Three strategies for a greener, simpler, happier holiday

Revisiting a bustling mall makes me think about the environmental impact of holiday shopping but it also makes me think about human resources that are eaten up by excessive shopping. (And I say “excessive” because I am in no way an extremist, as you all know.) On this blog, a message I hear repeatedly from my readers is how important friends, families and pets are to our happiness and well-being.  Spending time with the people we care about is obviously a crucial component to our happiness and, without a doubt, the best frugal luxury there is.  In a busy world, time with others, and time alone, has become a valuable commodity. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend less time shopping and more time just being?

In Amber’s post, she asks, “What green holiday traditions are you adopting?” Well, I have a few strategies to reduce environmental and financial costs, and make the holidays more meaningful and special to me:

1. Doin’ it DIY. I love making homemade gifts and homemade cards. There is nothing quite like crafting something that is tailor-made and perfectly suited to the recipient.  Seeing them actually use or consume the gift offers a particular thrill.

*homemade treats*

2. Innovative Packaging. Gifts become instantly more environmentally friendly when you package them yourself, especially when you use what you’ve already got around the house - think reusable glass mason jars, wire or wicker baskets, vintage tins, or - my favourite - “repurposed junk”. (Remember the tea box I made? You can find a tutorial I wrote on how to do it at Organizing Junkie.)

*once a tea box, now a gift box*

2. Thrift. I must admit, I owe a lot to Shopping GoLightly at The Thrifty Chicks.  This woman has opened my eyes to a whole new world.  And although I know that I’m preaching to the converted, I must just reiterate that thrift stores are not just full of fondue sets, massaging foot baths and harlequin romance novels.  You can find great vintage pieces for collectors, one-of-a-kind items and plenty of brand spanking new in-the-box items, sometimes with the tags still on.  You get to decide whether your favourite part of thrifting is that it is environmentally friendly, saving you gobs of money, supporting local charities, or providing you with the thrill of the hunt.

*a vintage find for my table - pretty, embroidered napkins*

Shopping GoLightly also reminds us that to be known and understood is the true gift - in this post, Ms. GoLightly responds to a comment I made on her blog, and reminds me (and all of us) that a gift, whether homemade, thrifted, or bought retail, means the most when it is meant to enhance a person’s authentic self:

The act of taking time to truly listen to me, observe me and truly know me is, in essence the gift, not necessarily the object. That’s the part that sets tears in my eyes. To feel, in this wide world, there is someone who has taken the time to truly know me and wants me to continue on as myself and not be swayed.

*life in the beach, last December; expectations for a different kind of year ahead*

How to Beat Student Poverty

Some tips to beat the student debt blues:

1. Apply for Scholarships, Bursaries and Grants. The very best way to earn money as a student besides getting a part time job is to apply for scholarships.  If you are a winning candidate, it will be the best investment of time you will ever make. I spent several days applying for a SSHRC grant and it was hard work.  I had to deal with seething criticism from a professor who was, in retrospect, kind enough to edit my work and improve my proposal.  But for a grant that was worth $27,500 it was probably the most I will ever be paid for about a weeks’ worth of work.  Research all possible scholarships before going to university - research the ones your university offers but also check the internet. Many corporations or local organizations offer scholarship opportunities. During my last year in highschool, I applied to everything under the sun, and it paid off. Aim especially for the ones that are renewable.

2. Plan ahead. Your success in receiving scholarships may depend on the work you do before applying.  Be aware of this as a highschool student and as an undergraduate.  You never know if you will want to go to grad school, so leave yourself the opportunity.  Take every opportunity to publish, attend conferences, give presentations, keep your grades up, and do some volunteering or extra-curricular activities on the side.  It will pay off.

3. Take advantage of your benefits while you can!  As soon as you graduate, you are likely no longer eligable to receive any of the medical or dental benefits your university offers.  So take advantage of them while you can!  Shortly after I graduated, I met with my dentist and realized I had literally of thousands of dollars worth of dental surgery of me, and I was not yet employed.  I also had to deal with a chronic back problem and shelled out hundreds of dollars for osteopathic and chiropractic work. Even if you find employment right away, there is often a 3-month probationary period before you become eligible for your benefits.  

4. Seek out the student-friendly network of health practitioners if you are not fully covered for dental, chiropractic, massage or physiotherapy. They give students highly discounted rates. For example, if you are a grad student at the University of Waterloo, you can visit a chiropractor listed under the Chiropractic Network, and pay only $5 a visit. ($40 for an initial visit but $25 after that - and the student health plan will reimburse you for $20 per visit.)

5. Proctor as many exams as you can!  No one likes to do this, but you should take advantage of the opportunity. After all, you’ll make a good hourly wage, just for walking around a classroom and trying to look scary. 

6. Take advantage of your school gym - and enjoy yoga, pilates and all kinds of sports activities for cheap.  It’s far more economical to use your school facilities than buy a membership at another gym.

7. Milk your student card.  Ask everywhere you can if they give student discounts.  Many shops and restaurants will do this, even if they don’t advertise it.  And check the expiration date on your student card - it may expire months, or even years, after you graduate.

8. Don’t pre-drink.  Everyone “pre-drinks” before they go out as an effort to save money and it fails every time.  Why? Because you get drunk faster, and enter the bar with your inhibitions already lowered.  The more you drink, the faster you drink.  All you care about that point is having fun - the cost be damned!  If you go to the bar while sober, you’re more likely to sip slowly on a few drinks and head home.

9.Eat for free - This is a really funny post on how to get free food as a student!

10. Follow the other tips here at Saver Queen. Take your bike, walk or take public transit, take your lunch to school and bring a travel mug and water bottle with you. Keep snacks and drinks at your desk if you have an office. If you go out with friends for coffee between classes, just go for the chat and avoid buying stuff just for the sake of having a break.  

11. Take the minimum number of years to complete your degree. Work hard, and you will graduate sooner.  Slack off and you can add thousands of dollars to student debt load, just for being lazy.  Get focused, ask for help if you need it, buckle down and study. 

12. Buy Apple products online at the apple store for education or at your university store when you buy Apple products. You will save $100 off your laptop!

13. Claim all your expenses on your taxes including tuition, books, research expenses (this includes your computer, books, travel and equipment) and interest on your student loans.  If you aren’t earning enough income to make these deductions now, you can use them later.

Attention Frugal Wine Lovers

I just ran across this great blog post on Spin the Deal called “Vino on the Cheap”. I thought it would nicely augment my earlier post, “The Grapes of Wrath” since it offers more tips on where and how to access cheap wine.  

I also ran across this wiki: How to Brew Cheap Wine.  Personally, I love wine too much to reduce it down to an “educational project” but I thought I would share it in case any of you are up to the challenge!  

Cashless Philanthropy(Charitable Series, Pt.1)

On Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s blog today, she posted a very interesting article on tithing, called “Giving a Part of What You Have.” In the article, Gail argues that even if tithing is important to your religious beliefs, you should put it aside temporarily if you are drowning in debt.  Gail’s point is that when you make charitable contributions on credit, the money is not really yours to give.  Instead, she encourages financial responsibility to begin with.  If giving is important to you, make sacrifices; don’t just rely on credit.

To give with real spirit, as opposed to by rote or by rule, is to take what you HAVE and give a little to someone else. It is about prioritizing the needs of others over our own wants. It requires thinking about how you will spend your money so that you can also afford to give some of that money in support of your beliefs.

If you can’t afford to live within your means, you aren’t demonstrating responsible living, and you don’t have to right to salve your conscience by tithing. The fact is, only solvent people have the right to tithe, and if you don’t have your crap together yet, you shouldn’t be doing it.

In response, I thought I would post a few suggestions of how to continue to give philanthropically while on a budget, through cashless gifts.  If you are on a strict debt diet but still want to give back, here are some suggestions on how to make an impact.

1. Volunteer - but be creative! You may have more skills than you realize! Charities will appreciate it if you go to them with something specific in mind, especially if it requires minimal supervision on their part. For example, my sister and I once put together an original workshop for an at-risk youth group, encouraging the children to dream of a world without drugs, by building a collage.  Using symbolic representation through words and pictures in old cut-up magazines, the kids put together an outstanding, inspirational piece of art.  Volunteering does double duty - it helps you remember what you have.

2. Give away your “stuff.”  Do you own anything that you’re no longer using but might be useful to someone else? You can give to a thrift store, but you can also directly contact an organization you wish to serve, such as The Redwood,  St.Christopher House or St. Joseph’s Residence, where your item can go directly towards helping someone. 

Kitten blankets for the THS

3. Give homemade gifts. For example, some women recently knitted warm blankets for cats at the Toronto Humane Society. If your gift has a cash value - for example, you are a professional quilter or artist - then you may get a tax-receipt for the cash value of your “in kind” gift.

4. Make a Planned Gift (such as a Residual Gift in your Will). This might seem irrelevant and too far away to have an impact, but it will give you the time to accumulate assets and it will make a big difference to the charity when the gift is finally made. These gifts are the lifeblood of many charities.  Most people don’t realize that even if they are liquid poor, they may have assets that can make a big difference to a charity after they pass away.  In my line of work, I see the impact of these gifts every single day.

5. Life insurance and Securities - two other tax-efficient ways of giving that don’t delete your cash flow.  I will post more on these options soon in a post dedicated to tax-efficient giving in my Charitable Series.

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.