I came across a blog I hadn't seen before, the Money Magazine personal finance blog. I like the title: More Money. Looks like there are some interesting and diverse topics to learn about. Here's the link:
More Money- Money Magazine's Personal Finance Blog
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Two months of Thirty and Thrifty
It's hard to believe that this blog has been going for two months now. That's over 60 thrifty posts! I've had a lot of fun and I hope you've enjoyed my writing so far. Maybe you've even learned something new.
What suggestions do you have? Any topics you'd like me to cover that I haven't yet?
Looking forward to your responses!
What suggestions do you have? Any topics you'd like me to cover that I haven't yet?
Looking forward to your responses!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thrifty Strategy- Making Sushi
My husband and I love sushi. We have a favorite local sushi place, but dinner there usually runs about $50 for the two of us. For my 30th birthday, my husband got me an awesome gift- everything we need to make sushi at home.
Here is the equipment/ingredients we have:
- Sushi rice
- Pickled ginger
- Chopsticks
- Bamboo mat
- Wooden rice paddle (already had wooden bowl)
- Sushi Knife
- Sushi cookbooks
- Wasabi powder
- Little dishes for soy sauce and cool plates for serving
- The Sushezi (as seen on TV!)
- Seaweed wraps (each package will last for a few sushi-making sessions)
Each time we make sushi, we go to a grocer and get sushi-grade fish from the butcher. Our favorite is yellowfin tuna. I usually get about a quarter pound. We also often get some cooked and deveined shrimp or smoked salmon. Other fun ingredients include "fake crab" sticks, avacado, cucumber, and cream cheese. Each time we made a batch, I probably spend about $12 on ingredients.
We've made sushi three times now, and it is awesome! It takes awhile to make, but that is half the fun! I encourage you to give it a try. And if raw fish isn't your thing, there are still lots of options. Enjoy.
A picture of our first homemade sushi meal
Here is the equipment/ingredients we have:
- Sushi rice
- Pickled ginger
- Chopsticks
- Bamboo mat
- Wooden rice paddle (already had wooden bowl)
- Sushi Knife
- Sushi cookbooks
- Wasabi powder
- Little dishes for soy sauce and cool plates for serving
- The Sushezi (as seen on TV!)
- Seaweed wraps (each package will last for a few sushi-making sessions)
Each time we make sushi, we go to a grocer and get sushi-grade fish from the butcher. Our favorite is yellowfin tuna. I usually get about a quarter pound. We also often get some cooked and deveined shrimp or smoked salmon. Other fun ingredients include "fake crab" sticks, avacado, cucumber, and cream cheese. Each time we made a batch, I probably spend about $12 on ingredients.
We've made sushi three times now, and it is awesome! It takes awhile to make, but that is half the fun! I encourage you to give it a try. And if raw fish isn't your thing, there are still lots of options. Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Pay-as-you-go cell phones
It's been a busy day, so no long post tonight. Check out this article from the New York Times on pay-as-you-go cellphone plans. Sounds like they might be a good thrifty option for some people. My first cell phone was this type, and my parents recently switched to a bare-bones plan like this as well.
Cellphone Service by the Day, Month, or Tankful
Cellphone Service by the Day, Month, or Tankful
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thrifty Strategy- Making baby food
Today was a big day. My daughter turned six months old today (can't believe it), and what better way for her to celebrate than by trying peas for the first time! After successful eating of rice cereal, unsweetened applesauce, and some avocado, I decided it was time to bust out the cute little grinder I had registered for and make some baby food.
Even better, Target had their Market Pantry frozen peas on sale for 99 cents this week.
First, I steamed about 3/4 cup of peas on the stove. Then I let them cool. I used my little hand grinder to grind them up and got....
Yummy! I tried it and it tastes really good. The whole process took about 10 minutes. It was a bit thick for our daughter, so I mixed her serving with a little breastmilk. She seemed to like it. This little container above probably has enough in it for four or so servings. I still have over 3/4 of the bag of peas left. Talk about thrifty! And it feels really good to know exactly what she's eating.
In the future, I plan to use my giant Cuisinart food processor to make large batches of baby food to freeze, but the hand grinder is great for making small amounts so that we can make sure she will eat it before we go nuts making a huge batch. Or if I'm going to make a veggie for dinner, I could just steam some extra and grind it for her to eat when we are eating.
Even better, Target had their Market Pantry frozen peas on sale for 99 cents this week.
Yummy! I tried it and it tastes really good. The whole process took about 10 minutes. It was a bit thick for our daughter, so I mixed her serving with a little breastmilk. She seemed to like it. This little container above probably has enough in it for four or so servings. I still have over 3/4 of the bag of peas left. Talk about thrifty! And it feels really good to know exactly what she's eating.
In the future, I plan to use my giant Cuisinart food processor to make large batches of baby food to freeze, but the hand grinder is great for making small amounts so that we can make sure she will eat it before we go nuts making a huge batch. Or if I'm going to make a veggie for dinner, I could just steam some extra and grind it for her to eat when we are eating.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Thrifty Strategy- Taking the bus part two
Anyone who knew me through my former job knows I was a huge fan of taking the bus to and from work. I was a dedicated daily bus rider on Southwest Transit here in the Twin Cities. It was great to just drive 10 minutes or so to a park and ride, then take a nap, read, or do nothing for the 35 minutes it took to get downtown or home. Sure, there were some long waits for a bus and a few two-hour rides during snowstorms. But I'd much rather be sitting back and relaxing than driving myself through a blizzard!
Taking the bus or other public transportation is often a very thrifty strategy. Many employers and colleges offer discounted transit passes that can help lower your costs. In a large city, the cost of daily parking can run up very quickly. And don't forget gas and wear and tear on your car. The IRS deduction rate per mile for 2010 is 50 cents. Use that to calculate your commuting cost. Daily mileage times 50 cents per mile, plus the cost of parking. Does that number surprise you? Maybe it's time to look at other options...
Taking the bus or other public transportation is often a very thrifty strategy. Many employers and colleges offer discounted transit passes that can help lower your costs. In a large city, the cost of daily parking can run up very quickly. And don't forget gas and wear and tear on your car. The IRS deduction rate per mile for 2010 is 50 cents. Use that to calculate your commuting cost. Daily mileage times 50 cents per mile, plus the cost of parking. Does that number surprise you? Maybe it's time to look at other options...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Thrifty Strategy- Taking the bus
Part One: Long-distance bus riding
Several years ago, I remember some friends taking the Greyhound from Madison to Minneapolis for the weekend. They had quite interesting stories about the "interesting" people and situations they went through during the trip. I took the Better Bus from Madison to Minneapolis for spring break once, and it was great. They have snacks and play movies onboard. I also used Badger Bus quite often to get from Madison to Milwaukee and back again (and in looking at their site I see that they now offer weekend service from Milwaukee and Madison to LaCrosse and the Twin Cities, very cool).
In the past couple years, I have seen the Megabus on I-94 between Milwaukee and Minneapolis and have wondered what it's like. A friend I used to work with took it once and said it was nice. Then I saw a reprinted article from the New York Times today about the resurgence of long-distance express busses. The Humble Bus Takes Off Sounds like it's the way to go!
Have any bus stories to share?
Coming tomorrow will be part two- local busses/mass transit
Several years ago, I remember some friends taking the Greyhound from Madison to Minneapolis for the weekend. They had quite interesting stories about the "interesting" people and situations they went through during the trip. I took the Better Bus from Madison to Minneapolis for spring break once, and it was great. They have snacks and play movies onboard. I also used Badger Bus quite often to get from Madison to Milwaukee and back again (and in looking at their site I see that they now offer weekend service from Milwaukee and Madison to LaCrosse and the Twin Cities, very cool).
In the past couple years, I have seen the Megabus on I-94 between Milwaukee and Minneapolis and have wondered what it's like. A friend I used to work with took it once and said it was nice. Then I saw a reprinted article from the New York Times today about the resurgence of long-distance express busses. The Humble Bus Takes Off Sounds like it's the way to go!
Have any bus stories to share?
Coming tomorrow will be part two- local busses/mass transit
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