cream)

75 cents off any purchase of Kotex pads or lightdays liners

75 cents off a GUM Activital purchase

$2 off IAMS Cat food

$2 off IAMS Dog food

If you subscribe, the magazine arrives in a plastic bag with even more coupons inside!

While I’m plugging Canadian Living, I might as well mention that there is a great article on Trimming your grocery budget on Canadian Living online.

Happy clipping!

The Top Ten List

Lately I’ve been focusing on providing recipes or small crafts that promote frugality, but today I thought I’d focus on the really big money savers: The Top Ten things you can do that will reduce your expenses - fast. 

1. Sell your car.  Instead, rely on public transportation, car-pool, use a bicycle and when you need to, rent a car.  Calculate the annual cost of your car payment, insurance, repairs, parking, and parking tickets (we often forget that one!) Surprised with the amount you come up with?  Ask yourself, is it really worth it?  If you choose not to get rid of your car completely, simply cut back.  For example, two of my colleagues at work live relatively close to each other, so they take turns each week driving each other to work.  This literally cuts in half the cost of parking, gas, not to mention the miles they put on the car commuting each day.

2.  Avoid eating out in restaurants and take your lunch to work.  Since “$10 is the new $5 lunch” you could be spending nearly $3200 a year on lunch (after tax).  Compare that to the cost of eating up leftovers or preparing sandwiches, and you’re looking at serious savings.  And that’s just lunch - if you eat out twice a week at an average of $25 a dinner, you’re spending an additional $3200, (again after factoring in taxes).  That’s savings of $6400 a year!  Stock your desk with snacks, bring your lunch, and eat at home.

3. Avoid buying some of the most highly marked up products around - coffee, water, pop, and beer. Take your own coffee to work in a travel mug, buy a reusable, good quality water bottle, buy pop by the case when it’s on sale and bring it to work with you (or go without) and avoid buying beer whenever you can. Sound trivial?  If you buy a coffee in the morning, a pop with your lunch, and another coffee in the afternoon, you could be spending about $850 a year - and that’s a modest figure, assuming each beverage is costing you $1.50 each, including tax. If you buy a pop at a restaurant, or visit a higher end cafe like Starbucks, you could potentially double that amount.

4. Avoid stores, avoid spending.  We are incredibly affected by the power of suggestion.  I personally have noticed a substantial drop in my own spending ever since I moved to the Beaches, which means that instead of walking down Queen Street West or through the Eaton Centre to get home after work, I get straight on the streetcar and get dropped off practically at my doorstep.  If you avoid the stores, you won’t be tempted. 

5. Switch grocery stores. If you live in Ontario, shop at No Frills, Price Chopper or Food Basics and avoid the higher priced stores, especially Dominion and IGA.  You’ll notice a substantial drop in your grocery bill.

6. Shop wisely and consciously.  Plan your meals (and other purchases) using flyers, sales, coupons and in-season-items.  Buy generic brands and always look at the unit cost before making a purchase.  Don’t wait until you’re in the grocery store to figure out what you need.  Plan ahead, and make strategic shopping decisions. And if you sign up with President’s Choice no-fee-banking, you earn points that give you oodles of free groceries.

7. Cancel your cable, phone, and internet.  Yes, you really can do that.  We cancelled our cable and subscribed to a newsgroup.  Now we download our favourite shows (or watch them for free on websites such as Slice and HGTV online.) You can also rent movies for $4 from itunes (and no late charges!) We also cancelled our landline since we use our cell phones. Using Skype is another option for those of you making long-distance phone calls. Finally, you can split the cost of the internet with a neighbour, if you live in an apartment.  If you’re spending $175 a month on these purchases you could save $2100 over the course of a year.  If you don’t want to cancel completely, call and ask for a bargain.  Threaten to change companies if you must.  I’ve seen my bills significantly reduced through effective bargaining methods.  And don’t let that early cancellation fee frighten you - the savings might still be worth it.  You’ll have to do the math to find out.

8.  Consider moving. It might sound extreme, but we saved $500 a month by moving from downtown to the Beaches (the east end) - and we get to enjoy the pleasures of the beach!  We have slightly higher expenses (increased transportation costs, for instance) but we are also less tempted to eat out and go shopping, and more inclined to take a moonlight run by the lake, and we are saving $6000 a year.

9. Pay less tax. Many deductible expenses are hidden in the CRA’s Tax and Benefit Guide.  Did you know, for example, that you can deduct moving expenses (when you move to be closer to work or to a new job or school), the interest on your student loans, the cost of your tuition, education and textbooks, public transit passes, medical and dental expenses, donations and gifts (this includes gifts in kind such as canned goods).  If you haven’t done this in the past, you can carry over at least some of these benefits.

10. Avoid Bank Fees and Interest. Overdraft, credit card interest, cash-advances, visiting ATMs that are not your home branch, and simply paying regular bank fees - this is all money “down the toilet” as Gail Vax-Oxlade would say!  If you carry a monthly balance, reduce your interest rate.  Call the credit card company and ask them to reduce your rate, or switch to a lower interest card and make a balance transfer, and switch to a no-fee-banking account like President’s Choice or ING.

The Grapes of Wrath

Maybe the slogan, “life is too short to drink cheap wine” ought to be rethought.  A great article called “Tough Times, Cheap Wines” was published in The Globe and Mail today on how to find great wines at cheap prices. The author, Beppi Crosariol, even provides a list of his favourite wines that give great value for your money.  

I have always enjoyed a bottle of Grey Fox which if I’m not mistaken, runs for about $7.50 in Ontario. Another cheap and tasty selection can be found in the vineyards of the Ocala Winery in charming Port Perry, where they actually specialize in apple wines. They even have their winelist online, and as you can see, their wines range in price from $5.95 for the Macintosh to $14.95 for the Iced Apple.  My favourites there are probably the Macintosh and the Honey Crisp.  Their more traditional wines are great too.  Taking a visit, enjoying a free tasting, and stocking up on some very affordable - and delightfully unusual - wines is well worth the trip, if you’re in the area.  While we were there, we enjoyed the surroundings of the soft, nurturing countryside and wheat fields.

In addition to your great wine sales, don’t forget to collect your bottles and return them at the Beer Store if you are in Ontario - you get 20 cents back for every bottle you return.  Below is our nearly filled box of empty wine bottles, waiting for that last bottle to complete the collection.

I am a firm believer that good wine does not have to cost a lot and I am grateful to Crosariol for the list as I’m always on the look out for a hidden gem.  One of my favourites on his list is Robert Mondavi - I’d have to second that motion.  Please have a look at the list and add your comment on your favourite cheap wine. I’d love to hear from you!

You may also want to check out the Good Cheap Wine Guide - a cute Californian blog detailing one man’s quest for excellent tasting, cheap wines, using an innovative rating system (you’ll see what I mean!) Another neat blog is Talking Cheap Wine. It’s written by a husband and wife who describe and rate each bottle of wine they try. They typically profile wines that are good value and cost $15 or less (and usually profile wines that are considerably cheaper than this.)

In the meantime, enjoy “Beppi’s Bailout Bargains.”

WHITE

Cantina Tollo Rocca Ventosa Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2007 (Italy), $7.80: Light, lemony and herbal. Lively, almost spritzy finish.

Dopff & Irion Crystal d’Alsace Sylvaner 2006 (France), $12.45: light, apple-like and refreshing.

Jacques & Francois Lurton Les Fumées Blanches 2007 (France), $11.45: lean, crisp and grassy.

Leaping Horse Chardonnay 2007 (California), $12.30 in Ontario: Creamy, luscious and crisp.

Peninsula Ridge Inox Chardonnay 2007 (Ontario), $12.95: Crisp, clean, Chablis-like.

RED

Gabbiano Chianti (Italy), $13.95: pasta red par excellence.

KWV Roodeberg (South Africa), $13: medium-full and brimming with plum, berry and vanilla.

Marcus James Malbec 2007 (Argentina), $9.25: Big fruit, spice and attractively earthy.

Strewn Rogues Lot Cabernet Franc-Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Ontario), $12.95, on sale from $13.95 in Ontario until Oct. 12: Amazing price and remarkably smooth for a Niagara red.

Zuccardi Fuzion Shiraz Malbec 2007 (Argentina), $7.45: full-bodied, polished and brimming with berry-like flavour.

SPARKLING

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva (Spain), $14.95: Bottle-fermented like Champagne at a fraction of the cost.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

I’ll admit that Starbucks has delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins - but they are expensive! (And addictive!)  You can easily make your own and bring them to work or school with you and enjoy them as an afternoon treat. This recipe below comes from Canadian living, although I recently found another recipe at Recipe Zaar that I would like to try.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnut halves

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

MAPLE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 vanilla

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger,cloves and nutmeg; mix in 1/4 cup of the walnuts.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla; pour over dry ingredients.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle with remaining walnuts.  Bake in centre of 375 degree oven until golden and tops are firm to the touch, 20-35 minutes.  let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes.  Transfer to rack; let cool. To fill the muffins with the delicious icing, we cut the tops using a paring knife on an angular slant. The we put a dollop of the icing and squished the muffin top closed.  We found that the muffins were even better eaten after being chilled in the fridge

Someone else enjoyed the muffins, too.  Or the icing at least.

There you have it - an easy muffin recipe, eliminating your need for expensive treats at Starbucks!  Take one (or two) in your lunchbag or enjoy in the morning with a coffee.

*UPDATE* - To see a better way of filling the muffins, see my “Muffin Update”

More Thanksgiving crafts

On the same Sunday that I made the pumpkin vase and toasted the pumpkin seeds, I made another little craft using only a few gourds and other supplies that I had available.  Since I tend not to buy flowers, I have a vase available that I like to use to house unorthodox items to create an interesting little decorations.  The vase is a handmedown, by the way, and I just love it.  In the summer, I fill it with shells (I buy them at the dollar store) and place a tea candle it in - it creates a soft, lovely glow.  On Sunday, I filled the vase with 6 gourds that I bought at a farm outside of Toronto.  (They are of course plentiful here in Toronto, too - I paid 50 cents each for them. You can find them here for 50 cents but can also pay up to $1 each.)  I also went outside and collected acorns (there is one large tree near me that yielded more than enough acorns).  I then washed them, dried them with a tea towel (they dried well enough so they did not require toasting in a warm oven) and then polished them with my furniture polish.  I filled up the rest of the space of the vase with acorns, and when I was done, tied a piece of ribbon around the vase.  (I collect bits of ribbon that come with gifts and purchases.)  The result is a cute fall centre piece that only cost $3 for the gourds.

Really, my ideas are a simple and I am not a craft master by any means.  But the general idea is to use what you have, look around you, look outdoors.  Recognize the abundance that comes in a handmedown, an acorn tree, a scrap of ribbon that may otherwise get thrown out, and a vase with many functions.  There is possibility in everything we have and everything that surrounds us.  Use your creativity to enjoy and engage with this abundance to create value, warmth, and fun in your life.

A “Seedy” Sunday

In yesterday’s post, I described making a pumpkin vase and mentioned setting aside the seeds for a tasty snack.  I’ve always done this when pumpkin carving but as the only thing I’ve ever added to the recipe was salt, I never realized what delightful snack pumpkin seeds can really be.  I used a recipe again from Martha Stewart’s website but I also was inspired by a recipe on 101cookbooks. The opportunities are endless!  And delicious.  I couldn’t get over how tasty Martha’s pumpkin seeds were.  In fact I ate nearly the whole snack in one sitting.  Needless to say, you can go far using the ingredients you have, especially if you keep a well stocked pantry with basic baking supplies and spices.  It’s also another example of how to make your own snacks instead of paying high prices for packaged foods.  You could follow the recipes provided above using other kinds of nuts too - like unroasted peanuts, or almonds (you can get either of these at the Bulk Barn).

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Vase

You don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy the fall colours and smells - you can bring them right into your home and display them beautifully for next to nothing.  Lately I’ve been admiring the cute autumn displays that a lot of the local flower and convenience stores have out on the sidewalks.  I noticed a pumpkin vase in particular that was quite cute, but of course I thought, “I could do that.”  And I did!  I made a pumpkin vase and enjoyed two potted mums for under $5.  You can follow my instructions below or see Martha Stewart’s example at marthastewart.com. Also see the home spun heart for great ideas about what to do with a pumpkin, including creating a vase!

A small pumpkin should run about 75 cents.  Choose one that will fit your ideal centrepiece. Lay your pumpkin out on the table on some newspapers.

Next, take a black marker and draw a line around the top of the pumpkin where you want to cut it.  Make sure that the pumpkin is wide and tall enough to fit the pot of flowers.  Keep in mind you may want to put your flowers or plant in a glass jar or other container, which can take up quite a bit of space.

Use a knife (I used a boning knife that worked quite well) to cut along the rim an open up the top of the pumpkin.  Then cut along the inside, scooping out the innards with an ice-cream-scoop and trimming down the inside as much as possible, also making sure the inside is flat.  Set the seeds aside for a tasty snack.

Next, place your flowers or plant in a container that fits the pumpkin and place it inside the pumpkin.  I actually split my mums in half, and put half of the plant into a small flower pot I had lying around.  I packed the soil down, and then took a ziploc bag and put the pot inside the bag, folding the top down and tying an elastic band around it securely - this will ensure that excess water gets caught in the bag.

Above is my final creation.  I left a little of the green paper inside.  The other half of the mums I repotted and placed outside on my front porch. In this photo you can see my kitten peering over the table.  (Note that the table, autumn-themed placemat, and doily all happen to be handmedowns!)

Butternut, my curious kitten, (who, incidentally, I frequently affectionately refer to as “pumpkin”)  is being naughty here and climbing onto the kitchen table.  I snapped a picture before shooing her down.

A runnin’ fool

Running is actually a great sport to get into if you want to stay in shape and be healthy but don’t want to dole out a lot of money for expensive gym fees. In Toronto, gym, yoga clubs and spinning clubs are expensive, and you can easily pay $150 a month for a basic membership. Running is cheap, since all you really need is a good pair of running shoes and personal commitment. But as any serious runner knows, running can get expensive. There is lots of technical equipment that you will want to buy, especially as you get into the longer distances. But there are ways to reduce your costs:

1. When buying running shoes or running equipment, always check for coupons before heading to the store. Running Room coupons are usually easy to find. I’ll never forget when Vector cereal offered 20% coupons on their cereal box packages. I drove across the city to 3 different grocery stores in the middle of the pouring rain, and then rummaged through their shelves to find one (there were very few left). Recently, the same coupon was offered on containers of Nordia cottage cheese. Who can say no to 20% savings? If you’re looking at buying running shoes, you’ll spend $100 minimum - so that’s $20 in savings right there. As I’ve previously mentioned, you can get this same deal at www.visaperks.ca and by using your visa card. Of course, if you sign up for a Running Room clinic, you get 10% coupons - but you need to use them while you’re still in the clinic.

2. If you don’t want to sign up for a clinic at the Running Room (they go for about $60 but you get a discount if you are a repeat member) then you can join in for free runs on Wednesday and Sunday (check your local Running Room for times and meeting places.) This is a great way for single people to find a running group without having to pay for a clinic.

3. Sports drinks - I have a few ways of saving here, because Gatorade can be expensive when you drink it nearly everyday! (This is especially applicable when running in the summer or in hot climates.) First of all, stock up when you see a great sale (I once found those giant jugs on sale for $1 at Price Chopper during one of their loonie sales). Secondly, you can buy the powder, which is far cheaper than the liquid. Thirdly, you can make sports drinks yourself - this I admit I have never tried, but if anyone has a recipe, I’d love to see it!

4. Take good care of your running clothes and make sure you launder them right away. This helps to maintain them but also makes sure that you have enough running gear available (my partner and I made it through the summer with only one good quality pair of running shorts each).

5. Buy at Costco. I don’t actually own a Costco membership, but maybe I should get one. I’ve heard that Costco has great prices on sports wear.

6. Wear hand-me-downs. I use my Mom’s old gear. Remember that people often make New Years Resolutions to work out and then don’t, so your friends or family may have gear for you that they don’t use and are willing to part with.

7. You can also seek out running jerseys at Thrift Stores. Free t-shirts from races, for example, are easy to find.

8. Make your own healthy power bars and other refeuling snacks. Alton Brown has a Good Eats episode where he makes his own power bars. In the absence of having this episode on hand, I will share a muffin receipe with you from this months’ Runner’s World:

LIZ’S MUFFIN MIX

2 cups whole-grain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup skim milk or soy milk

1/3 cup applesauce, regular or flavoured

1/2 cup chopped nuts, or dried, fresh, or frozen fruit

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Fill a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups. mix the first five dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slightly beat the eggs. Mix in the milk and applesauce. And wet ingredients to the dry mix. Stir until just combined, sprinkling in the nuts or fruit. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until muffin tops are golden brown.