LA Cheapskate

Quick and Easy Bagel Spread

2009-07-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, July has been a busy month. Not even a single blog post yet. So sorry! But I'm still continuing to weave new cheapskate paths into my life and storing knowledge to share. This recipe pictured above for Toasted Bagels with Avocado Cilantro Spread is one definitely worth posting. Click on the link for the full recipe. Not only is it a meatless dish which always leads to big savings, but it makes an excellent portable picnic lunch or appetizer. I picked this recipe out for a camping trip last weekend when I was looking for recipes that transported well and required minimal refrigeration. Boy were these a treat to devour around the campfire in the morning with a cup of hot cocoa. They were also quite satisfying. The recipe makes enough for four to five half bagels and goes great with a few sliced tomatoes on top. Spread is a mixture of cream cheese, fresh mashed avocado, cilantro, lime juice and salt. But it is the few additional drops of tobasco sauce that really marries the flavor and brings it to the next level. Don't be disuaded if you do not like spice. It doesn't add much heat, just a little smoky tanginess that would be incomplete without it.

The recipe is from MyRecipes.com and is called

My first time with a chicken

2009-06-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

I've always been a little intimidated by the idea of roasting a whole bird. As adventurous as I am in the kitchen, there are still a few things I've yet to try and cooking a whole chicken/turkey/bird is one of them. I'm not sure why I find it so intimidating either. Maybe it's a guilt thing of not being able to distance myself between food and animal. Maybe it's that I'm not actually a huge fan of roasted chickens. Of course, that's because I've never cooked my own before and the deli counter ones do NOT compare. Maybe it's a fact of it being so much food for just two people and not sure what to do with the leftovers. Well, the intimidation factor was finally laid aside this week when I looked in the paper and saw whole roasting chickens on sale at Ralph's for only 59 cents a pound! At that price, even if it was a failed experiment, it was too cheap not to try. All I had to do was select a recipe. I was leaning toward one with rosemary and potatoes until this one caught my eye - Roast Chicken with Balsamic Peaches. Can you say yum? Besides, peaches also happened to be on sale this week as well so it was really no contest. Off I went to Ralphs to pick up my 4.5 pound bird for only $2.60.

I started my chicken prep with step by step instructions but immediately out of the bag ran into problems. The neck was still attached to my chicken! I wasn't counting on this and had no idea how to remove it so after a few panicky phone calls to my mom and my friend Katy, I finally found a How To Butcher a Chicken Blog that explained how to remove the neck. Simply pull on the kneck until you find where the neck attaches to the spine. Make a few small incisions in the flesh around the joint and then holding firmly in one hand, twist the body of the chicken around until it snaps freely. Not too difficult. This proved to be the biggest challenge of the evening, and the rest of the chicken roasting process went very smoothly.

The recipe for dressing the bird is quite simple. After rinsing the bird inside and out under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels. Then rub the flesh with olive oil, salt and pepper.

The fun part of this recipe is the peachy pan sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together quartered peaches (about 4), halved shallots (about 4), whole time sprigs, salt & pepper. Drizzle with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and a couple tablespoons of olive oil and then toss together with your hands. (It's quicker and easier than using a spoon, just make sure your hands are clean.) Spread the peach mixture out around the roasting pan surrounding the bird. Then bake all together at 400 degrees until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees when insterted into the thickest part of the thigh. Mine took a little over an hour and a half.

After the chicken is done cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes before carving to let the juices redistribute so that the meat will retain it's moisture. Serve the chicken with the peachy pan sauce.

The chicken on it's own was moist and delicious, but the pan sauce is out of this world when combined with the chicken. The balsamic peaches mixed together with the pan juices and sweet carmelized shallots just melt in your mouth. This was a delicious dinner and especially tasty when peaches are at their prime, however, I think it would really hit the spot even more as a delicous fall or winter dish with it's hearty flavors. I am sooooooooo looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Now that I have lost my chicken roasting virginity, I can't wait to do it again. What a delicious and rewarding experience!

Greek-Flavored Turkey Burgers

2009-06-28T14:09:00.001-07:00

What is a girl to do when Jennie-O Turkey goes on sale for $1.99/lb? Make Turkey Burgers of course! In searching the various turkey burger recipes on MyRecipes.com I gravitated to the Greek-Flavored Turkey Burgers first of all because it was given the highest reader rating review - five out of five stars. Also, since I've recently decided that we were not getting enough fruits and veggies in our diet, the fact that it incorporated red onions, fresh mint, dill and lemon juice into the patty mixture was a huge bonus. I thought the use of Roasted Red Peppers as a burger condiment as opposed to your standard lettuce and tomato was also a nice touch. Finally, the thing that really sold me from the reviews was how the egg white mixture really helped to bind everything together and allowed the patties stand up to the grill. Anyone who has ever cooked turkey burgers knows what a crumbly dry mess they can become as they cook. These mediterranean inspired turkey burgers were not only delicious and bursting with flavor, but also remained moist and juicy without undercooking. The recommended cook time of 8 minutes per side sounds like a lot, but this recipe is spot on. Eight minutes per side is just enough time to cook the meat all the way through while giving the onions a nice grilled softness and a slight crispy brownness to the outer layer of the burger. Don and I served these on Trader Joes Whole Wheat Buns with a little bit of mayo and dijon mustard. Some leftover corn on the cob with a pat of butter that we had picked up last week at 25 cents a piece was our only required accompiniment to this super easy, super quick weeknight dinner. According to the recipe these burgers freeze quite well also so now we have two additional patties in the freezer for a convenient meal sometime in the near future. To freeze burgers, simply wrap the shaped uncooked patties individually in clear plastic wrap being sure to squeeze out all the air. Then cover in foil. The patties will keep frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw completely in the refrigerator (about 24 hours) and then cook as directed. Will I make this again? You bet your Hamburger Buns!

Bargains of the Week

2009-06-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ralphs June 24 - June 30

Whole Fresh Chicken Sanderson Farms Grade A
$.59 Lb. Limit 3

Jennie-O Turkey Store Ground Turkey
Selected Varieties 20 oz
$1.99 Each

Ripe Red Raspberries
4 to 6 oz
$1.50 each

Fresh Blueberries
4 to 6 oz
$1.50 Each

Ralphs Gallon Nonfat Milk
$1.89 each

Select varieties of boxes of Popsicle Treats
6 to 12 oz
$1.00 each

Inexpensive Cocktails

2009-06-23T20:42:00.001-07:00

Running low on beer money? Watch your grocery flyers for juice sales instead. I picked up a carton of Minute Maid Pink Lemonade on sale for only 99 cents this week. Pour over ice and mix with one or two shots of vodka. It doesn't have to be top shelf, you're only mixing it with sugar water! If you're serving for guests, class it up with a couple of sliced fresh strawberries, also on sale this week for only 99 cents! If you figure $10 for a cheap bottle of vodka, it breaks down to only about 75 cents a drink. If you want to splurge for a little nicer bottle of vodka, look out, you may spend up to a whole dollar! This drink works with just about any juice. Bottoms up!

Millard Canyon Waterfalls

2009-06-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

One of California's greatest assets to a cheapskate looking for free things to do, is it's extensive network of parks and hiking trails. I'm hoping to get out and explore as many as possible to review for the blog. Yesterday, my friend Paige and I trekked out to Millard Canyon Waterfall for a little hiking and exploration. Of course we brought Cordy & Seumas too for a canine friendly perspective as well.

The trail to the falls is an easy hike itself. You actually start at the crest of the hill and then switch back down to the base of the falls at Millard Canyon Camp Ground, then hike up along the river bed. The falls are more of a gentle down flowing stream than a niagra rush of water that a former Pacific Northwesterner like myself might be used to, but it's a pleasant hike. You can walk up the river bed about a half a mile. There are lots of areas where you cross back and forth over the stream balancing on rocks so it's a good idea to bring your sports sandals that you don't mind getting wet.

Speaking of getting wet, the hike wasn't exactly what we imagined it was going to be since we showed up and there were huge clouds of mist hovering in the sky. We literally ended up hiking THROUGH a rain cloud.

We could have called it quits and headed home but we decided not to let that ruin our fun. Once we determined that we weren't opposed to getting a little wet and muddy, the cool damp weather actually added an element of refreshing ruggedness to our outdoor experience. If the dogs who are only 4 inches tall were willing to forge rivers and slosh through mud than we were game too!

Here is a quick packing list of recommended items to bring with you to the Millard Canyon Waterfalls Hike: Waterproof hiking shoes and/or sports sandles, sunscreen, water, energy bar, camera, sunglasses/hat, towels for drying off afterwards, blankets for the wet dogs to sit on in the car, dog leash, extra change of cry clothes for the ride home.

Normally we see lizards on our hikes in the California desert. On this rare rainy day, we spotted a couple of salamanders. Cordy was very curious about the creatures.

What happens when wiener dogs try to climb a big wet slippery rock.

The hike itself is pretty simple. According to the Hiking Group I follow on Meetup.com, it's about a 1000 foot elevation gain, 2.5 mile trail, or 5 miles roud trip, and only 4 out of 10 difficulty. If you are looking for a little extra challenge, there are also a couple of fire roads that weave through the mountains for some extra elevation and distance. This one takes you past a beekeepers farm with a whole series of hives up on the hill.

Directions: On the 210 freeway in Pasadena, exit Lake and head North towards the mountains. Take Lake Ave until it ends at LOMA ALTA Drive. Make a left on Loma Alta Drive. Stay on it until you get to Chaney Trail. Chaney Trail is a small side street and it is hard to see the sign, but you know you are there when you see a flashing yellow light above the middle of the street.

Finally, you do need an Adventure Pass to park at the trail head. Passes are only $5 a day or you can get a $30 pass for the whole year. Second vehicle pass is only $5 as well so Paige and I bought two passes and split the difference. Now we are set for a whole year for only $17.50 a piece. Additionally, the passes are not marked identifiably for any specific car so you can loan them out or switch to another car depending on who is driving. Passes are good in the Angeles, Cleveland, San Bernardino, and Los Padres National Forests. You can buy them online here or at various local sporting goods stores such as REI or Big 5.

It's Not Delivery ....

2009-06-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's not Digorno's either. It's my homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza.

This dish was inspired by a sale recently on BBQ Sauce at Ralph's for 99 cents. I used Fresh & Easy's refrigerated pizza dough marked down to 99 cents also. Let the refrigerated dough rest for about 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop so it can come to room temperature. This will make it much easiery to work with. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes on 450 degrees before adding toppings, otherwise it's difficult to get the dough totally cooked through before the toppings burn. Next, cook a single boneless skinless chicken breast on the stove top in a little bit of olive oil. Slice breast thinly and mix with a couple tablespoons of your favorite Barbecue sauce.

Spread some extra BBQ sauce down in place of tomato sauce. Top with BBQ chicken mixture, thin slices of red onion, copious amounts of grated mozzarella and gouda cheeses, and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Bake at 450 degrees for another 5 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden brown. For a full printable recipe, try Barbecue Chicken Pizza from MyRecipes.com. Served here with a tasty chilled Viognier called Honey Moon from Trader Joes for only $4.99 a bottle. Don declared the meal, "Awesomeness." When I described this recipe to a coworker today she mentioned a similar gourmet pizza from her local pizzaria that uses buffalo sauce on the chicken instead of barbecue sauce and in addition to the sliced red onions also has chopped celery and ranch dressing for dipping. Now that sounds like a version I'd like to give a try also! If anyone beats me to it, let me know how it turns out.

Homemade is Better: Baked Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes

2009-06-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Craving seafood but don't want to spend a lot of money? Watch your grocery flyer for sales on Frozen shrimp. They stay fresh longer in the freezer than fish and other types of seafood so you can stock up when they are on sale without worrying about them going bad. Don and I tried a new recipe tonight which was quite a treat and the best part was it was so simple and easy to make. The full recipe for Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta can be found at MyRecipes.com.

This recipe gets a huge bonus for only involving less than 10 ingredients - Shrimp, Tomatoes, Parsley, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Feta, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper. Preheat the overn to 450F. Quarter the tomatoes and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then add shrimp, lemon juice, and parsley. Stir together and then sprinkle with Feta cheese. Put back in the oven and bake until shrimp turns pink and cheese is slightly melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. The result is a delicous, flavourful dish. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Cost Breakdown was only $10.25 for about 3 servings or about $3.40 per person.
$5 for 1lb of Shrimp
$1 for 1lb of Tomatoes on the Vine (great sale at Pavillions last week!)
.25 for fresh squeezed Lemon
$1.00 for Fresh Parsley
$2.00 for Feta Cheese
$1.00 for French Bread Baguette
Pantry Items: Olive Oil, Garlic, Salt & Pepper, Feta Cheese

Breakfast for Dinner

2009-06-13T22:15:00.001-07:00

When looking for ways to cut the grocery bill, don't forget breakfast for dinner as an option. There are lots of satisfying breakfast/brunch type recipes out there that can feed a family of four on $10 or less. For example, try a nice plate of french toast or pancakes with eggs and bacon on the side. Want to class up the meal a bit without dropping a lot of extra cash? Try using french bread instead of regular sliced sandwich bread and pick up an inexpensive bottle of sparkling wine and jug of OJ for a tasty mimosa treat.

Also, I had a carton of eggs that was about to go bad this week so I tried a couple new recipes and the result was a huge success. I made a Red Bell Pepper Frittata form Cooking Light along with Lemon-Raspberry Muffins off the MyRecipes.com website. As a light recipe, the Frittata uses a combination of whole eggs and egg whites to reduce cholesterol, but then also adds in cooked couscous as a way to make the dish more satisfying. I'm surprised that the readers only rated the dish four stars. My own personal taste would definitely rate it a full five, especially considering how cheap it was to make. Except for the red bell pepper which I found on sale for $1.00, all of the other ingredients were items that I normally have on hand in my pantry. We will certainly make this again.

The Lemon Raspberry Muffins were not so much a light recipe but everything is good in moderation right? Again, the great thing about baking is that most ingredients are typically items already in your pantry. Plus, Raspberries are really hitting their season about now so you can find some excellent sales for these regularly expensive treats. Best deal I've caught so far is 99 cents at Farm Boy in Sherman Oaks for a 6 ounce carton. If you can't find reasonably priced fresh raspberries, frozen work just as well. By the way, out of sheer laziness (and the fact that I don't have a pastry cutter), I skipped the crumble topping and the muffins still turned out just great.

Victory!

2009-06-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report a small victory in our growing Cheapskate habits. In my quest to save money through conservation efforts at home, I am happy to report I just received our lowest Gas Bill ever: $12.55! This is about half of what it normally is this time of year. I think our biggest savings has come from shortening our showers and running the dishwasher less often. Reducing hot water use equals double savings - both on water and on the gas used to heat it!

Meal Plan

2009-06-04T20:54:00.001-07:00

I've put together a meal plan for the week that maximizes the sale ingredients published for the week. Here's what Don and I will be dining on. Who knew fine dining could be this cheap?! If any of these dishes interest you, click on the link for the full recipe.

Monday:
Pan-Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Molasses - Uses $1.97lb Pork Tenderloin (OK so Pomegranate Molasses is not cheap and neither is it easy to find, but since I already have it in my pantry I'm saving money by using it up)
Mesclun w/Berries & Sweet Spiced Almonds - Uses $1.50 Raspberries

Tuesday:
London Broil w/ Cherry-Balsamic Sauce - Uses $1.66lb London Broil (also, uses leftover wine and shallots from Monday night's dinner.)
Spinach Salad with Nectarines & Spicy Pecans - Uses $.99lb Nectarines. Don't get pigeon holed into following recipe directions to the letter of the law. Make substitutions based on what you have on hand. For instance, instead of spinach, we'll use the extra mesclun greens that don't get eaten from Monday night's salad.

Wednesday:
Blackened Chicken & G rilled Avocado Tacos - Uses $1.97 Chicken Breasts and $1.50 Avocados

Thursday:
Red Bell Pepper Frittata - Uses $.99lb Red Bell Peppers
Lemon-Raspberry Muffins - uses $1.49 Raspberries and $1.99 2lb bag of lemons

Friday:
Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta - Uses $4.99lb Shrimp, $.99lb Tomatoes on the Fine, $1.99 2lb bag of lemons, and $2.00 Feta Cheese

Bargain Hunters: Grocery Sales

2009-06-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays are quickly becoming my new favorite day of the week. It's the day that the new grocery flyers get published detailing of all the week's tantalizing specials. Congratulations to Cheapskate subscriber Camille who completely conquored the grocery flyer and saved herself $45 this week at Vons! Here are a few of the savings highlights that you won't want to miss this week.

Ralph's Bargains
6/3/09 - 6/9/09

Pavillions / Vons Bargains
6/3/09 - 6/9/09

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Ground Turkey $1.97 Lb

Whole Bonless Pork Loin $1.97 Lb

Ranchers Reserve Beef Top Round London Broil $1.66 Lb

Large Yellow Peaches .99 Lb

6-Oz Red Raspberries $1.49 Lb

Red Tomatoes on the Vine .99 Lb

Large Hass Avocados 2 for $3.00

Red Bell Peppers .99 Lb

Sweet California Red Cherries $2.99 Lb

Hot or Lean Pockets $1.49 each

Betty Crocker Cake Mix .79 Each

12-Pack Safeway Soda $1.89 + CRV

Athenos Feta Cheese 3.5 to 4 oz selected varieties 2 for $4.00 each

Them Bones

2009-06-02T06:18:00.001-07:00

When it it comes to saving on food, the general economy of grocery shopping is that the less processed something is the less expensive it is likely to be. For example, say you want chicken for dinner. There are a variety of forms you can get this chicken in and each comes at it's own price. Below is a list in order of most expensive to least expensive:

1. Fried Chicken pieces from the deli counter, already cooked and ready to eat.
2. Whole Roasted chicken from the deli counter, already cooked and ready to eat.
3. Pre-marinated chicken breasts from the meat counter, full of flavor and ready to grill.
4. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, defrosted and ready to prepare.
5. Chicken pieces, such as breasts, thighs, drumsticks, leg quarters, or wings, including skin and bones
6. Whole roasting chicken, uncooked

It makes sense that the more processed a food item is before you purchase it, the more you are going to pay since those labor costs get passed on to you. Now that I'm scrutinizing my grocery bill much more closely, I find myself buying a lot more bone in chicken than I have eaten in the past. I've noticed for my neighborhood that the better sale prices for boneless skinless chicken generally fall around $2 a pound while bone in chicken is half that at about $1 a pound. Of course one option would be to de-bone the chicken once you get home as my friend Katy does. While I haven't quite mastered the art of de-boning yet, I have been on the hunt for new recipes that make the most of these inexpensive cuts of meat which can be a real delicacy when prepared correctly.

I've noticed with bone in chicken, that since I'm less familiar working with it, I'm quite a bit more concerned about the doneness factor. Often times thighs and drumsticks can contain traces of veins and other discolorations, and for me particularly this is a little bit of a psychological turn off. That being the case, I either tend to cook the bejeezus out of the chicken or find myself taking a few bites and then turning the rest of it away, even if the thermometer has registered that it is safe to eat. So I've determined that except for the rare occasion, grilling isn't the best method for me when working with bone in chicken as for me it either turns out overcooked or undercooked. Although if you are into grilling, may I suggest Emeril Lagasse's Spicy Honey Barbecue Chicken which got rave reviews from a dinner party we had recently.

For chicken thighs and drumsticks, my cooking method of choice has fallen to braising. Braising is a cooking method similar to boiling, except of course instead of water you use other tasty ingredients such as wines, vinegars, oils, and juices mixed together with herbs, zest, spices, sugars, you name it. You simmer the meat over low heat for a long period of time until chicken is tender, juicy, bursting with flavor, and falling off the bone. Below is a picture of another recipe we made recently from the Food Network Website called "Melt in Your Mouth Braised Barbecued Chicken." Of course Don and I decided to turn the heat up a bit and doubled the amount of chili flakes the recipe called for. Serve this delicious mouth watering chicken over rice to catch all of the flavorful juices. It also reheats excellently as leftovers. Try this recipe with Fresh & Easy Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks which go on sale for $1.19/lb June 3rd thru June 9th.

Don and I also tried another new delicious recipe for bone in chicken breasts last night that was fun and easy to make. Without question, this one gets a five star rating plus some bonus points for creativity on the cooking method. The recipe is called "Greek Chicken Breasts" and can be found on the MyRecipes.com website.

Start by slicing four whole lemons and laying on the bottom of your baking pan in a single layer.

Next prepare the chicken. Take four chicken breasts, gently lift back the skin to create a small cavity without detaching it. Stuff two cloves of crushed garlic between the skin and flesh of each breast.

Next, arrange chicken on top of the lemon slices. Rub each breast evenly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Finally scatter about 20 pitted kalamata olives around the pan.

The recipe says to bake the chicken at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes but the breasts I used were so huge that it actually took about twice as long for me. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the chicken is done. Insert the themometer into the thickest part of the breast. When removed from the heat, the chicken should hold a temperature of 165 degress for 15 seconds or longer. When chicken is done cooking, remove from the oven and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Don and I both loved this recipe. Not only were the Greek inspired flavors excellent together, but the skin came out golden brown and slightly crispy from the olive oil, while the chicken inside remained extremely moist and tender. That is because during the baking process, all of the chicken and lemon juices run together in the bottom of the pan and actually steams the chicken from the inside out, infusing it with flavor and keeping it from drying out. We can't wait for chicken breasts to go on sale next time to make this dish again! If you decide to try it, please let me know what you think!

Cost Effective Canine Candy

2009-05-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a cost effective way to spoil your pups. Skip the expensive treats. Instead, keep a bag of carrots on hand, and depending on the size of your dog, either dice up into bite size treats, or you can even give them the whole carrot for an extended chew. The dogs enjoy the sweet chewy texture, not to mention the healthy vitamins and minerals are good for their fur and nutrition. Come to think of it, while you're at it, grab one for yourself too!

Rain Check Please

2009-05-31T08:42:00.001-07:00

I discovered an awesome new Cheapskate Tip at the grocery store this Saturday. More and more lately, I've been noticing that Ralph's has been having some excellent sales in their weekly flyers. Of course, unlike Fresh and Easy and Trader Joes, all of their other prices are inflated but as long as you stick to the sales you can get some real good bang for your buck. Trouble is, their adds come out in the middle of the week. I usually can't make it to the grocery store until the weekend and by that time they are out of stock on many of their best sale items.

For example, this week, they had an excellent sale on chocolate chip cookies from their inhouse bakery. 18 cookies for only $1.80! I don't normally buy cookies, but for that good a price, it was worth the treat. I don't even think I can make them at home that cheaply! Anyway, I went to the display shelf where they had every kind of cookie you could imagine: oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, chocolate macademia nut, sugar cookie - everything except for Chocolate Chip that is, which of course was the only kind on sale. But I wasn't about to leave any stone unturned, I wanted those cookies. So I began to ask around the store to try and find someone who could tell me if there were any more in stock in the back.

And this is the thing that I hate about Ralphs on Van Nuys and Burbank, their service sucks. First I asked the closest attendant who was busy stacking produce and he literally said to me "I would have no idea. You have to talk to the bakery." So I go over to the bakery where I stand for several minutes and while there are ten employess in the back buzzing around, none of them will make eye contact with me or come to the counter. So I leave and go to customer service where someone is on the phone making a personal call. Finally she hangs up and turns her attention to me. I ask her if there are any cookies and she says she doesn't know, she doesn't actually work at customer service and has to get back to the station but that I should go back to the bakery. I told her no one will help me at the bakery. She said I should go back and ring the bell. So I go back to the bakery, there is no bell. I am convinced that the staff is hiding it from me so that they do not have to help me. I stand around for a couple more minutes, still, no one will make eye contact with me.

Now I realize people are busy and have additional responsibilities but I've spent 10 minutes trying to track down these cookies and am done being polite at this point. So I finally just address the closest person in an authoritative voice and very directly so that they have no choice to pretend that they don't see me anymore and keep on ignoring me. "Hi!" (in a fake friendly loud and agressive voice.) "Do you have any more of the chocolate chip cookies that are on sale." She barely looks up clearly not wanting to help me but caught in the act. "They are out on the display table by the Coffee Stand." Immediately puts her head back down hoping I will go away. I do not go away. "There are none out there. Do you have anymore?" She doesn't even move to go and check. Her reply is, "Then we don't have any, but you can get a raincheck."

I'm not sure that I believe her that there are no more cookies, but at this point I don't care anymore, I am too excited about my new Cheapskate discovery which may be my answer to taking advantage of Ralph's best discounts. Ralph's policy is that if they publish a sale add, and they are out of stock when you come to get it, they will actually give you a rain check to come back in and get the same deal at a later date, even if the sale has already ended. I'm wondering now how many other stores have the same or similar policy. So no more having to miss out on awesome sales just because you do your grocery shopping later in the week.

So back I go to customer service where the manager has finally returned. I request my rain check for the cookies. "Oh, they are on the display shelf by the coffee stand," he says. "There are none out there," I reply. He seems surprised and a little confused. "Did you ask the bakery?" he says. "Actually, I asked three different people, all of whom told me to ask someone else and the bakery was the one that told me to come here and get a raincheck." "Really?!" He gasps emphatically with both eyebrows raised as high as possible and a shocked expression on his face. My suspicions have been confirmed. There are definitely more cookies in this store somewhere and the Manager is pissed that his staff is not stocking the display shelves sufficiently, and on top of that, they are throwing rainchecks at the customers to get them to go away.

He asks his associate to go ahead and make me out a raincheck for my troubles and heads off briskly in the direction toward the bakery. I am sweetly satisfied. Not only did I secure my awesome discount for a future purchase of the cookies, I am now aware of this great raincheck policy which I will certainly take advantage of in the future, and also I have achieved a silent and well crafted retribution on this totally inconsiderate staff who are most certainly about to be reprimanded for their inaction. It may be slightly evil, but tell me you wouldn't feel a little bit victorious in that too.

Bargain of the Week: Cereal for a Buck!

2009-05-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've just encountered the most incredible deal at Ralph's grocery store when I was there picking up more creamer for my coffee. Standing brightly on an isle display was my very favorite of all cereals - Chocolate Chex. They were on sale for $2 a box. Actually, the sale was 2 for $4 but you still get the same discount whether you buy two or not, so be sure you understand the fine print of the sale before you go and spend more than you are required to. Speaking of fine print, upon closer inspection, I noticed a brightly colored yellow sticker on the box that was an additional coupon for $3 off of 3 boxes which brought the price for 3 boxes all the way down to $3 after the sale and the coupon! What a great bargain, considering that the normal non sale price is usually over $4 a box. We are way stocked up on cereal at this point, but for this good a bargain and for my favorite cereal at that, I may just go back in and get three more boxes to keep and store. I know we'll go through them eventually and will save me lots of money in the long run. Additionally, the sale and coupons applied to other General Mills Cereals as well, in case you are not that gungho on Chex.

Stay tuned for more great grocery deals this week including a special on buying seasonal...

New Job

2009-05-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the severe lag in posting. We have been in the process of creating new routines in my household as Don has recently begun a new job as a car Salesman working for Volkeswagon. So we are adjusting to a different schedule and learning how to make our new lives flow. It's been a bit of a challenge for a plan ahead person like myself to deal with and learn how to live on the fly with a lot of unknown variables. But now that we have some sort of schedule, even though it's different, I can get back to what I do best. Plan ahead, budget, and execute.

I've done reasonably well with the spending during the past couple of weeks, particularly considering that my sister was visiting for five days and we were in "vacation mode." Vacation and visitors are always tricky but we did find some excellent cheapskate activities to enjoy while she was here which I will be posting soon. Unfortunately not many pictures to share as we were a little lazy with the camera.

Back to Don's new job. With the new job comes of course new income and cash flow to the household. As a car salesman, Don work's primarily off of commission. He does however have a modest hourly wage that he can fall back on in case there is a bad month. As to be expected, there will be an ebb and flow to car sales that could easily result in feast or famine. So basically, I've decided to set our budget based off of famine. That way, we will continue to live a modest lifestyle that we know we can support, and extra income will be just that, extra income. So then it's just a matter of determining priorities for the extra incomes. We have that small list of items that are not necessities, and I'd like to build our savings back up again which we completely descimated to pay Uncle Sam. But for me, the biggest financial itch I have to scratch is paying down our debt. I'm really feeling the burden of our car payment and wanting that to be gone as soon as humanly possible. Eliminating that one bill alone will improve our annual cash flow by more than $5000. So as far as my vote is concerned, that's the bulk of where our dollars will be going until it's paid off.

The Cheapskate Night Life

2009-05-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

I got a couple of leads on some great Free/Low Cost weekly events coming up this summer for those of you looking to get out on the town and not spend a lot of money. Luckily, we live in a city that's buzzing with just such opportunities. Here are a couple worth mentioning that sound like fun and I do plan to check them out:

1. Looking for something to do on a hot summer night? Drive thru theaters may be a thing of the past, but if you're still craving an open air movie watching experience you'll never guess who's hosting free screenings... The Hollywood Forever Cemetery every Saturday night throughout the summer! For details on screenings check out: www.cinespia.org. Admission is free although a donation of $10 is suggested. You can bring your own picnic dinner and drinks but alcohol is not permitted. Also, bring a picnic blanket or towel to sit on. They discourage tall chairs as a courtesy to other guests. Gates open at 7:00 p.m. and movie starts at 8:00 p.m. Thanks Camille for the tip!

2. Need a little music in your life? Check out the Sherman Oaks Galleria Live! 2009. May 30 through Sept 5, The Galleria plays host to 40 nights of musical entertainment including Friday and Saturday night live bands (R&B, Funk, Jazz, Pop, Country, Latin, Blues, Flamenco Motown, Top 40, Rock & Roll) and Wednesday Dance Nights (Salsa & Swing). There is no cost for admission. Bands perform in the open air food court.

Honorable Mention

2009-05-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

To my delight, I discovered today that LA Cheapskate was given credit recently on Fresh & Easy's Blog as a great reading source for how to battle the recession blues with good food! Aww Shucks! Read all about it here. The blog post is titled Good Food in Frugal times published April 26th. I've even been contacted by a representative to see if I want to receive advance notice of upcoming specials. Do I? Uh, let me think about this one.... YES!

Money Matters: Falling off the Wagon

2009-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well, life has been busy and I have fallen behind in the blogging. But I haven't forgotten my loyal readers. I'm still going through the growing pains of living the life of a Cheapskate. As I've mentioned before, I am no pro at this but am consciously choosing to live my life a different way that involves a whole new relationship with money. Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes not, but to be sure, I do feel like I've developed a whole different attitude and skill set since I started this blog so I must be doing something right.

A couple of weeks ago though, we had a bit of a fall off the wagon weekend that started with a couple of impulse buys and snow balled into a $250 budget buster affair. Did we have fun? Yes. Do I wish I could take it all back now? You bet your buns! Looking back now, I can see exactly where we went wrong.

First Mistake - We started counting our cards before we had the money. Things have been going well in the job search for Don lately and he had couple of good leads that had a strong likelihood of turning into something. So we loosened up a bit and were feeling celebratory even though we hadn't closed the deal yet. We decided to go out for a nice lunch on Saturday at a cafe in Studio City we really liked and spent $25. Now if we had stopped there, as a one time treat it wouldn't have been all that bad. On the other hand, it is really bad cheapskate behavior. True we had the cash on hand but it still reeks of the mindset of living on borrowed credit. Don hasn't even landed the job yet and we were already spending the paycheck he hasn't even earned. A good cheapskate budgets ahead of time how they are going to spend or allocate the money after they earn it, not before.

Second mistake - We allowed ourselves to develop a severe case of cabin fever. We've had a couple of busy weeks and we just plain overlooked our social needs to the point where we were literally going crazy from our overall lack of stimulation. We needed to get out of the house and DO SOMETHING. Unfortunately all of the things we could think of to do cost money. So we started off the evening in an emotional state of impulsive compulsion to satisfy cravings. Although we had frugality in mind, it was definitely the backseat passenger to our very strong urges which were driving the situation. Sometime soon, I hope to put together a blog post of possible activities for situations like these where we can satisfy our cravings without spending a lot of money.

Third mistake - We didn't do our research. Because we were doing things on a somewhat spur of the moment and needed fast relief from the insanity of monotiny, we certainly did not take the time to do our research and it cost us big bucks. Our immediate solution was to go out and play some pool. I knew there was a place close by that I had walked by a few times but we had never been there. So we decided to check the place out based on convenience. We had a few good games of pool but in one hour managed to drop $40. About $20 for a pitcher of beer including tip, and $20 for an hour of pool! Ouch, steep prices. There is a sportsbar in Burbank called Champs that has coin operated pool tables for a couple of dollars per game. We could have been in and out for $20 including the beer if only I had spent a couple of minutes looking up the prices first.

Third mistake - We allowed our hunger to sneak up on us. Already in an impulsive mood and with a couple of beers in us, we let our appetites get the better of us. What we really should have done was hit a drive thru for something cheap or grab something quick and easy to make from the grocery store, but we decided to try a new place based on what our palate and stomachs were telling us. We went to a restaurant called Tapas which serves reasonably priced appetizers but they overcome you with variety and the bill adds up quickly. We stuck to drinking water but with a three different appetizers, tax and tip, it still came out to another $40.

Fourth mistake - We had a friend visiting from out of town and in a desire to spend time with him, our budgets fell prey to accommodating his events and scheduling. This is always a delicate situation to be handled with care but there are things we could have done better. We knew already that we were over budget for the weekend and didn't have any desire to spend any more money but given travel constraints the only opportunity we had to spend time with him was going out to dinner on Sunday night. If it had just been him to consider I would have been happy to offer to cook dinner for everyone but unfortunately he was visiting other people also which I would not have been able to include. Additionally, they had picked the restaurant so we didn't really have a say in that either. What we really should have done was ate at home and then gone out for a beer. That way we still would have been able to spend time with our friend but save substantially on cost.

Fifth mistake - We didn't talk about it. We had a general plan that we could split something at the restaurant and maybe save some money, but we didn't talk about where we were really at with our budget and a specific dollar amount we needed to stay under. We didn't have time and we were too embarassed to talk in front of our friends. Don ordered a beer before I could stop him (an extra $8) and he wanted something fattening and I wanted something healthy so we both got our own entrees and spent another $35. Plus we drove so another $5 for valet parking.

Sixth mistake - We did not bring cash. When you're on a budget and out doing group activities, I highly recommend always bringing cash and in a variety of bills. First of all, it will require you to not overspend and stay within your set budget. But second you can keep track of exactly what you are spending. For group activities like dining out together, when it comes to splitting the check, you will be able to pay an exact amount rather than trying to split confusing amounts among check cards. Some restaurants won't even split checks. At dinner we had no cash so others paid us and we put the balance on our card. Some people short changed. So guess who paid for it?

Add to our $155 shopping spree, our regular costs for gas, groceries, and other expenditures for the week and we blew about $250 in two days. I'm not such a Cheapskate that I'm not willing to reward myself the opportunity for a little splurge or treat every now and again. But it is a good reminder of how loosening up a little can quickly spiral out of control. Still, I'm excited about the growth I'm experiencing and rather than fretting about the debits to credits ratio for the month, I'm actually learning from it and growing. Yes, I had fun, but what I've come to learn is that I could have just as much and sometimes more fun doing other things that would not have cost such a pretty penny. Afterall, the real secret to the life of a Cheapskate, is not to hoard money, but to figure out how to get the most value out of it. And I feel like there are ways that I could have spent that $155 at least that would have given me far more rewards than a few meals, some beer and an hour of pool. But you live and you learn. At least I'm learning.

Money Matters: Buying Used

2009-04-25T08:43:00.001-07:00

My friend, Ruth, recently blogged about one of the major inconviences of life, losing your camera right before you are about to go on vacation. She asked for suggestions and ideas from people for what to get in way of a replacement camera without having to spend a lot of money. It just so happens I have a few ideas!

Of course one way to go is to watch the sale adds, shop around and do your internet research. You can definitely find some good deals out there that can save you a good 10 to 20%. But when it comes to electronics, there is actually a much cheaper way to acquire perfectly good equipment at less than half the cost and that is to buy used. Household electronics are one of those things that people are constantly upgrading for newer better models when their older models are still in perfectly good working condition. By getting a slightly dated model that still works perfectly you can save more than half of what you would pay to buy new. For instance, Don and I saved about $500 by buying 48" flat screen TV used off of Craigslist. We also got a used GPS unit when we moved to California to help us learn to navigate the city which we saved about $80 on.

When it comes to shopping for used electronics, Craigslist is an excellent way to go. Ads are listed by territory so you can shop local and go and test the equipment in person before you hand over the cash. Ebay, is also another great option and gives you much more options but will have to pay for shipping and handling also. Got your own household electronics that you need to get rid of? Try listing your own add like Don and I did for an old washer/dryer and refrigerator we had to get rid of. Not only did we make some extra cash, but the new owners hauled them away for free!

Bargain Hunter: Grocery Specials

2009-04-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am ridiculously excited about the sales at Fresh and Easy this week. I've been waiting for chicken thighs to go on sale and not only is it chicken thighs, but also drumsticks and entire leg quarters too all for less than a dollar a pound! So I've been researching recipes and have come up with an awesome variety of new glazes and marinades to try. This time I focused exclusively on barbecue recipes as that's what I'm in the mood for.

Chicken thigh & drumstick Recipes to try from the Food Network:

Tangerine-Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks by Bobby Flay
Lemon, Rosemary and Balsamic Grilled Chicken Thighs by Emeril Lagasse
Grilled Citrus Marinated Chicken Thighs by Dave Lieberman
Guava Glazed Chicken Thighs by Bobby Flay
Grilled Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Salsa by Bobby Flay
Spicy Honey Barbecued Chicken by Emeril Lagasse
Chicken or Steak with Balsamic BBQ Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis
Grilled Buttermilk Chicken from Sunset Magazine

Homemade is Better: Rub with Love

2009-04-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Ready prepared and packaged spice mixes are a great addition to any Cheapskate Pantry. For a very small investment, they offer a huge amount of flavor and keep for a long time when stored in a cool, dry space. They are also great to have on hand for those nights when you haven't had time to get to the grocery store or plan anything for dinner. All you have to do is defrost your meat, apply rub and broil or grill to your hearts content.

Additionally, spice rubs can also make excellent thoughtful and affordable gifts like the ones above that were given to me as a birthday present by my friend Camille that she picked up at Pike's Place Market on a recent trip to Seattle. Just pick out a couple of varieties or flavor combinations that you think your gift recipient might like. Then prepare a few recipe cards or suggestions for how to prepare the meat and package all together in a lovely gift bag. (Hint: for gift wrapping materials try your local 99 cent store.) If you want to make your gift even more personal, you can even mix and prepare your own spice rubs. Here are a few from my MyRecipes.com to try:

Pepper Garlic Spice Rub
Dry Jerk Spice Rub
Paprika Spice Blend
East West Spice Rub
Moroccan Spice Rub
Herb Spice Rub

Last Night Don and I enjoyed a lovely dinner inspired by a Cooking Light recipe from MyRecipe.com called Open Faced Burgers with Onion Mushroom Topping. Instead of preparing our own spice mixture, we used the smoked paprika blend that was already in our pantry. We started by dredging the hamburger patties in the spice mixture and rubbing gently into the flesh to ensure maximum flavour. Then grill burgers to desired degree of doneness.

To compliment the smoked paprika flavour, we also grilled sliced onion rings for about five minutes until they started to soften and turn translucent. Then add sliced mushrooms to the pan and stirfry until done. At the end splash the pan with a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar and stir together being sure to get all the browned bits at the bottom of the pan and let the onions and mushrooms soak up all the flavor.

Serve the mushroom onion mixture on top of the burger patties. As the recipe suggests, you can serve as an open faced sandwich and eat with knife or fork. However, Don and I had some extra ciabatta buns that we bought for another recipe this week so we used those. They were perfect because they heald the sandwich together a little more firmly and absorbed all of the juices from the burger and mushroom thus maximizing the flavour consumption. This was an excellent recipe and Don and I will definitely make this again.

Now for the most important part, here is the breakdown on cost:

1/2 pound Ground Beef $0.75 (on sale $2.99 for 2 pounds)
1 Onion $0.25 (on sale 4/$1.00)
4 Ounces sliced mushrooms $0.84 (buy whole and slice your own, $1.68 for 8 ounces)
2 Ciabbata buns $1.50 ($3.00 for 4)
Pantry Items: Spice Rub, Balsamic Vinegar

Total cost for two people was $3.34 or $1.67 per person. Even though the ciabatta buns were a bit of a splurge, I saved so much money by using other inexpensive ingredients and buying items on sale that it was worth the extra money for the perfect pairing combination. Additionally, given that it was 90 degrees outside, we even saved money on our air conditioning bill by cooking outside on the grill rather than heating up the kitchen. If you can't even beat the cost of this homemade gourmet burger at a drive through restaurant, why would you want to? Homemade is not only cheaper, it's better. Hope you give this scrumptious burger a try.

Cheapskate Challenge: Passing Gas

2009-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

There is an old saying that "Idle Time is the Devil's Playground." Well, I do not know if that is true or not but I do know for sure that idling your car is hell on your pocket book. With gas prices starting their ascent again, prices are up 20 cents on average from where they were a month ago, any small difference we can make in the way we drive our cars to impact our mileage and overall gas consumption is bound to have a positive impact on our pocketbook. There are lots of things that can be done from carpooling and public transport, to walking or riding your bike, to forgoing the air conditioning that can have a huge impact on your monthly gasoline bill. But when it comes to saving money, a good Cheapskate realizes that even the smallest changes can make a difference. Here is one small change you can focus on this week to improve your gas consumption.

Give up the good parking spot. Your cheapskate challenge this week is to avoid wasteful idle time in your car. Cars were made to transport too and from and idling your car is an activity that gives you zero return on your investment. Instead of wasting precious gas circling the parking lot over and over to get the ideal spot, take the first open and easiest spot to get to that you can find. The exercise of walking too and from the building will do you some good and you won't be burning through cash that could be applied towards something useful. And yes, this includes drive thrus as well.

For information on where to find the best gasoline prices in Los Angeles, try LosAngelesGasPrices.com.

Bargain Hunter: Laundry Detergent

2009-04-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Now through Tuesday the 21st at Ralphs, Sun Laundry detergent all varieties is on sale for $1.88 each for 41 to 50 loads. I picked up three!

Homemade is Better: How to Cook Tofu and Like It

2009-04-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Don and I have been getting requests for more videos so we are responding to the demand. Talk about another source of free Cheapskate entertainment. I love to blog, love to cook, and now I get to explore my secret desire to become America's next Food Network Star. This has also become a new favorite husband and wife activity. Anytime you can get two people working together in the kitchen, it's going to be a much more rewarding experience. And making a cooking video requires a minimum of two people, one to hold the camera and one to cook. So they have become fun projects for Don and I to do together and I hope to continue producing them on a regular basis.

So I recently discovered that Tofu is only 80 cents a package at Fresh and Easy. Do you realize that that means even if you ate tofu once a week for an entire year, it would still only cost you about $40?! I could (and used to) spend that much on one week's worth of meat alone if I wasn't watching my food budget. So I did a little research on how best to prepare tofu and came up with a couple of recipes I wanted to try. My plan is to work one tofu recipe into my meal plan every week. When prepared right, it tofu can make for excellent cuisine. The recipe we tried tonight was inspired by one I found on www.myrecipes.com called Peanut Broccoli Stir Fry. The entire meal cost me less than $5.00 to prepare and we got four full servings out of it. Additionally, don't be fooled by it's vegetarian nature. Tofu sounds like boring stirofoam hippy food, but it's actually surprisingly filling. Between the tofu stir fry and hearty brown rice we served it over, Don and I both had a hard time finishing our bowls.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
1 Package Extra Firm Tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups Broccoli
1 cup peeled carrots cut into matchsticks
1 bottle prepared Thai Peanut Sauce
2 Tablespoons Chopped unsalted peanuts
1 Lime sliced into quarters

Start by preparing brown rice and draining the tofu as demonstrated in the video below.

Next, stir fry the tofu in peanut oil over high heat for aout 5 minutes until edges are golden and firm. Remove from pan and set aside. Add veggies and stir fry for two minutes until broccoli turns bright green and carrots start to sweat. Add Peanut Sauce, stir and heat for another 2 minutes. Then add tofu back in and toss until thorughly coated.

Serve over brown rice and garnish with chopped peanuts and lime wedges.

Don and I both enjoyed this meal and would make it again, especially considering the price. We were really pleased with how the tofu itself turned out. The preparation method we used to cook it definitely made a difference. Also the fresh squeezed lime gave a nice freshness to the dish and the peanut garnish a pleasant crunch. The thai sauce itself was good but not great. Don and I both found it a little bit tangier than we prefer. If I were to make the sauce from scratch, I would probably add a little bit more heat and a little less vinegar. Also, it could use a little bit of extra salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

The Results

2009-04-12T00:42:00.000-07:00

The Results are in for last week's poll. The question posed was in which of the following categories do you find it hardest to resist impulse buys.

The majority response was overwhelmingly the Eating Out category. 75% of you struggled with the temptation to dine out more than any other category. A far second were clothes, shoes and accessories at 16% and one other person really wanted to hit the bars making up for remaining 8%. Surprisingly, nobody picked going to the movies or splurging on dvd's and video games. Could that be because you all are taking my advice now and watching Hulu for free at home?

Don't forget to check out the new poll for the week and cast your vote!

Homemade is Better: Ham and Asparagus Frittata

2009-04-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Don and I tried this awesome new recipe tonight to make use of the gigantic ham we got at Fresh and Easy this week for 77 cents a pound! Don was the chef tonight while I finally made some headway with the laundry that's been piling up for weeks. I think he got the better end of the stick, but then again he did an amazing job so no complaints here. He started by carving up the smoked bone in ham into several portions, setting aside only enough for tonight's recipe and storing the rest in a ziploc bag in the freezer for later use. We also stored and froze the ham bone as well which can be used to make some of my favorite soups like split pea or bean and ham. The recipe itself was a cinch to make. Simply stir fry veggies in an oven proof skillet, stir in egg and cheese mixture and then put in the oven for a few minutes until set. Since our cast iron skillet did not fit in our broiler, we just baked at the highest temp for approximately the same amount of time and it turned out just fine. The frittata tasted delicious and we will definitely make this again a few times until the ham and jarlsberg cheese is used up. The only thing I might change is to add a couple more eggs next time as the frittata came out a little thinner than we would prefer.

All in all this was a delicious and satisfying meal, and by concentrating on sale items, it was very inexpensive to make. Here's the run down on cost.

Smoked Ham - $1.00 ($6.00 for 8 pounds on sale)
Jarlsberg Cheese - $1.33 ($4.00 for a wedge, used 1/3)
Eggs - $0.40 ($1.00 for a dozen on sale)
Bell Pepper - $0.50 (2 for $1.00 on sale)
Asparagus - $0.98 (on sale)
Pantry Items - cooking spray, salt & pepper, onion, italian seasoning

Total Cost for four servings = $4.21

Ham and Asparagus Frittata

Extend whole eggs with egg whites for a generous serving size. Serve the frittata with fruit and toasted English muffins and jam for an Easter brunch for two.

2/3 cup chopped 33%-less-sodium ham (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded low-fat Jarlsberg cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat broiler.

Combine ham, cheese, black pepper, salt, egg whites, and eggs, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and asparagus; sauté 3 minutes. Add egg mixture; reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, 3 minutes or until almost set. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Wrap handle of pan with foil; broil 3 minutes or until egg is set. Cut into 4 wedges.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

CALORIES 251 (33% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 3.4g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 247mg; CALCIUM 373mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.6g; SODIUM 791mg; PROTEIN 31.3g; FIBER 2g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Bargain Hunters: Name Brand Discounts

2009-04-11T02:41:00.000-07:00

As a Cheapskate, I am not much for name brand items when the generic ones are just as good and cost much less. But there are a few that I am committed to that I just cannot replace with other substitutes, such as Chocolate Chex Cereal, Tillamook Cheddar Cheese, and Tom's of Maine Toothpaste, to name a few. Also, there are some that I am just plain obligated to buy regardless of "wants" such as $50 bags of prescription dog food for my overly sensitive stomached dachshund. She's just lucky we love her as much as we do.

But just because you are willing to spend the extra cash for these few luxuries, doesn't mean you have to. The key to saving money on these name brand splurges is to plan ahead and take stock. Make a list of these special splurges that you like to keep on hand. Take a note of what stores carry these items. Then create a bookmark folder on your internet browser where you can store quicklinks to the online published sale ads for these stores and flag these specialty items when they go on sale. Then it is time to stock up when they are at their best value. For example, this week Science Diet Lite Small Bites Dog Food is on sale at Petco for $8.00 off the regular price. It's still an expensive bag of dog food but why pay the extra $8.00 when you don't have to. Even though we have another several weeks' supply left from our last purchase, I'll be stopping by the pet store this weekend to pick up a another bag before the sale ends.

I also highly recommend that you do this with your medicine cabinet. Whether you go for name brand or not, cold medicines are expensive and they can rack up quite a bit of unexpected costs since no one ever plans to get sick. Last month, Don and I both came down with a nasty cold and spent over $35 in various medicines between sore throat losenges, cough suppressents, and nasal decongestion. What I should have been doing was keeping a simple inventory of our medicine cabinet and as we start to get low on certain supplies, add it to my list of weekly bargains to watch for rather than waiting until we have been claimed by the germ warfare and had no choice but to pay the high costs for immediate relief. After all, one of the fundamental principals of saving money involves planning ahead. The less time you have to purchase something, the more money you are likely to spend as you are more likely to pay extra costs for convenience, won't have time to shop around and compare prices, and may miss out on inopportunely timed discounts.

Bargain Hunter: Holiday Grocery Specials

2009-04-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled about this week's extra low priced sale items at Fresh & Easy. First of all, frozen appetizers 50% off! You can bet I'm going to be stocking up on those! I highly recommend the mini frozen pizzas and the cranberry and cream cheese wontons. Both are delicious and cook up easily in the toaster oven so work well for a light lunch. And at such a low price, I may just have to sample a couple of new appetizers that I haven't tried yet.

Also, holiday seasons are a good time to stock up on specialty items that might normally be more expensive. At Christmas and Thanksgiving, it's turkeys, cranberries, pumpking filling and endless baking items we have to look forward too. Around Valentine's day you can often find amazing deals on expensive steaks such as fillet mignon, strawberries, and champagne. For Easter, this is the time to splurge on extra low prices of lamb and ham. This week at Fresh and Easy you can get Smoked Ham Shanks for only 77 cents a pound! I plan to buy one or two, portion them out and freeze them to make them last.

Here are a few ideas from MyRecipes.com for how what to do with all this lovely smoked ham:

Grilled Cuban Sandwiches

Ham and Mushroom Quesadillas

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

Ham and Pineapple Pizza

Ham and Gruyere Stuffed Potatoes

Hot Ham-and-Cheese Rollup

Eggs with Ham Cheddar and Chives

Mozzarella, Ham, and Basil Panini

Ham Risotto with Sugar Snap Peas

Fried Rice with Smoked Ham

Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Ham

Ham, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomato Calzones

Bacon, Gruyere, and Ham Strata

Creamy Fettuccine with Peas and Ham

Ham and Asparagus Frittata

Money Matters: April Showers

2009-04-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours. In the same week of having to shell out a gigantic tax bill which is eating up over half of our savings (we made the huge mistake of not having enough taxes taken out up front), Don and I have also been hit with $340 of unexpected car repairs, $220 in annual licensing renewal fees, and if that wasn't enough, Don also lost a filling tonight when he was flossing his teeth so we have a gigantic dental bill coming up and no dental insurance to speak of. Luckily, we just barely managed to avoid a huge vet bill also this month which would have been the real cherry on top kind of finish.

These are the financial storms that will gang up on you and pounce with unexpected tenacity right when you feel you finally have gotten things under control. And as demonstrated above, they like to come at you all at once, like a heavyweight champion pulling out all the stops for a knockout in the last round of a fight. I know you all can relate to these down pours. The truth about financial planning is that even the best laid plans are subject to the chaotic elements.

Financial storms will attempt to make you feel powerless and defeated. They will attempt to undermine your new found confidence in your financial discipline and side track you from your goals. But they need not be. As human beings we have two primary responses to a threatening situation. We can choose "flight" which is to avoid or run away from the situation. Or we can choose to "fight." Our initial response to a financial storm is always loss of control. But by fighting back and addressing the situation, we may gain at least a partial handle on it and prevent further losses without giving up all of the previous progress we have made. Below are a few steps to follow when fighting back during a financial storm which can help you to achieve a more desirable outcome.

Step #1: Seek Shelter
When a financial storm hits, the first thing to do is to take cover. Financial storms can often create as much or more stress as they do actual economic hardship. Whether you have been laid off, your car is on the fritz, or you are facing huge medical bills, you need to put yourself in an environment and surround yourself with a support system who is going to uphold you mentally and physically over the coming days. Also, give yourself a moment to acknowledge your losses but do not give in to defeat. This may be the smartest or the stupidest advice I have ever given, but have this mantra ready to repeat over and over in your head until it sinks in, "It's only money." It's a hard thing for a Cheapskate to say as we never like to let go of a dollar we don't have to, but the truth in prosperity is that happiness, fulfillment and security do not come from money. Money is a tool, nothing more and nothing less. You would be surprised at how much you can sacrifice and still enjoy a very prosperous life. By addressing your own frame of mind and surrounding yourself with a support system up front, the elements of the storm will seem much less harsh as you endure them from a place of shelter.

Step #2: Perform a Triage
When you go the the emergency room (at least this is true for the Animal Hospital, I have never been to a People ER before), a triage nurse comes out to greet you. His or her job is to evaluate your condition and assess the situation in terms of which patients are a priority in order of severity. So to do we need to approach the situation when a financial storm hits. In a financial storm, you may have several obligations competing for your attention. They may all seem like emergencies at the time. Don's need to spend $200 on a new wardrobe earlier this month for interview outfits sure did seem like an emergency prior to the other unaccounted for expenses that popped up. By sitting down and methodically evaluating the situation, you can prioritize your needs and come up with a plan to address them which will not only give you a greater feeling of control over the situation, it may also save you big dollars. Which of the items are most important to you? Are there some that can be put off until later (i.e. take public transportation for a while until you can get your car fixed)? Maybe some offer payment plans? Is there anyway to get the expenses reduced (coupons, hardship discounts, grants)? What is currently in your budget that you can live without in the short term to make up for the extra loss in income (cable, cell phone, fun money)? What additional resources can you draw on to cover the expenses (i.e. savings, credit, garage sales)?

Step #3 - Weather the Storm
Once you have assessed the situation and formed a plan, then you just have to stick with it and ride it out. Don and I were able to pull the taxes from our savings. For the additional car expenses and dental bills, I rearranged our budget to scale back as much as possible. We won't be able to put anything additional towards savings this month but if we can eliminate all other nonnecessity items and keep our food & gas budget below $275 for the next three weeks than we can still cover all of this months expenses on our income without having to dip anymore into savings or credit. It will be tight for us and we will have to remain focused, determined, and disciplined, but we can do it.

Step #4 - Start Rebuilding
Financial storms take a lot of focus and energy to get through. When we get through them, we need to congratulate ourselves and remember what our original goals were. If you had to dip into savings, it's time to start rebuilding the nest egg. If you had to borrow from credit, start thinking about how paying off that debt fits into your overall financial plan. Chances are you are going to be a stronger than ever Cheapskate once you have weathered a few financial storms as you will most certainly have picked up some new skills for stretching the budget and be more acutely aware of the value of a dollar and what it can do for you. As you are refocusing on your dreams and setting your path for the future, don't forget to incorporate the things you have learned. Are there additional things you can structure into your financial plan that will help prevent similar financial storms from occuring again (i.e., preventative health care, revising your tax deductions)?

In the end, none of us can escape the occasional burden through the economic hardship of a financial storm. All we can do is plan for them as best we can and follow the steps mentioned above when they do occur. Financial storms need not be the undoing of all that we have done to set ourselves on the path to prosperity. After all, it is true what they say that April showers bring May flowers. I, for one, am looking forward to May!

Homemade is Better: Curry Shrimp and Veggies

2009-04-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

The first pantry challenge dinner that Don and I took on was a huge success. We were discussing options for how to use up some leftover shrimp we had stocked up in the freezer when we came up with this winner - Yellow Curry Shrimp and Veggies over rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup of uncooked jasmine rice
5 small yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 3/4 cups water
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 onion, chopped
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bottle Trader Joes Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

Don started by defrosting the shrimp under cold running water in the sink.

I was in charge of the rice and potatoes and decided to take a shortcut by combining both in the rice cooker with 3 cups of water as demonstrated below. The process worked perfectly, saved me time, and saved us cleanup by eliminating extra dishes.

Meanwhile Don prechopped all the veggies. Once the rice and potatoes were done and the shrimp was finished defrosting, Don sauteed the onions and peppers until softened, then added the shrimp. After they just barely turned color, he added the sauce and mushrooms and brought to a steamy hot temp, further cooking the shrimp. It didn't take very long, just used the mushrooms as a gauge. Once it was done, we spooned the shrimp mixture over the rice and potatoes. The finished product was scrumdidlyumptious and couldn't have been easier to prepare. We would definitely make this again.

Because we made the most of our pantry items by using the shrimp, onions, mushrooms, and rice that we already had on hand, tonights dinner only cost us $4.00 for the curry sauce, potatoes, and red bell pepper and yet still tasted as good or better as anything we would have ordered from a Thai Restaurant. I can not wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

Cheapskate Challenge: Pantry Cleanout

2009-04-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's cheapskate challenge. And thanks to those who shared your thoughts and experiences via the comments on this blog. We can all learn and gain inspiration from each other's journey toward becoming a better than ever Cheapskate. Even though I may have created this blog, I am by no means an expert on the subject. But I've picked up a few things along the way and am learning more now as I go. This blog and these challenges in particular have made me more focused than ever and brought so many insights in the last couple of weeks. I never thought I could grow this fast!

I am quite surprised with myself that I was able to go the whole entire week without eating out one single time. I can't remember the last time I did that. Have I ever? But I am truly less excited about the fact that I saved a few bucks by not eating out than I am about the new insights I gained into my own spending habits by taking on the challenge. I found out what types of things triggered me toward eating out and discovered new ideas to overcome those impulses. It was great! Whether you "succeeded" or "failed" the fact that you chose to take on the challenge is a win as the process of even just thinking about it on a daily basis has made you one step closer toward achieving your financial goals. So congratulations fellow Cheapskates!

This week's challenge is called "Pantry Clean Out." Do you want to know a really good tip for to dramatically reducing your grocery bill? Eat the food that is already in your cupboards, fridge, and freezer. It will not cost you anything since you have already paid for it. Since I am so passionate about cooking and trying new things, I am always stocking my fridge and cupboard with new specialty items. It's great because I have a fantastic pantry and more varieties of vinegar than days of the week, but I am also usually on such a quest to try new things that I am insanely guilty of letting leftovers and overstocked items go to waste.

This weeks challenge is to make the most out of what you already have and not let things go to waste. I challenge you to use at least one item a day from your existing pantry. I am even going to throw in a special bonus that if you succeed in the challenge and if at least one of the items has been in your cupboard for three or more months, then I will send you a mystery item in the mail from my own pantry along with a hand written note. The challenge ends one week from today on Saturday, April 11th and the offer is good to the first five people to respond via comments to this link that they successfully completed the challenge on or after April 11th. Good luck to all. Have fun and be creative. Oh and special recognition goes to anyone who uses up an item that has been in their pantry for more than 6 months!

Prosperity: Dinner Parties on a Dime

2009-04-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Don and I entertain quite a bit and we love it. Since we moved to California almost two years ago, we have become the gathering place for friends and play host to large group activities once or twice a week. Whenever possible, we love to include dinner in the evening's events since we love to cook and food brings people together. Plus, if people do not have to worry about cooking dinner or grabbing food before they head over then it gives us more time to spend together. Since we are on a restricted budget now, we have to put a little more thought into planning affordable dinners that can feed 7 or 8 people a couple times a week. Thus, I have incorporated some new strategies that have allowed us to continue the Early Household Dinner parties with great tasting food and satisfied guests without breaking the bank.

The first major change we made was to start doing dinners potluck style. We are currently not in a position to be providing eight course meals to multiple guests and they are completely understanding of this. However, by all of us contributing something small we all end up with a fantastic full dinner menu that everyone only had to pitch in a little for. Additionally, we get to try new things and be exposed to other peoples' specialties which may not be something we normally would have picked out. It's a very rewarding experience all the way around.

When hosting a potluck style dinner party, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are hosting, unless someone has come forward and expressed a very strong interest in providing their special homemade recipe which also happens to travel well, you really should be providing the main course. The main course usually takes the most prep work and as the host, it really is a matter of convenience and practicality to be able to prepare and serve the main course straight from kitchen to table.

In terms of guest dishes keep an open mind. Don't set expectations or obligations for what your guests should bring. Give them the opportunity to use their own imagination and find something that excites them. Also, make it known that homemade is not a requirement and store bought is perfectly acceptable. Afterall, it's their company that you are looking forward to, not the food, and intimidation in the cooking arena or time constraints should not be an eliminating factor for their participation in the evening.

On the flip side of the coin, while you do not want to set expectations for your guests, they might have some of you. If they ask you what they should bring, be willing to offer ideas or suggestions. I found this one out the hard way when I was going through an especially stressful time with work and personal issues. I needed to back off of the dinner planning but did not want to give up our group dinner time. I let people know that I would still be providing a main dish and other people could bring "sides" and left the door wide open. For some people, no matter how many times they asked me what they should bring and I responded,"whatever you want," they would repeatedly seek further advice from me. At first, to be truthful, I was a bit annoyed by this as what I was seeking at the time was respite from any responsibility beyond my own part and just wished other people would use their own imagination without having to rely on me. However, eventually I realized that the complete lack of guidelines created a stressful situation for some people who really just wanted to make sure that they were bringing something useful that would be an appropriate contribution to the menu.

Now when people ask me what to bring my standard answer is that we would love anything that they feel like making but if they are looking for ideas I offer broad category suggestions such as salad, bread, drinks or dessert. That way they have some comfort in having a little bit of direction, but can still use their own imagination in terms of the particular item or recipe they choose. I also try to give people advance notice of what I intend to make for the main course in case they want to try to plan something that goes well with it. Often this is done through group emails so that others can have a chance to respond and let the group know what they are bringing too.

As far as keeping the food costs down for your dinner party, making it a potluck is certainly a major step toward savings, but if you are providing the main course, it's usually the most expensive item on the menu. Additionally, it typically consists of protein which again is high on the pricing scale. By choosing cheaper cuts of meat such as flank steak, roasts, or whole chickens you can often get a better price per pound value and there are lots of exciting recipes out there that can dress these up into fancy dinner party worthy dishes. Also, buying meat in bulk or while it's on sale can give you a lot better value. Last week we made a 3.5 pound smoked Tri-Tip on the Barbecue that was on Sale at Fresh & Easy for 2.99 a pound and managed to feed 8 people for about $10! The weak before that, we made a recipe for grilled marinated chicken breasts which were on sale that week at Fresh and Easy and fed 7 people for $6. Both recipes by the way were fabulous and the guests raved about the dishes. Also soups, pasta, and chili are great ideas for main courses because they use less meat per person and can go a long way toward feeding a crowd for a small amount of cash.

Also, when purchasing protein for your dinner party, make sure you have enough for a full serving for everyone but don't be expected to gorge your guests. Just because you are providing the main dish, doesn't mean that it is the only dish. Remember that there will be at least as many courses as guests attending and they can just as easily dish up on extra salad, bread and dessert as they can the main dish if you are only able to afford the 8 ounce steaks instead of the 16. If you are worried about your guests being satisfied, instead of buying double the protein, grab an extra appetizer that can be munched on before or after the meal such as chips and salsa or cheese and crackers.

Another big way to save is to skip the drinks. Know your company, but in general your guests are happy to drink plain water and do not expect you to provide beer, wine, milk, soda and other items that might stretch your grocery budget. Just be sure you provide a nice filtered source for them and preferably a chance to chill it ahead of time. Additionally, if you don't feel ok with just providing water to drink, you can always suggest this as a potluck item for someone else to bring. One of the members of our dinner party alternates back and forth between beer and wine for his weekly contribution to the menu.

Finally, and this is a tough one, there is the issue of disposable verses fancy dishes. Disposable dishes will obviously cost you extra, but let's be honest. They're not that expensive and sometimes they may seem worth it for the convenience. Additionally, there is the cost in electricity and water to wash all of the reusable dishes so is there really that big of a savings in the end? With as much as Don and I entertain, I admit that we have turned toward disposable on many occassions. In particular, we have found that with guests over every other night of the week, it was simply impossible to keep up with all the glass wear that we were going through. So after going through several packs of Costco disposable cups, I finally came up with an alternative solution that would cost us less and save us from accumulating up to 20 dirty cups to wash on a daily basis. I went through our cupboards and boxed up all of the additional glasses that I couldn't fit in a single load in the dishwasher and put them in the garage. Now if somebody needs a glass and there are no clean ones in the cupboard, all they have to do is wash one. Problem solved!

Additionally, as we are almost out of paper plates, and not desiring to use our little discretionary funds on unnecessary convenience items at the moment, I have also come up with a new more budget conscious strategy for this one as well. I have begun setting out our smaller 8" plates for our dinner guests rather than the 11" ones. You can fit more in the dishwasher so clean up is easier and people can always go back for seconds if they don't get enough the first time around.

Going back again to the major tenant of this blog, living a prosperous life is not about the money you have, it's about how you use it to get the most out of life. These ideas listed above are a great opportunities to enjoy friends and family and amazing food. By applying some simple strategies, it costs us a fraction of what it used to cost us and yet has not undermined in anyway the quality of the gatherings. In fact it has enhanced them, by bringing a greater sense of community and collaberation to the event. Cheers!

Oh, and one last thing. Always be prepared for uninvited guests to crash your dinner party! :)

Homemade is Better: Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza

2009-04-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

The chicken salad may not have lived up to its expectations but we definitely hit a couple of winners for our weekly dinner time meal plan which have more than made up for it. The Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza inspired by the sale on Red Peppers at Fresh and Easy Grocery this week far exceeded any expectations we had. It was the best pizza I have had in a long time (homemade or restaurant quality) and wins extra points by being vegetarian. No protein = Big Savings! This could easily become a weekly rotation for us.

Start by precooking your refrigerated pizza dough. We tried Fresh and Easy's brand and I cannot convey to you how good it was. Plus it was only $1.70! It was way cheaper and way better than a lot of the leading brands.

Next proceed to the toppings phase. The genius to this recipe is that it maximizes flavor by sauteeing veggies first with garlic and herbs as Don demonstrates here:

This recipe skips the sauce but makes up for it by putting cheese both underneath and on top of the veggies. Yum! Put back in the oven long enough to melt the cheese and you end up with this delicious finished product below.

My top chef of a husband also strayed from the recipe a bit to add some extra sliced tomatoes we had leftover in the fridge to the pizza. It was an excellent addition and also a great Cheapskate move to use them up before they went bad! Get the full recipe here on www.myrecipes.com.

Cheapskate Tip Off: Library event

2009-04-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Saving money with the support of a community with like minded goals is far more enjoyable than doing it by yourself. You can keep your eyes out for each other and let each other know when good deals come along. I just got a great tip from my Blogger friend Paige about a free event this weekend happening at the Valley Public Library in Valley Village. They will be having a free showing of the recently released James Bond Movie "Quantum of Solace." The viewing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 4th. No information on the event is published on their website but I called to confirm the details and you can stop by the branch for a flyer. Don't forget your local library as a great place for resources, community events, and educational opportunities for free or no charge.

Money Matters: Checking in on the Challenge

2009-03-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

So is anyone else out there having their own struggles with the Cheapskate Challenge of the week? This week's challenge has definitely caused me to be a lot more thoughtful about eating out. Those restaurants keep calling my name and it has taken a lot more effort to resist than I would have thought.

Sunday night even though I had the fridge stocked and recipe planned and ready to go, I just could not get into cooking mode. Unfortunately for me, neither could Don. I thought about our eating out options but that double the price thing was weighing pretty heavily on my pocketbook. Well, I did not get around to cooking, but I did finally opt for a frozen entree from the freezer which saved me a bundle in the end. Good thing I have those on hand for such situations!

Also, a big part of our plan for lunches is based on leftovers from the night before. Since I did not cook there were no ready made leftovers to toss in my lunchbox and of course I did not have time to pack a lunch either. I was about ready to head out the door for work thinking that I would have to hit the sandwich shop for lunch when I remembered I had canned tuna in the pantry! I would not have time to make the sandwiches before work and I was out of bread, but if I brought the ingredients with me to work, I could prepare the tuna salad in the breakfroom and run across the street to the grocery store for the bread on my lunch break.

The plan worked perfectly. For sides I decided I would get whatever fruit happened to be on sale and splurge on a bag of chips to portion out for the week. By concentrating on the sale items, I walked out of the store with a loaf of whole wheat bread, 4 granny smith apples, a quart of strawberries, and a tube of Pringles all for just $5.38. That's as much as I would have spent on one sub sandwich and now I have fresh and healthy lunches for the whole week!

Interestingly enough I am discovering that my urges to eat out have very little to do with the food cravings themselves. Rather, I am usually motivated to eat out either for the convenience (lack of planning, don't feel like cooking) or as a social urge (a friend was in town visiting tonight and though would have been happy to hang around the house and roast stuff on the BBQ, I had a huge desire *though did not act on it* to go out and eat pizzas and drink beer with the gang.) So I would call this weeks challenge a success so far. I think I am growing in my frugal discipline and learning more about my own financial impulses and pitfalls. It feels good and we're only halfway through the week!

Homemade is Better: Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad Sandwiches

2009-03-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight we tried one of the new recipes inspired by the featured sale items from Fresh & Easy Groceries posted earlier this week. The recipe, Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad, comes from myrecipes.com and I'm not quite sure why readers gave it a five star rating. It was pretty good but not excellent. Fun to make though and we served it on croissants which in and of themselves were delicious. The salad was a little on the sweet side for Don and I. We tend to veer toward the spicy and savory so if you like sweet meats, this may be a little more to your liking. I do give it a thumbs up on texture though. A lot of great textures from the fleshy grapes to the crunchy celery and walnuts to the chewy croissant. I did not enjoy the red onions. If I were to make this again, I would leave them out.

Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad

Drawing from elements of a classic Waldorf salad, this recipe uses grapes instead of apples. The spice rub gives the chicken a barbecue flavor. Rinsing the onions takes away some of their bite.

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved
3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over chicken.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and sauté 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Wrap handle of skillet in foil; bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; refrigerate until chilled. Chop into bite-sized pieces.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, green grapes, and next 6 ingredients (green grapes through orange juice) in a large bowl. Add chopped chicken, and toss to coat. Sprinkle salad with walnuts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 266 (29% from fat); FAT 8.5g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.5g,poly 4.1g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.1g; SODIUM 676mg; PROTEIN 29.1g; FIBER 2g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2002

Prosperity: Exploring LA's Parks for free

2009-03-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

So you think you have to let life pass you by because you don't have money to go out and do things? Wrong! There are lots of free or cheap things to do that will keep you active, entertained, and social circles booming. Try exploring the different parks in your neighborhood or even make a road trip out of it and drive to a neighboring town. Generally, admission is FREE and the fresh air and activity will be good for you.

Your imagination is the limit as to what to do once you get to the park. Bring friends, games, sporting equipment, pack a picnic, take your pets, a good book or your Ipod. Be open to the days activities and to the people around you. A park is a community space so be willing to let your activities blend and merge with those around you. If you are tossing a frisby around, welcome others to join you. Strike up a conversation with the other moms while your kids are playing on the playground. Ask to get in on a scrimage. Have a pow wow with the other dog owners while the canines play. The opportunities are endless.

Yesterday my friend Paige and I grabbed a blanket and the dogs and headed over to the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park on Magnolia between Van Nuys & Hazeltine for some sun & fun. It was getting on toward early evening when we got there so a lot of the activity had quieted down for the day and the park had a very quiet, peaceful, tuned-in-with-nature kind of feel.

During the mornings and afternoons on weekends, this park plays host to a bustling of activity and variety of sporting events such as soccer, baseball, softball, and I've even seen tournaments of ultimate frisby go down. They also have a lovely shaded picnic area in the southeast corner of the park, a children's playground, some basketball courts, tennis courts, an outdoor pool, and some simple batting cages (you pitch) on the north side. My favorite part of the park though is their soft gravel track which is great for walking the dogs and weaves around the entire circumfrance of the park (I'm guessing about 1 mile) so you can observe all of the different activities going on as you walk. Yesterday Paige and I opted for the lazy day at the park and just laid in the sun, talked, and people watched. It was a heck of a lot more entertaining than sitting at home and watching t.v. and it didn't cost us a dime.

For more information on parks in your neighborhood, visit the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks website.

Cheapskate Challenge: Taking it to the next level

2009-03-28T14:47:00.001-07:00

Frugality is a discipline and like any discipline, you have to push yourself to succeed. We don't just wake up one morning and decide that we are going to be more fiscally responsible and then *poof* it just happens. It takes work. It takes practice. It takes failing and then getting back on the horse again.

So from time to time I will be posting Cheapskate Challenges about once a week. These challenges are designed to help keep you focused on your financial goals. Hopefully they will teach you a little something about your own spending habits and help push you toward the next step of where you are trying to get to. Besides, it's more fun when you aren't the only one sacrificing. Just like practicing for a game or an event, having a team to support you on the journey can help keep you focused and accountable. Hopefully this blog will help build that bridge of community for you.

This week's Cheapskate Challenge is focused on eating out. Eating out is a part of our culture and a part of every one of our lives. Some do it more, some do it less. But one thing is for sure, eating out is a luxury and not a necessity. To remind you of what a luxury it is, your mission this week is for every dollar you spend on eating out, to also donate the same amount of money to a charity of your choice, preferably one that is dedicated to feeding the poor.

This is a great exercise because not only does doubling the cost make you think twice about it before you drop the cash, but it also really makes you think about the value of a dollar. We may be willing to shell out $5.00 on a morning Latte and see that as no small drop in the bucket compared to our overall budget. But when you think about the fact that $5.00 donated to a local food shelter might actually feed a family of four or an individual for an entire day, you might just see an immediate shift in your spending priorities.

I encourage you to seek out your own charities as the more connected you are to them personally, the more meaningful and real your donations of time and money will be. However, if you're not even sure where to get started, here are a couple that I really admire:

Heifer International is an amazing worldwide organization that supports communities by donating livestock and farming supplies along with education to help communities become self sustaining. One of my favorite things about Heifer is that part of their program involves passing on the gift. So one family who receives a couple of goats lets say would pass on the first offspring of their goat to another member in the community, who then would do the same, and so on and so on. So one simple donation creates a ripple effect of giving that goes on endlessly.

Lutheran Social Services is another great charity that I support. LSS of Southern California has served in communities to help the homeless, the abused, and the frail. It is through this ministry that hundreds of thousands of people and their families are aided each year. Their ministry reaches those in need of counseling, emergency services, job training, transitional housing, help for the elderly, utility assistance, and much more.

I hope you will accept this Cheapskate Challenge for the week and please come back and comment and let me know how you did!

Bargain Hunter: Margarita Madness

2009-03-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

For a limited time House Margaritas are on sale for $2.50 each at Outback Steakhouse in Burbank. Offer good Sunday through Thursday all day and Friday and Saturday noon to 4:00 p.m.

Pocket Changes: Energy Efficiency

2009-03-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Going green seems to be the "in" thing right now. Not only is going Green totally cool and sexy, but it can also save you tons of money. Now that's something us Cheapskates love to hear! One of the first things that come to mind when I think of going green is energy usage. When Don and I were in the market for a new fridge earlier this year we bee-lined straight for the ones with the bright energy star stickers. I wish I could say I was motivated purely out of an altruistic nature to help the environment. Now that certainly was part of the motivation, but even more so was the money that I would save in utility charges over the lifetime of owning such a major appliance. But going green, doesn't have to require such a major investment. Even if you cannot afford to upgrade all your appliances to energy star appliances, you can still take steps to be more efficient with the way you use whatever ones you happen to own.

The US Department of Energy Website has lots of helpful information about how to conserve energy and lower your utility bills. They even have a handy dandy formula that allows you to estimate how much money you are actually spending to utilize various household appliances.

Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption

(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

(1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts)

Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption. You can then calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by your local utility's rate per kWh consumed.

Now let's apply this formula to running your dishwasher for two hours a day. The chart from the website estimates that dishwashers, when applied through a full rinse and heated dry cycle, would typically apply a wattage of 2400.

2400 X 2 hours / 1000 = 4.8 kW

Now multiply 4.8kW by 365 days in a year and you have an annual energy usage from your dishwasher of 1752kW. The standard energy charge right now for LADWP is $0.07288 per kW for private residences. So at this usage, we can gather that you would be spending $127.68 a year in electric charges for your dishwasher, and that's not even addressing water usage. Now, if you were able to cut your usage down by only running the dishwasher when you have a full load every other day, you could cut your bill in half to $63.84. Moreover, a major portion of the energy used for a standard dishwasher goes toward the drying cycle. If you were to shut off the heated dry and take a few extra minutes to dry the dishes by hand , you could again cut your bill in half dropping from the original $127.68 to $31.92 a year. That makes for an overall savings of 75%. Now who doesn't like a 75% discount!? Beyond that, you might even feel good about yourself for helping the environment, which just goes to show once again that prosperity comes in so many more forms than having a big checking account.

Bargain Hunters: Fresh & Easy Groceries

2009-03-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am proud to say that we've been 100% on target with our meal planning this week in my household which is saving us a bundle on food costs. It is working out so well in fact that I could not wait to get started on a meal plan for next week. After doing a little research I discovered that Fresh & Easy publishes their weekly add in the middle of the week! Below are this week's big savings items. Prices are good through March 31st.

Based on these featured items, I've set out a menu for next week that capitalizes on these big savings by searching the key ingredients on various recipe websites. Here are a few of my suggestions:

Roasted Salmon with Chile Minted Cucumbers - Uses $0.98 Cucumbers, can purchase Salmon at Fresh and Easy for $5.99 lb
Artichoke-and-Red Pepper Pizza - Uses $0.98 Red Bell Pepper, Also meatless main dish that saves on protein
Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad - Uses $1.00 Red Grape, $1.00 Green Grapes
Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce - $0.98 Grape Tomatoes
Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts - Uses $0.98 cucumbers
Santa Maria Smoked Tri-Tip - Uses $2.99 lb Tri-Tip

Homemade is Better: How to Cook Shrimp and Like It

2009-03-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight's do it yourself recipe was inspired by the featured sale ingredients at Fresh and Easy Grocery earlier this week posted here. Cajun Shrimp and Rice is an excellent weeknight meal. It cooks up in 30 minutes or less and for how good it tastes, you would never guess that it's only 354 calories a serving. Afraid to cook shrimp? Take a few pointers from my husband:

The cost breakdown for this recipe is hard to beat. When cooking at home is this good, it just doesn't make sense to go out and pay someone else to do it for you. Of course I substituted fresh veggies for frozen to take advantage of the awesome sale on bell peppers this week.

Shrimp $3.99
Cajun Seasoning $1.69
Bell Peppers $0.98
Green Onions $1.08
Stewed Tomatoes $0.59
Pantry Items - Rice, Olive Oil, Bottled Minced Garlic, dried time, salt and pepper

Total cost for the entire meal is only $8.33 and feeds four ($2.04 per person). Similar dish in a restaurant such as The Gumbo Pot at the Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax is $8.95 per person plus tax and tip for four people would be $45.00. That's an 81% total savings!

But the important thing of course is how does it taste? The review is just in and the answer is..... AMAZING!

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Bagged frozen vegetables work great in this spicy application. To thaw the vegetables quickly, place them in a colander, and rinse with hot water. Before sautéing, drain the thawed vegetables on paper towels.

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, salt-free
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 cup frozen bell pepper stir-fry, thawed (such as Bird's Eye)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup canned Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with Cajun seasoning; toss to coat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add the pepper stir-fry, green onions, and thyme; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in cooked rice, shrimp, tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 354 (25% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.8g); IRON 5.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 106mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27g; SODIUM 658mg; PROTEIN 37.4g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Bargain Hunters: Target Sports Wear

2009-03-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Excellent bargain on Champion C9 Sports Bras right now at Target for only $14.99. Includes an assortment of racerback, spaghetti strap, and athletic tankinis. Sizes XSmall through XLarge. Great Selection of colors. Sale ends March 28. Additionally, if you are too swamed to get to the store right now and prefer to order through Target's website, the Champion C9 Sports bras are still priced at $14.99, plus you can get an additional 10% off and free shipping right now if you spend $50 or more.

Bargain Hunters: Cheap Wine

2009-03-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

I love a good bottle of wine but I'm not a wine snob. Trader Joe's offers an entire selection of affordable wines like the above 2007 Voignier by Bears' Lair winery in California. At only $3.99 a bottle, that equates to approximatley 75 cents a glass. There are definitely better wines out there, but it is very drinkable with some nice complexities. Cool, crisp, and slightly on the dry side, it has a strong finish with some peach undertones and a bit of spice. Hubby and I and our friend Paige decided this would be best paired with a mixed plate of sliced granny smith apple, some sharp white cheddar cheese, dried apricots and some concord grapes. It would also make a nice lunch accompaniment to a waldorf or chicken salad.

Bargain Hunter: Grocery Specials

2009-03-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Spending a few extra minutes to browse the weekly grocery adds before planning your meals for the week can save big dollars. The key when bargain hunting is to watch for sales on staple foods that you would normally buy anyway but not to get carried away with "bargains" on impulse buys or non-necessities. Once you identify a few good deals, run a search on recipes that maximize those key ingredients. Posted here are the bargain specials of the week from my local Fresh and Easy Grocery store and a few recipes I'll be cooking up for a fraction of their normal cost. Prices are good through March 24th.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice - Uses $3.99 Shrimp and $.98 Bell Peppers
Skewers of Rosemary Chicken and Zucchini - Uses $1.77 Chicken Breasts and $.98 Lemons
Grilled Herb Tomatoes - Uses $.98 Roma Tomatoes
Grilled Herb Coated Chicken Breasts - Uses $1.77 Chicken Breasts and $.98 Lemons

Pocket Changes: Plan B

2009-03-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that saving money often involves a little planning ahead. I think the number one failure that people make when doing financial planning is to forget about a back up plan. For example, the hardest part about following a budget is dealing with the spontaneous expenses that pop up such as unplanned car repairs or impromptu entertaining for unexpected guests. That is why every good plan automatically includes a Plan B. Always carve out a place in your budget for these surprise expenses and whenever possible think ahead about potential plan failures and inexpensive ways to fix them should the occasion arise.

As always, achieving good financial habits requires you to know what is most important to you. For me one of the most important things in life is food and health. I may be willing to carve out a little more of my budget then the next person towards fresh quality ingredients that compose healthy meals but that doesn't mean throwing money away unnecessarily. One of the main things I do to minimize expenses is to create a formal meal plan each week including drinks and snacks before I go shopping and only buy those ingredients that are on my list. Even with the best of intentions though, things happen during the week and it's almost impossible to stick to a 7 day plan as things come up. I've learned over time to plan a five day week out of seven, giving me an allowance for a couple of days a week to grab a quick convenience lunch or leftovers clean out.

Also, while I would never recommend frozen dinners as a main staple, they are a perfectly acceptable Plan B in our household for nights when we just can't get motivated to cook. By having our freezer already stocked, it saves us from moments of weakness when we may be prone to following our impulses. Don and I have found a brand of frozen dinners that we really like from the Fresh & Easy Grocery store located in Van Nuys on Sepulveda and Vanowen. You can also find locations in Burbank and Glendale. The dinners are only $5.00 a piece and are plenty of food for two people. Our favorites include the Chicken Mahkani, Jalapeno Chicken, Braised Beef, and Shephards Pie. Additionally, for a little more balance you can always incorporate fresh and frozen such as a frozen pizza with a quick Ceasar Salad or ready marinated chicken breasts with frozen veggies on the side.

Homemade is Better: Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

2009-03-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

The "Homemade is Better" sections of my blog will be dedicated towards those things we regularly pay other people to do for us which we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves. If you want your money to work for you, the last thing you want to do is spend it on someone else's labor. By honing up on your do it yourself skills, you can substantially cut costs as well as control the measure of quality you want to achieve. Moreover, the do it yourself tasks themselves become a form of inexpensive entertainment in and of themselves. For example, instead of taking your date out to an expensive dinner, try having a quiet night in with a little jazz music and inexpensive bottle of wine (such as Charles Shaw Merlot $2.00 at Trader Joes) while you prepare your own dinner.

Speaking of homemade dinners, since one of my biggest passions in life is cooking and trying new foods, you will see me post lots of new recipes here. I do have quite the lovely collection of cookbooks but these days you don't even need to invest in cookbooks to get cooking. Their are a wealth of websites full of FREE recipes on the internet waiting to be attempted. A couple of my favorites include www.myrecipes.com and www.foodnetwork.com. A friend also recently introduced me to a particularly thrifty version called www.5dollardinners.com. If recipe browsing on the world wide web isn't your thing, your local library should offer a host of cookbooks available for FREE checkout and a good collection of cooking magazines to thumb through.

Below is a new recipe I tried this week. At first I was a little weary of the cranberry pear salsa and when I taste tested by itself I wasn't that impressed. However, it is the combination of ingredients between the quesadilla and salsa together that is really outstanding. This is an excellent fall recipe for when pears are at their peak and thus least expensive. A restaurant such as Red Robin charges $9.99 for their equivelant menu item Chicken Quesadillas. With Tax and Tip you are looking at a total of $13.00 the same amount for the entire recipe below which could feed up to 6 to 8 people. That's at least a 600% return on investment. Additionally, the ingredients are fresher, healthier, and available in the convenience of your own home.

Cranberry Sauce $2.00
Cilantro $1.00
Green Onions $0.75
Lime $0.50
Anjou Pear $0.75
Jalapeno $0.50
Jack Cheese $3.00
Tortillas $2.00
Chicken/Turkey $2.00
Pantry Items - Cumin, Cooking Spray, Sour Cream

Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

This salsa is also great on turkey sandwiches. To make meatless quesadillas, use sautéed vegetables in place of the turkey.

Salsa:
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Anjou pear, cored and finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Quesadillas:
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (2-inch-thick) slices green onions
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

To prepare salsa, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and chill.

To prepare quesadillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup sliced onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Remove onions from pan; reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each of 4 tortillas. Top each cheese-covered tortilla with one-fourth of onions, 1/2 cup turkey, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tortilla.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges, about 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

CALORIES 356 (25% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.2g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 218mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.8g; SODIUM 372mg; PROTEIN 19.4g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

Pocket Changes: Bye Bye Cable

2009-03-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of the quickest changes we jumped on when reconfiguring our budget to lower our expenses was saying goodbye to the Cable. Although we are human and need some form of entertainment that we can just vedge out to now and again, there are just too many free or cheaper options out there these days for a cheapskate like me to keep paying the exhorbanent costs of Cable. In it's place, Don and I have been able to glean just as much viewing pleasure from the following sources. Not only do we find ourselves not wasting time watching things we don't care about, but programs are available at our convenience rather than having to work around a TV Schedule or pay extra fees for a DVR Unit.

Hulu - If you are a cable subscriber, you probably saw the adds for this website during the 2009 Superbowl and why haven't you canceled your service yet?! Hulu is an internet website that contracts with major networks to provide direct streaming of primetime and other television shows for your viewing pleasure. And the best part is that the service is entirely FREE with just limited commercial interruptions. For the most part, Hulu episodes include current seasons sometimes with a week or so delay from original air date and posts each episode for a certain length of time before it expires. It also includes some earlier seasons for certain shows as well as entire seasons of previously canceled shows such as Firefly and Arrested Development. It even hosts a limited selection of full length feature films. Hulu now offers a couple of different resolution options to accomodate your streaming capabilities and while not as crystal clear as cable, the quality definitely exceeds expectations and is sophisticated enough for everyday viewing.

Netflix - Netflix, an internet DVD rental service which ships through the U.S. Mail, is another good alternative to cable. If you haven't heard of them yet you are living in a cave. Most people use Netflix in addition to cable but with so many series shows now available on DVD, it can actually be a great substitute for television. The down side is that you have to wait for the shows to be released on DVD so you are always a season behind, but the positives are that you can watch an entire series back to back without having to wait for the weekly release. It is actually a much more rewarding viewing experience that way. Netflix also offers a selection of television shows for direct streaming as well. Their collection of "watch instantly" material is growing every day and is available in addition to with no interruption of your DVD service.

Netflix fees are as follows:
$8.99 a month for 1 DVD at a time with unlimited rentals
$13.99 a month for 2 DVDs at a time with unlimited rentals
$16.99 a month for 3 DVDs at a time with unlimited rentals
$23.99 a month for 4 DVDs at a time with unlimited rentals
And goes up another $6.00 per month for each additional DVD from there.
For an extra $1.00 a month to your regular subscription, you also get access to their entire selection of Blu-Ray movies as well.

Money Matters: Financial Origins

2009-03-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to LA Cheapskate. My vision is for this to be a resource for readers who want to learn to increase their financial knowledge, improve their financial habits, and in general, achieve a better quality of life by changing the way they think about money.

I'll start with a little background on myself to give you an idea of where I am coming from and where I am headed. I am a former Pacific Northwesterner who spent most of my life in Oregon and Washington. I grew up in a two parent home, typical middle class family of five with two sisters. My mother worked a typical 8 to 5 accounting job and my father was a self employed car hobbyist and mechanic. Having a mother in the traditional workforce taught me a lot about commitment and responsibility. Having an entreprenuer for a father taught me a lot about the value of mastering a craft and the rewards of being self sufficient. We had our times of good fortune as well as weeks of getting by on Cup O' Noodles and Rice Puffs Cereal.

Most people would categorize me as an overachiever. In high school and college I chose to focus on my education and extra curricular activities rather than jumping into the work force. I figured if I was going to make the investment to get a higher education, then I wanted to do everything I could to get a return on that investment which would eventually lead to a career and pay itself back. I worked my tail off in class and through academic scholarships, government assistance, and some low interest student loans I managed to come away from a $100,000 education, with only $15,000 of debt.

For the first few years after college I pursued a Masters Degree in Theology as I considered a career in ministry. But around the time that my husband, Don, and I got engaged, is when I really started thinking for the first time about what I wanted out of life and how finances fit into the picture. I came to discern that what was most important to me was being able to spend time with my family and friends and to live a healthy and balanced life. A vocation in ministry would constantly compete with my purest of needs requiring the ultimate sacrifice of time spent with my own family for the ability to tend to others. I realized for the first time that I wanted a job or a career that would not be the center of my life, but rather a means to support the life that I wanted to live.

During the early years of our marriage, my husband and I fresh out of school entered the job market and began working our way through the entry and mid level jobs scratching by on nominal wages- me in bankinge and Don in the marine and fabrication industry. One of the first things we learned when combining two people into a single household, was that not only did we enjoy the benefits of having two incomes, but we now also had twice the debt. I won't say who brought what with them, but I still remember the first time we sat down to do our debt schedule together and discovered that between the two of us as young twenty somethings, we had a combined total of approximately $90,000 in debt and no assets to speak of.

I think it says something that I can look back on that figure now and barely blink an eye. We made a decision right then and there that we were going to manage our debt and not let our debt manage us. We determined what our financial priorities were, set goals, and crafted out a budget. We didn't always have the same feelings and agree on everything financial but it helped us to be on the same page and focused from the beginning. We consolidated what we could up front in low interest student loans to get our monthly payments under control and then just started attacking each account in order with the lowest balance to eliminate as many debts as we could one after another. Certainly it was a high pricetag to pay, but we achieved greater financial wisdom and better financial habits than we ever would have otherwise.

Both of our careers continued to advance as I went from banking in general to a more specialized career in equipment financing. Don went from purchaser to assistant warehouse manager. Then one day he got the call from the company that they wanted him to consider relocating and taking a management position in one of their LA facilities. The offer came out of the blue and because we had our finances under control, we were able to take the offer and start a new chapter in our lives.

With our move to LA, both Don and I both made the jump to middle management at the same time and saw our salaries increase to more than double anything we had made previously. Within the first six months it even tripled when Don was promoted a second time to a technical sales position. We encountered a long season of prosperity, enjoyed life a bit, payed down our original debts to less than half of what we started with, and for the first time in our lives started building a savings account. In the first three months of my job I was laid off due to company finances and we learned how to negotiate with one income without getting sidetracked from our goals while I looked for work. Happily I landed in a much better position which came with longterm stability and further opportunities for career advancement.

For more than a year we never once had to worry or stress about money. Anything we wanted we could have and we didn't have to think twice. We made our first major purchase as a couple financing a car together and started taking deliberate steps toward our second major purchase, saving $10,000 towards a down payment for a home. However, while Don continued to do well in his own career, the company began to suffer as our nation entered a period of economic crisis. Once again, we became a statistic of the economy when Don was laid off along with 20% of the workforce. Thankfully we had already been through this once and had the forsight to know that it would happen again in our lifetime. We knew we would survive but the biggest disappointment was knowing that our dream of homeownership which we were finally getting so close to was now going to be put off for some time.

You would think the loss of income would be really difficult. It has its moments but it's not that bad. I certainly look forward to future times of prosperity and I firmly believe that this transition will lead to better opportunities for my husband as it did for me. Of course I am human and I desire stability like everyone else. But I have learned through life experience that it takes much less resources than we are led to believe in this culture to achieve stability. It is indeed possible to live a very full and rich life on very little income, if you are conscious about what is important to you and a little bit disciplined and creative with how you apply your resources. To me, the best sign of financial freedom is when your money is working for you instead of the other way around. We spend so much time trying to figure out how we can get more money so that we can get the things we want. In my life I've tried to make a very simple shift to identify the ultimate things that are truly important to me - time with family and friends, health, joy, security - and let my money work for me by finding ways to stretch my dollars further and achieve these things for the least amount of cost.

I hope in the posts to follow that you will start to contemplate and understand your own relationship with money better in order to achieve greater financial freedom and a more fulfilling life.