Frugal luxuries

With all the bad news out there, it’s easy to feel like the world is coming to an end.  More and more news about suicides, shootings, and lay-offs.

If we’re going to survive this recession, then we need to find ways of being happy.

As I’ve mentioned before in other posts, I believe that it is possible to live a fulfilling live while living frugally.  Actually, it’s not just possible.  I believe that frugality is deeply bound to concepts like gratitude, mindfulness and joy.  By living simply and frugally, we find, sometimes to our surprise, that happiness is already within our reach. Instead of looking to the next new thing – a new pair of shoes, a new toy, more money – to make us happy, we find pleasure and fulfillment with what we already have.  We appreciate everything we own, we learn new skills, we find confidence in our self-sufficiency and resourcefulness, and spend more time doing the things that truly add value to our lives.

For anyone making the transition to a frugal life – tightening the budget, or perhaps budgeting for the first time - especially out of necessity, or fear, I feel that it’s important to integrate things that make you happy into your every day life.  After all, we don’t just want to “get by.”  We want to live!  We want to be happy and experience all the fruits this world has to offer.  And, in contrast to the critic’s view that frugality equals deprivation, I believe that we can seek out joy this very minute, regardless of income.

 If you’re used to looking outwards for a boost after a bad day, this can be tough.  At first glance it may seem like you have nothing to be thankful for or happy about.  But so much goes unnoticed.  We waste precious solitude or moments of peace by thinking, planning, or worrying incessantly.  We ignore the beauty that is around us by hurrying on to the next place we’re supposed to be.  We save our best linens, fine china, and nicest clothes for special occassions, tucked in drawers and forgotten about. We dismiss our own creativity and ability to learn, assuming that someone else will sew, cook, or paint better than we ever could.  But in fact, we have so many resources, both internal and external, for fun and fulfillment.

In “Frugal Luxuries,” Tracy McBride says:

Many people confuse luxury iwth opulence. To understand luxury you must look at the true sense of the word… something conducive to pleasure and comfort.  So to indulge in luxury, you need only to focus on what brings you pleasure and comfort.  Does luxury have to mean diamonds and servants? Or can it be a plump down comforter on a cold night or a bowl of wild blueberries picked at the peak of that fruit’s brief season?  Too many people forget to enjoy these simple pleasures on a regular basis.  They seem to wait for the Shangri-la of someday rather than adjust their attitudes and sample the small indulgences found in ordinary events.

I want to live frugally, but I also want to enjoy myself.  I want a live that is rich with friendship, satisfaction, curiosity, and uninhibited fun.  So I thought I would share a few things with that make me happy, a few of my own “frugal luxuries”.  This week I’m going to concentrate on highlighting the frugal luxuries I find throughout the week and share them with you.

I love my lavender products, especially my linen spray, massage oil and handmade soap from Becker Vineyards in Texas.  I find lavender one of the most soothing things in the world.  I love it in any form.

You can make a lavender spray yourself, by adding a few drops of lavender essential oils to water in a squirt bottle.  

Out of all my antiques, this cup and saucer set are among my favourites.  This set, passed down from my Nana, sit on my tea trolley on an handmade doily I found at a garage sale.

I love Ombra bubble bath – it’s the best. It’s PH neutral and has the most lovely variety of scents.  Of course I love the lavender one, but recently I tried the Citrus-sage.  It’s so refreshing and fragrant and feels very reminiscent of spring.  I picked this up during one of Rexall’s buy-one-get-one-free sales.

Throughout the week I will be posting more of my favourite “frugal luxuries” in order to become more attentive to the simple pleasures that exist in my life. 

What are the frugal luxuries that you’ve enjoyed today?

How much should your food really cost?

There has been a lot of concern lately about rising food costs. And while I sympathize, I wonder if we aren’t a bit spoiled, thinking that food costs should be lower than they already are.  In North America, we’ve really become accustomed to low food costs when most other parts of the world pay a much higher price.  And when we look at the tools that have enabled our cheap food prices (factory farming, for example) we must wonder whether the tax we pay as a cost to the environment is really worth it.

In my post, “Wingin’ it on a budget” I mentioned that I paid a much higher price to get organic, humanely-raised chicken from a local farmer.   Although I probably paid about three times as much for the meat as I would in a grocery store, you have to wonder why it’s so much cheaper in the store.  What I paid is probably much closer to the true cost of raising fowl in an ethical fashion.

I do believe that it is possible to reconcile frugality with paying higher prices for food – it just takes a re-evaluation of what and how we eat.  For one thing, look at how much food we waste.  Crunchy Chicken has a link to a study published in 2004 by the University of Arizona called “US wastes half its food”.  Although the study must be outdated, I wonder if these findings have changed:

 On average, households waste 14 percent of their food purchases. Fifteen percent of that includes products still within their expiration date but never opened… [The] average family of four currently tosses out $590 per year, just in meat, fruits, vegetables and grain products.  Nationwide… household food waste alone adds up to $43 billion, making it a serious economic problem.

If you started taking stock of your own edible food waste, you might be surprised with how much you are actually throwing out.  Getting creative in the kitchen by properly storing your food, making dishes based on what you have available, storing unused portions and promptly eating them up, and simply knowing how to use up less desirable food can all be used as ways to cut down on your food waste. 

In my post, “What are you wasting?” I mentioned some of the ways I had recently cut back on my food waste.  I have a few more tricks that I have recently learned that I will share with you in an upcoming post.  But for today, I mostly just wanted to share the idea that by giving our food more respect and by learning what we can do to take full advantage of the food we already have, we will need to buy less.  This, combined with responsible shopping (for example, relying on cheap products like dried beans and lentils for protein, and eating less meat) can reduce our grocery bill despite rising food costs, all the while contributing to sustainable environmental practices.

Homemade granola bars

Last weekend I decided to try making granola bars.

For a while, Josh and I bought granola bars in large quantities when they were on sale for 20¢ a bar or less.  However, knowing that I could make my own granola bars for only 5¢ a bar, with the added benefits of improved taste and nutrition, put DIY granola bars on my top ten list of things to try.

Extra incentive to try this was the fact that I already had many of the required items: honey, dried fruit (cranberries and dates) and sunflower seeds.  I was only missing the old fashioned rolled oats and dark brown sugar, which I figured could easily be used in other baked goods.  I also decided to purchase some dried apricots, rationalizing that the leftovers would be joyfully consumed whole, or in a homemade trail mix.

I followed the recipe provided below.  It was incredibly easy to do, and it would have been perfect, except for one critical feature.  The “old fashioned rolled oats” that I thought I was using turned out to be minute oats.  D’oh!

Although the flavours were perfect, the bars did not stick together.  Minute oats absorb too much liquid, so the mixture was not sticky enough.

Of course not wanting to let this tasty mixture go to waste, I crumbled it up.  Now it makes a delicious addition to yogurt.  It stores well in its air-tight container, and provides instant protein and nutrition to a morning or afternoon snack.

If you want to make the granola bars, follow the recipe – just make sure to use old fashioned rolled oats!  i will definitely try this one again.

Alton Brown’s Granola Bars

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups

 1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup

3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup

1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup

6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup

1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed

1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container and store for up to a week.

Medicine or tasty snack? Homemade candied ginger does it all

Ah, ginger.  It’s a wonderfully cheap way to add delicious flavour to almost any dish.  Chopped and added to hot water, it makes a calming tea.  And it prevents nausea, even when traveling. 

I enjoy snacking on ginger candy – not just because it tastes great, but because it helps to aid digestion and soothes an upset tummy.  Unsurprisingly, when I discovered that good old Alton had a recipe to make homemade ginger candy, I had to try it.

After all, it makes good economic sense.  Ginger is unbelievably cheap; we bought a pound of it for about $2.00.  And sugar is also plentiful in our house.  And that’s it – those are the only required ingredients.

I love that the leftover ginger sugar can be reserved and added to coffee or on top of ginger snaps or other cookies.  Nothing goes to waste here!

Here is Alton’s recipe for Candied Ginger: 

Ingredients

Nonstick spray
1 pound fresh ginger root 
Tip: Buy ginger that is as young as possible.  How can you tell?  It will have a much lighter, yellow colour and will probably be smaller as well.  Ours was a bit older, (darker brown) and subsequently had a stronger taste.  The younger your ginger, the better (and more mild) the taste.
5 cups water
Approximately 1 pound granulated sugar

Directions

Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.

Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline.

Tip: You do not need a mandoline.  Sure, it might be handy to have, but if you have to go out and buy a lot of equipment, it kind of defeats the purpose of making homemade candy, doesn’t it?  I prefer to use what we have, and so Josh and I simply took turns cutting the ginger with our best Japanese chef’s knife into thin slices.  It worked!

Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.

Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes.

Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.

I had to laugh when Gravol came out with their “Gravol Ginger natural source” pills.  Why would anyone pay for processed medicine when you can go straight to the source?  This is certainly the most enjoyable way (not to mention frugal) way to quell your nausea. In fact it’s incredibly pleasant to eat when you feel fine!

The fresh box: how to get local produce at a great price

image courtesy of fork & bottle

Last week I ordered my very first Garden Fresh Box.  I am so excited to have discovered this opportunity.  While I knew a friend who used to take advantage of this, I never investigated it myself, and now I wonder why I waited so long to take advantage of fresh, locally grown produce at a great price.

The Garden Fresh Box Program is a non-profit, fresh produce buying service created to help people access fresh fruits and vegetables and support our local farmers. Here’s how it works: You place your order in advance for a big or small box of veggies and/or fruit.  You must do this before the first Friday of every month.  Two weeks later you pick up your box of food.  Yes, you must pick it up, but there are 17 locations in the city.  Luckily I happen to live right down the street from the nearest pick-up location.  

Here’s what comes in a sample large box of veggies, for $15:
 

Pretty good deal, especially considering you are supporting your local farmers.  To learn more about where you can buy local, fresh food in Waterloo Region, check out Foodlink. But if you don’t live in the area, don’t fret – there are similar programs run all over the country.  If you’re in the Toronto region, check out Food Share or visit Green Ontario for other fresh box delivery programs. 

Alternatively, join a food co-op or consider community sustainable agriculture.  If you live in the states, you can find one near you at Local Harvest or learn about community supported agriculture in your region.

If you live in Ontario, check out the community supported agriculture directory.

I can’t wait to get my fresh box! 

Guest post: Bringing your lunch to work

I’ve been “bringing my lunch to work” since I was 5.  The habit started in Kindergarten when my mother used to pack my chicken cutlet sandwiches for me; now, 27 years later, I’m still packing my own lunch and bringing it to work – the only difference is that I have to do it myself (Mom, if you’re reading, please feel free whip up a few sandwiches)!

Packing your own lunch has many benefits and not just the obvious money saving advantages, consider the following before purchasing your lunch at your corporate cafeteria or local pizzeria:

1. You can control calories, fat, salt (nutritional content) if you bring your lunch.
2. You can choose the quality of ingredients by making lunch at home.
3. You can control portion size, if you pack your own lunch.
4. You can control the flavor and spices of your lunch (in other words, you can make it just like you want it).
5. You’re helping the environment by not eating off paper plates, plastic forks/spoons, styrofoam cups, etc. (if you use re-usable containers and lunch bags).

My packed lunches either consist of leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or sandwiches with varying ingredients.  Regardless of whether I bring leftovers or a sandwich, I always include:

1. A low fat yogurt (Trader Joe’s 1% percent lowfat yogurt combines good flavor with decent price)
2. Fruit (usually two pieces consisting of: pear, apple, banana, strawberries, or orange)
3. A bag of nuts: either raw almonds/walnuts or lightly salted peanuts/cashews

In terms of sandwich ingredients, roast turkey breast is my all-time favorite given that it has good flavor and is low fat (let’s face it, if nutrition wasn’t an issue I would be eating Prosciutto di Parma every day!).  I’ll usually pick up anywhere between 1/4 -1/2 pound of turkey from my local deli, though I always purchase the in-house “roasted turkey” which is not a mass produced cold cut with high sodium, but rather a product that is made by the shop.  See if your local deli or fine foods shop sells house made turkey breast.  Alternatively, you can always roast your own turkey breast and cut thin slices (the meat should last 1-2 weeks if properly sealed and stored in the fridge).

My typical turkey sandwich consists of:

1. 100% whole wheat sliced bread (with no high fructose corn syrup)
2. Dijon mustard (applied to both sides of the bread)
3. 3-4 slices of turkey

Other typical sandwich ingredients include hummus, roasted peppers, and Italian tuna in olive oil; these ingredients can produce two other classic sandwiches:

1. Hummus and roasted peppers on whole wheat
2. Tuna in olive oil on whole wheat

My wife and I do tons of cooking at home and we always make a little extra dinner so we can pack our lunches.  Typical foods that store well in a lunch container include:

- grilled chicken
- brown rice
- pasta
- roasted vegetables
- black bean and corn salad
- chili
- stew
- Pork chops (provided you cut up the meat so you’re not making a mess at work!) 

My leftover based lunches get the same sides as mentioned above. Transporting your leftovers in style is also important; I use the LL Bean Lunch Box  (a great deal at $12.50) and store leftovers inRubbermaid Premier products which are microwavable and also dishwasher safe.  

So, stay healthy and save money by bringing your lunch to work.  And if your mom lives near by, who knows, maybe she would be willing to make the occasional sandwich for you!

Guest Post: My homemade cleaning solutions

Image from inhabitat.com

 This post comes from The Frugal Girl. Frugal Girls is a positive and fun site dedicated to helping you save $$ and stretch your dollars by finding the best bargains, hottest coupons & outrageous deals!

 
 One way I’ve found to really save money is by making my own cleaning solutions! 

It honestly took me awhile before I was willing to try this, but after I did a quick analysis of how much money I could save, I knew it was time to start making up some frugal cleaning solutions of my own!  These solutions literally cost about 40 cents or so to make, as opposed to the $3 – $4 price tag you’ll often see on cleaners.

Following are some tried and true “recipes” for homemade cleaning solutions.  Just a few simple ingredients, and you’re on your way to some effective and thrifty cleaners!

 
Homemade 409

 2 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar

1 Tsp. Borax

1/8 cup Dawn Dishsoap

1 cup Hot Water

 
Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into spray bottle.

Then continue filling spray bottle with cool water.

Add dawn dishsoap last.  No need to shake.

This is a great cleaner, because the vinegar acts as a disinfectant!

Homemade Laundry Stain Remover

 I was skeptical of this one at first, but I’ve got two boys that are dirt and grass-stain magnets, and this stain remover has never let me down!

 
1/3 cup Dawn Dishsoap

1/3 cup Ammonia

3 Tbsp. Baking Soda

1 cup Water

Mix all ingredients together and store in an empty spray bottle (I use an old “Shout” spray bottle)

 
If you haven’t tried making your own cleaning solutions, I’d highly encourage you to try!  You might be amazed at how much $$ you’ll save!

Have you tried homemade cleaning recipes? What are your favourite tips to reduce the cost of cleaning supplies?

A spin on salads

Among the items I pass up at the grocery store include salad dressing.  It’s one of those condiments that are overpriced and easy to make at home.  Although you can make all kinds of fancy dressings, I tend to stick to the basics.  About a 1/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar, some salt and pepper, and finely minced garlic.  I frequently save time by grating the garlic with a small grater.  This shortcut is Gordon Ramsey approved, so I figure it’s okay.

It’s easy to find things in your baking cupboard to add pizazz to an otherwise boring salad.  Sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, walnuts, chopped dates, dried cranberries, raisins, and various spices can be used in any combination that you desire.  A light sprinkling is all that is needed, so it’s a relatively frugal way to turn a simple meal into something special.

Here are a few combinations I love to add on top of a spring mix (mesclun) salad:

• Toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, chopped dates, blue cheese
• Roasted beets, walnuts and blue cheese
• Diced mushrooms and green onions

If you want to purchase a lot of mesclun salad, you may want to consider the cost of making it yourself.  To prepare it yourself, you may want to buy ingredients such as:

• Arugula
• Radicchio 
• Endive

To keep your salad fresh, wash it as soon as possible, dry the leaves in a salad spinner, and the wrap in paper towel.  Cover in a plastic bag and keep in your  crisper.

What is your favourite frugal tip for enjoying fresh salads?