You Save Fifty Cents Here...

Looks like this recession is trickling up now.  In the past week I've seen two instances of this effect.  In case you're wondering what I'm referring to by trickling UP, it means the first part of the recession affected the working man and consequently because of him spending less, businesses either went under or were forced to cut back, thus now impacting the b2b's (businesses that service other businesses) who survived in 2009.

But hey, I only took Economics 101 so what do I know...especially since that was way back when UH tuition was cheap and the campus was well maintained.  What I do know is that people are still losing jobs and if there had been course in Money Conservation at the UH, I would've been at the 404 level! 

So off the top of my head, here are a few suggestions for penny-pinching.  There are also tips on conservation and health, too...

1) I've mentioned this before:  BUDGET Basic Cable.  You really don't need "Basic" Cable for almost $50/month when there's $13/month Budget Basic (we get about 30 stations--more than enough!).

2) No shame...you don't have to buy fancy Tupperware.  I've been called "Miss Cool Whip Container" and look, this means my ecological "footprint" is that much smaller.  If you can't use all of the containers, recycle the #1's and #2's OR drop them off at a school or daycare OR sell or give them away at your garage sale.

3) Buy vitamin and herbal supplements online.  Even with shipping it's cheaper than shopping at the stores PLUS the supplements are generally higher quality.  I just ran out of calcium and went to Walmart.  Not only were their calcium supplements (all brands!) more expensive, they had a multitude of "bad" ingredients (fillers, preservatives, etc.).  I couldn't bring myself to buy any of them!  Incidentally, my favorite shampoo, Jason Natural Tea Tree Oil Scalp Normalizing Shampoo, which sells at stores for over $9, is just $4.55 at Swansonhealth.com! 

4) Turning off power bars does save a few dollars a month!  If you can't turn off the whole bar, unplug those chargers at least.  I unplug our modem and router every night too. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see your electric bill showing a difference. 

5) If you've got a tissue hog in your household, try buying single-ply toilet tissue.  Usually Safeway has the best price on this. 

6) Rather than buying new books, go to the library.  If you can't bring yourself to do this, go to Amazon.com and buy used books--as well as DVD's and CD's.  You'll save---again, even with the shipping added!  There are bestsellers for just a penny each! (Shipping=$3.99)

7) Something I just started doing is recycling water.  You could buy a contraption from Costco for saving rainwater from your gutters to water your yard, but I do this on a smaller scale by just catching rinsewater from vegetable washing or other "clean" rinsing in a bowl and transferring it into a plastic gallon bottle to use later for soaking dirty dishes or watering the few plants I bother to water.  (Growing vegetables is a great way to save money, but I did not inherit that skill from my dad, unfortunately).

8) I make healthy "snack bags" for Jordan's lunch bag instead of sending chips/cookies, etc. Costco's selling an excellent beef jerky (Pacific Gold) which uses no preservatives or HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Cut them up into small pieces, add nuts (preferably raw/unsalted), raisins or other dried fruit cut up (I use mango, cherries, dates, or blueberries), Mini Wheats cereal pieces, chocolate chips, a few potato sticks or rice crackers. It's fun to make these bags and you can totally control the ingredients--use your imagination! Make sure to buy the ingredients on sale or by bulk.   By the way, I also put these same ingredients in a small bowl for myself to snack on during the day.

9) Home lunches--or brownbagging--is another obvious money-saver.  Have you tried banana/peanut butter/jelly sandwiches?  Use whole wheat bread and sprinkle some cinnamon on the bananas and you're getting even more health benefits! 

When you make your dinner salad, just make a bit more for your lunch the next day to save time.  Leonard's naturopathic doc, Dr. Ancharsky, recommends at least 6 ingredients for your salads.  Typically I use spinach, lettuce, cilantro, red cabbage, sweet peppers, celery, brocco sprouts, carrots, tomatoes and/or cucumbers.  For kick, add some jalapeno peppers or artichoke hearts.  Top with tuna or chicken or how about salsa and cheese for a Mexican salad? 

Instead of sandwiches, try a wrap.  You'll get less calories this way and you're able to load more healthy fillings.  Costco sells a flat bread in an oblong shape that's ideal for wrapping.  Jordan likes Mexican wraps (similar to a burrito with refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, sweet peppers, salsa), but again, anything goes and they're easier to eat than a sandwich, too.

10) Lastly, ladies--ahem-- if you place them carefully, you can cut your pantyliner bill in half if you cut your pantyliners in half! Hint: Kotex Longs. Hey, you might think "Awww, it only costs $1.29 a box!" but remember the saying "If you take care of the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves!" And what about Russell Peter's Chinese shop guy? "You save fitty cent here, then you go to another shop, save another fitty cent... then you got a DOL-LAH...then you go to the Dollah store and buy yourself something else!" (video below).
 



I know I have more ways to save money while keeping healthy, but these are the ten I came up with today.  I'll add more later!  Don't forget.. Russell Peters will be at the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Nov. 27!

For Your Entertainment

I may be a latecomer and you may already know about the following, but they're just too good not to mention:

1) Stieg Larrson--"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played With Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"--is my current favorite author.   After reading Tess Gerritsen's books and other similar "female murder victim" books (see my "Cake and Blood" blogpost), I decided to boycott such novels.  I have a big bag of books from friends/relatives and as I weeded out the offensive books, I was left with "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."  I read the synopsis on the back and seeing reference to a missing girl, I was about to set it aside, but heck, it was the last book left AND it was set in Sweden!  I really like Sweden and Swedes and decided to make an exception so I could "travel" to Sweden at last.

Wow, I'm very glad I didn't toss out this book.  It had me up until the wee hours in bed with my little book light.  It's a suspenseful, oh-so-satisfying read with all the elements of the perfect thriller.  I love the mystery, strength and genius of the Girl (Lisbeth Salander) and the integrity and steadfastness of Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist who is the main male character (he could be Stieg Larrson himself from what little I know of him).  I just finished the second book of the trilogy but will take my time getting the third, since sadly, that's all there is and will be. *sniff*

Stieg Larrson, a magazine editor, wrote the three books in his spare time then died suddenly of a heart attack just before they were published.  According to Martha Woodroof of NPR, Larrson was a "crusading anti-fascist journalist who was passionate in his support of anyone being victimized."  I can't tell you how sad I feel that he didn't live to see his books become bestsellers, then subsequently made into movies in Sweden. (There are plans for an American movie.)  Not only is it a huge loss of a great novelist and a courageous journalist, but he was born in 1954 so he was my "classmate," so to speak.

2) Russell Peters--is an Anglo-Indian comedian from Canada.  Look for him on Comedy Central or YouTube.  Funnnnnny!  It was given that I'd like him because I like Bollywood, Indians, and the Indian accent, but Leonard really enjoyed his comedy too.  His comedy is based mostly on the different races, similar to Hawaii's Andy Bumatai and Frank DeLima.  Check him out!

3) I doubt I have to tell you that the new Sex and the City movie will be released next week, but I just found out that Liza Minnelli is making a cameo appearance singing, of all things, Beyonce's "Single Ladies." Too funny!! I've been a fan of Liza's since the 70's and "Cabaret." I was lucky enough to see her twice in concert and she was amazing.  Although I read some disparaging remarks about her singing "Single Ladies," I heard it and loved it as simply something fun.  It's not as though she recorded it as a single, hoping to get on the charts, after all.  Before you go to hear her on this page, be forewarned if you want to know NOTHING about the movie because there's a small spoiler (I don't consider it a big deal really) that explains what she was doing in the movie.

Speaking of SATC, if you're in Vegas and enjoy slot machines, be sure to look for the SATC penny video slot machines. I played them at the Fremont and at Fitzgerald's.   What I loved were the fun bonuses and video snippets from the show!  Be prepared, however, to spend some money.  You might put in $20 and hit no bonuses and poof!  your twenty is gone in three minutes.  On the other hand, when you do hit a bonus it's SATC heaven: depending on the bonus, you get to look at shoes, bags, dresses, wedding gifts, see your favorite characters, etc.   In one of my sessions, I started hitting bonuses immediately and walked away with $150 after almost an hour.  Even better, I sat next to a fellow SATC fan and we enjoyed each other's bonuses, cheering noisily (well ok, you know me, I'm not noisy, but she made me chant "Mr. Big, Mr. Big, Mr. Big!" whenever one of us got a wheel spin.)  Check out this photo I found, by the way...hmm that guy looks familiar...and if you want to see a video of the slot machine itself, along with Chris Noth introducing it, click here.

I hope at least one of the above entertains you!  You deserve it!