Santa Barbara on a Shoestring

Back from Australia and ready to post again

2011-11-29T10:57:00.001-08:00

Three weeks ago, I moved back from Australia with a completely different outlook. While I was gone, America experienced the Global Financial Crisis and frugality became a necessity rather than a hobby for many people. Families have moved from two incomes to one and from two cars to one. Stores have shut down and shops are stocking fewer items. Some of the biggest changes are:

1. Thrift stores are not necessarily where you will get the best deals.
2. People are unloading amazing luxuries at garage sales.
3. Nordstrom and Macys sometimes have better prices than Costco on clothes.
4. Since gas is more expensive, it sometimes makes more sense to do all of your shopping in a localized area instead of driving to Ventura to a 99 cent store.
5. Clothing seems to all be black, grey, tan, or white. Where did the color go?
6. Freecycle seems to be the place where people dump broken and bashed items now.
7. Gardening for food is now a community activity.
8. Packaged foods are sold for far less than home made in most cases.
9. Restaurant prices seem to have gotten lower.
10. Santa Barbara is now more affordable than ever, thanks to lower housing costs, close proximity to everything, and shops with lower prices.

In the next few blog posts, I'll start covering each of these areas in detail, along with giving you some great ideas of how to take advantage of the best values in Santa Barbara.

Ebook selling business: Has the bottom fallen out?

2009-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

As I wait to have my baby - any day now, I'm thinking of ways to make a few additional dollars to help pay for diapers, baby clothes and all of the other baby items that it takes to start a new family - not to mention the cost of college education. After spending several hours of free time (probably the last free time that I will have for the next 18 years), I've decided the following businesses have little if no potential now.

1. Ebook store. There are plenty of websites out there that sell the same ebooks. The market is flooded with bad ebooks that give the industry a bad name. Most of them seem to be written by people who have a 4th grade education. They are full of typos and incomplete thoughts. Over the past few years, I was lured by the promises of wealth and free reselling rights for purchasing these ebooks, and found that after spending $50 to $100, I've only made $10 or $15 on my investment.

2. Write and publish my own book. This is a time intensive process. In addition to research, writing, editing, and finding markets for the book, there are the hard costs of printing and promoting the book. I self-published an ebook and marketed it through Amazon.com for use on the Kindle ebook reader. After spending $40 for my ISBN and hundreds of hours writing the book, I've only made back around $50 - over 2 years.

3. Writing for magazines. This isn't a bad deal, but it is still hit and miss on the income stream. The best deal that I've gotten was back in 1997 when I wrote a two sentence suggestion to Better Homes and Gardens (25 words) and was paid $2 per word. With the current economic crisis, many publishers are going out of business, but before they do, they eliminate any extra costs, including freelancers. This is happening throughout Santa Barbara.

4. Photography for magazines/newspapers. I have won awards with my photography, so this isn't too bad a deal. However, the trick is to keep updating the camera equipment. When I started promoting digital photography, a 2MP camera was the standard. Now, most publishers will not accept less than a 12MP photo. The new equipment can be very expensive. I stay away from stock photography sites, because nowadays, there is so much competition that publishers can by cover photos for under $10. Compare this to the good old days when that same cover photo could go for $2,000.

After all of this searching, there seems to be only 2 areas of low investment and high profitability that I've found to be tried and true that are almost turnkey businesses: Ebay and selling handmade jewelry in the local Santa Barbara high-end boutiques. I hope this helps my readers save some money as you start looking for additional income streams in these challenging economic times.

Switching to a Mac

2009-07-03T16:02:00.001-07:00

In late April, I switched from being a lifelong PC user to being a Mac user so that I could be more efficient for my day job. Mac computers are very easy to use, and in many ways they are far superior to any Windows based system.

1. The start up menu pops up within 15 seconds. This is a lifesaver when I'm on a deadline.

2. Most of the software that comes with a Mac is software that I actually need. New Macs come with a program called I Life which offers photo software, basic text software, video software, and Itunes. The only program that the computer came with that I don't use is Garage Band. I suppose I would use it if I was a music composer, but at this point, it is just wasted space.

3. For under $100, I was able to purchase IWork - a program that is very similar to Microsoft Office. It includes a spreadsheet program, a more sophisticated word processing program, and a presentation program. I can create a document using these programs and then export it to a PDF, Word, or Excel document.

4. No more worries about computer viruses! No more updates to my antivirus software, because hackers just don't bother creating viruses for Macs.

My favorite new addition to the computer is the video camera and built in microphone. With this, I am able to talk with my family who are thousands of miles away. I'm going to have a baby any day now, and hope to bring the mac to the hospital with me so that I can do a Skype video call and introduce my new baby to all of my friends and family. More on Skype in a later post.

The main drawback about the Mac vs. the PC is that all of the money that I've spent over the years on Windows based software is now in the trash can. I invested in hundreds of ebooks that I can't open unless I purchase an add on like Windows Vista for the Mac. Also, the Microsoft Office suite that I purchased a couple of years ago will not work, so if I ever want to use a true MS Office app, I'm out of luck. Probably the most annoying thing about the Mac is that the touchpad does not offer two mouse buttons, and the computer doesn't include a mouse. I've invested in a new mouse this week, to bring the functionality back.

Macs are more expensive than PCs. Nowadays, you can get a decent PC for under $500, but to get a decent Mac, plan on spending $2,000. Normally, I would not suggest investing such a large amount of money on a computer, but after my experiences with Mac, I'll never go back to a PC for work. I know people who have had Macs for 10 years, and they say that their computers are just as fast today as they were when they purchased them. I have never heard the same praise for PCs.

What is your experience with Macs vs. PCs?

Money from books

2009-04-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

For several years, I've purchased used books from garage, estate, and library sales for a dollar or less. After reading them, rather than allowing them to collect dust or clutter the house, I sell them on Ebay, Half.com, Amazon.com or through my own garage sale. For the books that don't sell, I would send them back to the library as a donation and take the tax deduction at the end of the year. This worked well, but I found that my book collection was building up in boxes while the books were waiting for new owners. At Ebay, Half.com, and Amazon.com, I would need to wait until someone contacted me to buy the books.

Last week, I found a new site called http://www.cash4books.net/. It is as easy to use as Amazon.com and Ebay. Simply register for free, enter the ISBN (number found on the back of the book), and see if there is a buyer for the book. If there is, you will see how much the company is willing to pay. Just affix the free postage label and pop it in the mail. I made $23 in around 25 minutes by sorting through all of my books. They will not take all of your books. In 7 out of 8 cases, my books were too old to take, but the process was so easy I was able to enter in over 100 ISBNs within 25 minutes to see the ones that they would take.

On all of these sites, your books should be in good condition so while reading them, do not fold over pages or overtax the spine of the books.

Local Property Management companies

2009-04-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

This week, I contacted several property management companies about renting out my 2 bedroom 2 1/2 bath townhome. Their listing fees and services fluctuated dramatically.

The least expensive property manager charged 6% per month of the rental charges, but he was a crotchedy old guy who was trying to drive the rental price down dramatically. With his negativity on the phone I could just imagine how he would be with prospective renters, so I declined his services. I'll leave his name off this list to avoid any liabilities.

We also contacted Sierra Property Management. They took a look at the place and said that they would charge 10% and recommended that we reduce the price for a quick rental.

The best deal that we found was with Town 'N Country Property Management. They charge a 7% fee. They are a full service firm that will manage all maintenance, finances, and screen candidates for the monthly fee. The person that I dealt with was amazingly friendly and competent and she spend a full hour with us touring the property. She said that what we were asking for was fair for the property. Since we aren't in a huge rush to rent it out, we are starting at the full price, and if it doesn't rent out by the time the baby comes, (we need more room) we'll drop the price.

This exercise drives home the point that any time you search for a service or a commodity, be sure to get 3 quotes and then follow your gut. The least expensive option is not always the best one, but neither is the most expensive option.

This weeks Ad Circulars

2009-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

If you like meat, this is the grocery week for you. The stores realize that you will be having guests over this holiday weekend, and have chosen large cuts of meat so that you can feed your extended family. If you are only feeding your immediate family, buy these meats anyway. You will be able to eat for a week - as Julia Child said, "Feasting on Remains."

Albertsons

American Leg of Lamb, $3.99lb.
Cook this whole covered in rosemary harvested from your yard or 'borrow' some from your walk anywhere. It practically grows wild. Add mustard, salt and pepper and roast. With the leftovers, you can make a delicious curry.

Strawberries - 99 cents per pound. (strawberry shortcake or angel food cake for your guests?)

Split chicken breasts - 99 cents per pound. Stock up.

Nabisco crackers - buy one get one free.

Philadelphia cream cheese, 10 for $10 (how about strawberry cheesecake?)

Ralphs

Beef Rib Roast (prime rib dinner) - $3.47 lb.

Farmer John Full Ham (ham for Easter, ham and eggs for the following breakfasts, and use the bone for split pea soup.) 77 cents per pound

Green Beans - 88 cents per pound

Onions - 2 lbs. for $1

Radio Shack
In Sunday's circular I noticed a small ad about their trade in program for used electronics. I piled old digital cameras and a laptop into my car and drove to the local store. Even though the items worked, 2 out of three of them were too old so they wouldn't take them. On the third item - a 7 megapixel camera, they would be happy to take it for $17. This was a $125 camera last year and it still works well. I decided to pass on the deals. I compared selling these items on Ebay and found that I could get 300% to 400% more for the camera and that I could easily sell the items that Radio Shack turned away. Recommendation? Skip the trip to Radio Shack until you are ready to purchase items. Post your items on Ebay and then upgrade your electronics with your earnings.

Happy Easter everyone!

Grocery circular savings this week

2009-04-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here are my favorite sales this week. For the most savings on the grocery bill, visit all three stores.

Ralphs

Ralphs Gallon Milk - $1.99
Large Haas Avocados - 68 cents each
Roma tomatoes - 88 cents per pound
Boneless chuck steak or roast - $2.99lb.
Celery - 99 cents each
Ralphs frozen vegetables - 89 cents for 14 to 16 oz packages
Philadelphia brick cream cheese - 10 for $10

Vons

Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail drink - $1.99
Lucerne butter - 99 cents for 16oz with coupon
Life or Cap'n Crunch - 99 cents with coupon
Foster Farms whole chicken - 77 cents per pound
80% lean ground beef - $1.67lb.
Boneless pork sirloin chops - $1.77lb.
Cross Rib Roast - $1.97 lb.
Broccoli - 88 cents per pound
3 lb. apple bags - $1.99 each

Albertsons

Pork spareribs 99 cents per pound
Lobster tails - $3.99 each
Large mangos 3 for 99 cents
Mini seedless watermelon - $1.99 each
Kiwi - 3 for 99 cents
Texas grapefruit - 69 cents each

Fun Pregnancy website

2009-03-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today, I stumbled on http://www.whattoexpect.com/. This site is from the folks who write the series, What to expect when you are expecting and What to expect in the first year. The books are so trusted that my OB/GYN and insurance company sent me free copies as a congratulations gift. On the website, there is a great pregnancy ticker. It looks like this.

Get your free online pregnancy calendar from WhatToExpect.com

As you can see, I'm 26 weeks, 1 day along and have 97 days until the due date. It can be customized for whether you are having a boy or girl, or whether you don't know yet. Besides the cute bells and whistles, there are plenty of blogs, articles, and coupons to make this website a first stop when I need to choose a baby name, have concerns about new symptoms, or just want to daydream about when I get to hold the new delivery in my arms. If you know someone who is pregnant, be sure to share this website with them.

This week's grocery circulars

2009-03-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

This week, the big 3 supermarkets have good promotions. Here are my favorites:

VONS

The Mix and Match sale is back. Pick up a circular in their store. Groups of items are arranged by price point. If you prchase 10 of these items, you will receive an instant $5 off.

Albertsons

Whole Chicken: 69 cents per pound
Wish Bone Salad Dressing: $1.29 each
Jazz Apples: 99 cents per pound
Iceberg lettuce: 2 for $1
Hot house tomatoes: 99 cents per pound
Large navel oranges: 39 cents per pound
Green seedless grapes: 79 cents per pound

Ralphs

Boneless Pork Loin: $1.99 lb.
Strawberries: 99 cents per pound
Life cereal: 4 for $4
Boneless rump roast: $2.99 lb.
Fresh Express garden salad or slaws: 99 cents per pound
Green onions and radishes: 2 for $1
Brown onions 2 for $1
Van de Kamp's English Muffins: 99 cents per pound
Farmer John skinless pork links: 99 cents per pound
Roma tomatoes: 99 cents per pound

Grocery and Home Improvement this week

2009-03-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

This is a very exciting week for frugal grocery shoppers. All stores have something to offer. Here are my favorite specials.

Ralphs:

Fresh Split Foster Farms Chicken Breasts: .97 per lb.
Russet Potatoes, 5lb. bag: .97 per lb.
Beef Cross Rib or Rump Roast: $1.97 per lb.
Green Asparagus: .97 per lb.
Cottonelle and Viva bath tissue and towels: $5.99 12 double rolls and 8 rolls respectively
Dannon and horizon yogurt: 10 for $5
Nabisco crackers: 2 for $4

VONS:
There is an interesting mix and match special that can save you plenty of money. It is a bit convoluted for my taste, and easy to mess up, so be sure to pick up the circular from the store to see the specials. If you do, you will save 35 to 50% on the items. In addition, here are some great specials:

Fugi and Gala apples: .68 lb.
Lucerne yogurt: .40 each if you buy ten
Daffodils: 2 bunches for $3

Albertsons:

Raw lobster tails: $3.99 each - time for that lobster dinner!
Cantaloupe: .25 per lb.
Nectarines: .69 per lb. today only
Softsoap: .89 each today only
Eggo Waffles: 3 for $4.98
Beer, wine and spirits sale: 30% off this week for many brands
Cucumbers: .79 each

The Home Depot:

Through 3/22 - 4 inch annuals only 3 for $1, limit 60 - I've never seen such a low price on these. If you are a fan of big splashes of color that only last a few months, stock up on these. For the more practical, frugal shoppers, it is worth the expense to purchase perennials which are always more expensive, but will give you color year after year.

Gallon staked pink jasmine - $3.88 - you can't beat the fragrance of these little pink flowers.

2 cubic ft. bark nuggets - $1.88 - great for mulching around your new annuals. Only through 3/22.

In a previous email, I mentioned several computer deals, but after visiting the stores, decided that it would be better to wait than to purchase these now.

Sunday paper circular bargains

2009-03-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back from an amazing Australia vacation (that ended up being free after tax refunds and the stimulus package), I'm excited to report on the latest sales in the Santa Barbara News Press.

CVS:
Colgate toothpaste is free with the extra bucks using the CVS card.
Irish Spring body wash is also free with the extra bucks using the CVS card.
Fig Newtons and Lorna Doons - 5 for $5
Ajax liquid detergent - 99 cents with card

Walgreens:
Altoids - 2 for $2
Sun-Maid Raisins 18 oz - $1.99 with coupon
Royal Gelatin - 5 for $1 with coupon
Dinty Moore beef stew - 2 for $3
1 lb. epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide - 2 for $1 with coupon
Palmolive dish liquid - 99 cents with coupon
6 big rolls of Charmin - $3.49 with coupon
Kleenex - 89 cents with coupon

Longs:
1 dozen eggs for 2 for $3 Thursday through Saturday
C&H Sugar 2 for $5
Pillsbury all purpose flour - 2 for $4
Ajax dish liquid - 99 cents

There are several good values on laptop computers right now at Staples, Office Max and Radio Shack that I'm going to check out and report on soon since my laptop is on its last legs. Upcoming blogs will also report on Australia vs. US health care system, good travel buys and more. Stay tuned.

Return of the Ant Invasion!

2009-02-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

During the latest bout of storms, our home was invaded by ants - at least 200 of them all over the floor. Our faithful cat, Pywacket, marched upstairs to wake me up with a light paw to my ankle and a small meow (more like a mmmm) at 5:30am. I came downstairs to see what she wanted and saw lines of black along our tan tiles.

Since I'm a little over 5 months pregnant, I'm a bit leery about using pesticides or heavy duty chemicals around the house. That eliminated Raid and the super effective ant killers. I'd heard somewhere that everyday household cleaners work just as well as bug spray to kill ants so I tried it. First, I zapped a line of ants with a can of Lysol and a handful of paper towels...on my hands and knees....yep...it worked, but the smell of Lysol got to me. Next, I grabbed the Swiffer wet and started sweeping up the ants. Aha! perfect solution. The ants were killed and cleaned up at the same time.

Swiffer wet is not normally on a frugal list of grocery supplies, but in my case, it is a lifesaver. Having a pet around ensures that we need to mop the floor almost every day, and using Pine Sol or other floor cleaners is out of the question due to toxicity. Swiffer got a bad reputation a few years ago about killing pets, but through extensive testing, the rep was unfounded - unless your pets are of the 6 legged kind.

Grocery Store Deals Have Returned!

2009-02-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I've been dreading going to the grocery store lately. There just haven't been any good deals over the past month, so I ended up doing most of my shopping at the 99 cent store. However, today, all of that is changing. My mailbox was overflowing with good grocery bargains, so whether I shop at Ralphs, Albertson's or Von's there are good deals to be had. Here are my picks of the week.

Ralphs:

Green asparagus - 99 cents per pound
Atlantic salmon fillet - $3.99 lb.
Ripe tomatoes on the vine - $1.88 lb.
Grilling shrimp - $4.99 lb.
Iceberg lettuce - 99 cents per pound
Cottonelle bath tissue 99 cents
Kleenex 99 cents

Albertson's:

Split chicken breasts 99 cents per pound
Atlantic salmon $3.99 per pound
20 for $10: Albertson's canned tomatoes, Campbell's soups, Albertson's packaged seasonings
Starkist chunk light tuna: 69 cents per can
Red grapefruit: 69 cents each
Italian or yellow squash: 99 cents per pound

Von's:
They have a $10 coupon on the circular to use if you spend over $50.

48 hour sale on Saturday and Sunday:
Lucerne large eggs - 97 cents per dozen
Campbell's select soups - 88 cents per can
Blueberries - 18 oz. for $2.88

Regular sales:
Chicken breast halves - 97 cents per lb.
Green Asparagus - 97 cents per lb.
Russet potatoes - $1.97 for a 10lb. bag
Lucerne butter - 99 cents for a lb. with coupon
Raisin Bran - 99 cents for a box with coupon

The following produce is $1
Broccoli, Cauliflower, navel oranges, 3 lbs. of onions in a bag, iceberg lettuce, zucchini or yellow squash, eggplant, baby peeled carrots

This week's Grocery Store Deals

2009-01-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

This week, there is a money saving crop of great grocery store deals - much better than the holiday sales.

Vons

Foster Farms fresh whole chicken fryer - $0.77 per pound
Rancher's Reserve Boneless Beef Pot Roast - $1.99 per pound
Boneless Pork Sirloin Chops - $1.77 per pound
Pork Loin Back Ribs - $1.97 per pound
Yoplait 10 for $5
Grapefruit 3 for $1
Apples - 3lb bag for $1.49 with a coupon
Dennison's Chili 10 for $10

Albertson's

Fresh Peaches $0.99 lb
Blueberries $0.99 for 6 oz with coupon
Green Bell peppers 2 for $1

Ralph's

Boneless Chuck Roast $1.99 lb.
Cornish Game Hens $0.99 lb.
Cantaloupes 3 lbs. for $1
Iceberg Lettuce 2 for $1
Roma tomatoes 2 for $3
Carrots 2 lb. packages for $1

Sunday Circular Sales

2009-01-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today, there is a new crop of worthwhile sales listed in the Sunday paper.

Michaels - 40% off coupon. Many items are 50% off and the Christmas items are up to 80% off.

Von's - Yoplait yogurt - 10 for $5

Walgreen's - Puff's tissues, $.89; Progresso soup, 4 for $5; Deerfield Farms dried fruit, $1; Ajax cleanser, 3 for $1; Wax paper and Reynolds aluminum foil, $.99

Long's Drugs - They are having a good Thursday through Sunday sale this week. Normally, I don't like these sales, because I often accidentally shop on an off-sale day and end up paying full price. However, It is time to stock up on the following items that will be offered at 12 for $10.
Stove Top Stuffing, Lindsay olives, walnut grove whole peeled tomatoes, S&W beans, Anderson's split pea soup, Duncan Hines cake mixes.

Rite Aid - Free with rebate items...Gotta love them. Garnier Fructis Shampoo, conditioner or stylers, SoyJoy nutrition bar.

Victory Garden - Veggies

2009-01-03T08:20:00.001-08:00

When we first purchased our townhouse with its 200 square foot backyard I had visions of starting my own victory garden full of vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees. I thought that we could preserve the surplus and enjoy nature’s bounty for much less than what we were paying at the grocery store. How wrong I was! While gardening has many benefits, saving money is not one of them. After spending money on amending the soil, plants and seeds themselves, fertilizing, and water, every tomato, squash, and bean became more expensive than the organic asparagus in Lazy Acres!

Now that the economy has shifted a bit, I am rethinking my decision. Certain plants do make some sense. Herbs that come back every year like oregano, basil, and rosemary do very well in our Mediterranean climate. Grapevines are a beautiful addition and only cost $3.99 for two plants. I use the young leaves that I remove for stuffed grape leaves and the culled vines for wreaths. Tomatoes and berry bushes are the best homegrown value, since they are so expensive in Santa Barbara. I have replaced my annual plant borders that took so much water with attractive herbs, citrus trees, and vegetables and hope for the best.

How to thrive and have fun in this economy.

2009-01-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you too! To make the most of the year, I have a few pieces of advice.

If we are in a depression, go against the grain.

1. When people are panicking and selling - BUY - That goes for homes and stocks.

2. Use up what you already have and own before you buy new things - they will be cheaper the longer you wait.

3. Turn off the news, cancel the newspaper, and get rid of any financial subscriptions that you have. They are full of bad advice.

4. Spend time with family - the best and cheapest way to spend time.

5. Enjoy the downturn in the economy. It is now hip to be frugal. No need to buy the latest and greatest things. Even Bloomingdales is going back to their brown paper bag.

6. If you are married and have a 2 wage earning household and one of you loses your job because of the economy, why not try living on one wage for a while. In the meantime, the non-working person can fix up the house, make gourmet meals, go back to school to get a better job, take care of the kids, etc. There will never be a better time to live on one wage, because costs are dropping for everything right now.

7. Plant that vegetable garden in your backyard or on your apartment patio. Tomatoes, radishes, fancy lettuces, and beans grow well on patios.

8. Besides the veggie garden, get rid of all water hogging shrubbery. There are plenty of succulents that thrive without ever needing water from a hose.

9. Only buy new items for the things that would make you squeemish if you were to buy used - underwear, bras, swimsuits, workout wear, and things that baby's pee on.

10. Embrace the savings game. Coupons are back in style.

Happy 2009! Grocery circulars for this week

2008-12-31T05:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009 to all of my fellow frugal friends. In yesterday's mail, we received the Ralph's and Albertson's grocery circulars for the week. The sales start today and go through next Tuesday. The best buys are on:

Ralph's:

Foster Farms Chicken - 50% off
Baby back ribs - $2.97
Heirloom tomatoes - 2 lbs. for $5 - normally not a good deal, but considering we are in the deepest, darkest part of winter, these can be a treat.
Dennison's, Hormel, and Stagg chili - 10 cans for $10 - great quick meal suggestion - Chili Pie. Grab a snack size bag of Frito's, pour some heated chili on the Frito's and top with shredded cheese. Yum!
The best sales are in the produce aisle. Broccoli crowns, cauliflower, italian and yellow squash, baby peeled carrots, green bell peppers, sweet red onions, and Fresh Express Garden Salads are all 10 for $10.
Boneless pork loin, $2.99lb. Buy a package that is already presliced for delicious pork chop recipes. Freeze what you don't need in family size portions in ziplock bags to reduce your leftovers.
Yoplait Yogurt, 20 for $10 - these have been much more expensive, even on sale for the past several months.

Albertson's
To finish off your shopping list, visit Albertson's for a few good specials. There is a two day sale going on starting today. Pick up your new year's eve and day treats here, because they are on sale.

Snow crab clusters, $3.99 lb.
King crab legs, $9.99 lb.
Lobster tails, $4.99 each
Potatoes, $1.99 for 10 lb bag

Use coupons for:

Avocados, 2 for $1
Mission tortilla chips, $1.79 a bag
Ruffles and Doritos 2 for $3
Domaine Chandon champagne, Jose Cuervo Tequila Especial are both $9.99
Heineken, $9.99 for 12 bottles

My Husband's 10 Commandments of Saving Money

2008-12-30T06:03:00.000-08:00

My husband also has his Ten Commandments of saving money.

1. Take your shoes off at the front door to save in carpet cleaning costs.

2. Buy quality – it lasts longer – in clothes, shoes, etc.

3. Invest in items that appreciate in value such as your home, antiquities, art, stock and other financial vehicles. Do not overspend on items that depreciate like cars, furniture, and housewares.

4. If you work in a profession that can make your clothes dirty, wear work clothes that are durable and cheap.

5. Go to brunches instead of dinners. The champagne is normally included and the meals are less expensive. Besides, you have all day to digest the food and you don’t end up sleeping on a full stomach.

6. Don’t go to Costco by yourself. You need someone to go with you to talk you out of the 25 pounds of flour and the lifetime supply of yeast.

7. Learn how to "do it yourself" by watching the Food Network, DIY, and Discovery Channels.

8. Buy the book instead of going to see the movie at the theater. The entertainment lasts longer.

9. For movie night, borrow it from the library or rent it from Blockbuster video. Microwave the popcorn.

10. If the wife buys something he doesn’t like, put it in the closet and don’t complain. This saves in future legal fees!

Mom's 10 Commandments of Shopping

2008-12-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

My mother, the savviest shopper that I know, shared her Ten Commandments of shopping with me. They all seem to be true in Santa Barbara.

1. The price of a product or service is not always an indicator of quality.

2. If it sounds too good to be true, do more research. Sometimes there really are great bargains out there!

3. The zip code of the service will reflect in the price of that service. If you shop in Montecito, you will pay more than if you shop in Santa Barbara, even at garage sales.

4. Everything goes on sale eventually. You just need to know where and when to look.

5. The back of the store is usually where the bargains are, except in January when they move the sales to the front of the store.

6. There is always a less expensive way to get a service. Choices include to ‘do it yourself,’ go to an apprentice, or go for the splurge.

7. Sometimes it makes sense to spend the extra money. Get the $100 haircut when you want a new style, but go to Fantastic Sam’s for the $17 haircut to maintain your style.

8. You will always spend more for spa services if you purchase them at a resort or on a cruise ship. My most expensive pedicure was on Cunard’s QE2, on a transatlantic voyage. For $50, the salon ‘expert’ removed my polish, washed my feet, cut my nails, and added 3 layers of polish. No massage, no small talk. To make matters worse, the nail polish never dried, and smeared 5 hours after the service. I had to pay an additional $50 for a redo. The best pedicure was at a salon called Artistic Nails in the Calle Real Shopping Center. For $25, I sat in a heated massage chair, while the salon ‘expert’ washed my feet, exfoliated, clipped my nails and cuticles, gave my legs a 10 minute massage, and then added 3 coats of polish. She even gave me a pair of flip flops so that I wouldn’t smear the polish.

9. The fewer things you own, the larger your home feels, so have garage sales and donate items you are not using.

10. Don’t skimp if it makes you feel like a martyr.

After Christmas Sales - Sunday Circular

2008-12-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I think that the pre-Christmas sales were all hype and no substance compared to last year. In 2007, we were able to take advantage of an abundance of "Free with Rebate" offers and true doorbuster specials. This year, the offering was mediocre at best. Besides the closing of Circuit City, there were no major deals to be had. No wonder the stores are struggling.

Now, we have the Sunday circulars in the Santa Barbara News Press. Anything worth getting dressed for?

K-Mart - $6 stability balls - great for the New Year's resolutions. In the local sports stores, these are often $29.99.

P&G Brand Saver - great coupons for every day needs. You'll pay for your paper after clipping a couple of these and going to Ralphs to take advantage of double coupons.

Michaels - 50% off coupon for one item. By the way, visit their website at www.michaels.com and register. You will receive these coupons via email, so if you are a crafting junkie like me, you can get double the savings almost every week. If you pay full price at this store, you are a sucker. I'm currently knitting an afgan and rather than buying all the yarn at the same time, I've been buying only one color at a time and using the coupons.

Longs Drugs: Domaine Chandon Brut Champagne - $11.99 - best sparkling for the price, only on sale this Sun through Thurs. Tide detergent $5.49 after rebate - plus use a 35 cent coupon from this week's paper for more savings.

Office Max: They are offering the free software bundles with Turbo Tax software. If you need antivirus software or a dozen new software titles to go with your new computer, go ahead and buy the tax software and fill out the rebate cards. Since we use an accountant, I normally buy the software and collect on the rebates and then sell the software that I don't use on ebay - making a profit in the process.

That's all for now.

Turkey Picking

2008-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Now that Thanksgiving has been over for a few days, the turkey in your refrigerator probably resembles something you should leave for the buzzards to finish off. You've had your fill of turkey sandwiches, turkey tetrizzini, and all the other turkey leftover recipes that are in the women's magazines. Don't throw the bird out yet, because it still has some 'life' left in it.

Turkey Stock:

Turkey Carcass, well picked of the best parts of meat, but leaving the wings, back meat, and everything you couldn't easily get at - you know, the pieces that have gristle attached, or the ones that just won't separate from the bird. Break the carcass down until it fits in the largest soup pot that you own. Place any fat or juices that are left in your turkey pan into the soup pot.

All of your stuffing leftovers in the vegetable bin - onions, celery, carrots, minced garlic and any other vegetables that you can find. It is fine if the veggies are a bit wilted. Just clean them off and remove any spoiled pieces. Peel the onions of the outer skin, Peel the carrots of the part that sticks out of the ground, and throw these parts away. Quantities don't matter much here. Just use whatever veggie is around the house.

Place all ingredients in the soup pot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt or garlic (or onion) salt, 2 bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of your favorite herb. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Now, for the messy, but fun part. Grab a large bowl and a colander (the kind you strain spaghetti with) and place the colander over the bowl in the sink. Use tongs to remove the bones and place them in the colander to cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, come back and separate the meat from the bones. You will have enough meat from this exercise to use either in turkey soup or another leftover turkey recipe. Throw away the bones.

Next, pour the remaining contents of the soup pot into the colander. Throw all of the items in the colander away. The veggies have given up their flavor to the stock that is left inside the bowl.

If you have a fat separater, you can reduce the fat from the stock if you wish, or you can place all of the stock in the refrigerator and allow it to cool. The fat will separate on its own, and you can use a spoon to remove the fat when it is cool.

You are left with a beautiful stock that can be used in a variety of ways including as a base to soup, seasoning for veggies, or flavor for rice. Place in 1 to 2 cup containers and freeze or refrigerate until needed.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a great recipe for pumpkin bread. It is not too sweet - just right for breakfast.

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/2 + 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan and 1 muffin pan

Mix all dry ingredients except sugar together
Mix all wet ingredients plus sugar
Combine all ingredients

Pour into muffin pans and loaf pan - only 1/3 full each.

Enjoy!

Cook with your old Halloween Pumpkin

2008-11-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

Have you read the comments that a field pumpkin (the kind that you carve Jack O'Lanterns out of) is not good for cooking? It is true that the field pumpkin, unlike the sugar pumpkin tends to be a bit stringy. However, in most pumpkin recipes you cook and then process the pumpkin, effectively altering the texture to a smooth puree, so the initial texture does not matter. One rule of thumb for frugal decorators - use a non-toxic, water based pen to draw your jack 'o lantern design rather than cutting the pumpkin, so you can take advantage of the cooking later.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to remove your fall decorations and replace them with holiday decorations. Before you through out that pumpkin, why not make a tasty treat?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Use the largest, sharpest knife that you own and cut open the pumpkin.
Pull out all of the seeds and place them in a colander.
Pour running water over the seeds to remove the strings and slimy texture.
Place seeds in a ziplock bag with a generous amount of spices. If you prefer traditional spices, just add salt. If you like your seeds with a kick, add chili powder or Jamaican jerk seasoning.
Coat all seeds in the baggie.
Place the seeds on a cookie sheet covered in cooking spray in a single layer.
Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, flipping the seeds at 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Puree for all of your baking needs

Continue cutting pumpkin into small chunks - 3 to 4 inches around
Place a large steamer tray in your largest soup pot and fill the bottom with 2 inches of water
Place all pumpkin in the pot
Heat stove to medium and place the pumpkin on the stove
Cook until the pumpkin turns a darker color and the consistency is mushy
Remove Pumpkin from pot and cut off rinds
Place rindless pumpkin into food processor or blender and turn on.
Add water as necessary to turn the consistency into what looks like baby food
Place in 1 to 2 cup containers and freeze all pumpkin that you are not planning on using for a couple of days.

Tomorrow, I'll add some great recipes for your pumpkin puree. You've worked hard enough today, so take the rest of the day off.

More Black Friday Specials

2008-11-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today, the stores will be crowded, the parking lots will be packed, and the lines will be long. Is Black Friday shopping worth it? It depends. If you are one of the old fashioned shoppers who believe that you should buy electronics, toys or clothing for your loved ones, and you can stick to purchases that are listed in the Thanksgiving paper, you can't beat the deals. In the next few days, I'll veer off of the old-fashioned materialistic Christmas and into the new eco-friendly and more affordable Christmas. For now, here are the best deals.

Computers: Visit Office Max and Staples. They are offering laptops for under $500 and MS Office for under $70. You can't beat that....unless you are buying the laptop for playing video games. These models will be obsolete within a year or two, but they will run all the basic MS office tasks forever.

CVS and Rite Aid are offering many Free with Rebate deals. Shop early to pick these deals up.

Aaron Brothers and Michaels are offering coupons of between 25% off the total purchase and 50% off one item. These are great places to pick up all of your craft items if you are a do-it-yourselfer.

Old Navy is actually giving things away - MP3 players to be exact. Get their early, grab someting valued at least $20 and get in line. Good luck.

Best Buys on Electronics

2008-11-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

There is a great article on Yahoo right now about Black Friday specials on Electronics. Visit http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/170/10-best-bets-for-black-friday/ to learn more.

Also, Macy's is having a 60% to 90% off sale on their clearance clothing through today. There was a coupon in yesterday's Santa Barbara News Press.

If you are a crafter, I recommend that you sign up for the email newsletters from Michaels craft store. They are starting to send out some great coupons, and since it is far less expensive to manage an email list, they seem to be switching to email coupons from weekly newspaper circular coupons.

If you plan on doing your Thanksgiving day grocery shopping today, you will need to purchase a fresh turkey. There is no safe way to defrost a frozen turkey now. Be sure to take out the bag of giblets inside. Also, be prepared for long lines at the grocery store and in the parking lot. Vons is having a special - buy $25 worth of groceries and buy a turkey for $7.88. Even if you can't defrost it for Thanksgiving, you will be able to take advantage of all the inexpensive protien over the next few weeks.

Excellent Black Friday Spreadsheet

2008-11-25T10:15:00.001-08:00

My friend, Jennifer, suggested that my frugal friends visit: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/black-friday/877971/. On this page, you can download all of the latest Black Friday specials at all of the major department, drug, and discount stores. We don't have all of these stores in Santa Barbara, but it is well worth the visit to look at all of the specials. For my friends outside of Santa Barbara, you will find many of your hometown favorite stores in this database. The spreadsheet is organized by store, type of merchandise, discount, and price. It is awesome!

Long's Drugs After Thanksgiving sale

2008-11-25T05:24:00.000-08:00

Here is the first Black Friday circular to hit my mailbox. Longs Drugs has beat all of their competitors in getting the mail out. They open at 7am. It has been my experience that you don't need to get up that early to visit Long's on Black Friday. I've gotten there before noon, and they had plenty of Black Friday specials left. I don't see any earlybird specials either, so plan on visiting Longs on your way home.

Here are the best specials:

Electronics

Coby 7" digital photo frame: $39.99 with rebate
Maxx Portable Tripleplay DVD Player: $79.99 after rebate
Emerson 6 bottle wine cooler: $69.99 or save an additional $30 if you buy 6 bottles of Robert Mondavi Private selection wine. This drops the price to $39.99.
Nextar GPS: $89.99 after rebate
Hewlett Packard 3.5" Digital Brag Book with case: $39.99 after mail in rebate
Assorted kitchen electronics: chopper, toaster, iron, and mixer for $6.99
GE Cordless phone: $14.99

Beauty

Buy one get one free Bonny Bell Lip Smackers: I love these and stock up every year. Bring the coupon!
Cheap drugstore fragrances by Revlon and Coty: Buy one get one free with coupon
Free Gilette Fusion manual razor with rebate
Revlon beauty tools: Bogo with coupon
ITunes Gift Card: $5 off $25 card with coupon (I'm getting this for my niece)
If you have a cat or dog, be sure to put the 2 for $4 blankets in their stocking.

Photo Department

Photo Processing is only 12 cents each on line and in the store. You can clear off your memory cards of all your Than
GE A730 7 megapixel camera: $59.99 after rebateksgiving photos here for cheap!

I'll list more deals as they come in.

Pre Thanksgiving Bargains from Sunday Newspaper

2008-11-24T06:49:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, there were several great circulars. Black Friday has started early in some stores. Here is a sample of the savings:

Longs Drugs:

10 for 10 sale:

Kleenex - we are in cold and flu season so stock up.
Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Sacramento Tomato Juice
Del Monte Ketchup
Kid's Kitchen Microwaveable Meals

Eggs: $1.79

Christmas Holiday decor from 25% to 40% off

Rite Aid:
Popcorn Tins - $4.88 - Yum! Share the popcorn in the office and save the tin to store your ornaments after Christmas.

Altoids: 99 cents each

Free with rebate

Grounded power strip
Universal 3 device remote control

Walgreens:
Palmolive Dish Liquid: Buy one get one free

4 for $5

Campbell's Select Harvest soup
Hormel chili with beans
Healthy Choice Soup
Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Coupons:

Hunt's Tomatoes Sauce: 29 cents
Comet Cleanser: 59 cents

For any other shopping, I recommend waiting until Friday.

Santa Barbara on a Shoestring Introduction

2008-11-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Most people in Santa Barbara, whether they are homeowners or are just starting out on their own are living on a tight budget to make ends meet. Santa Barbara is one of the most expensive places in the world, and keeping up appearances is very important to our community.
I was born in Texas, where houses and food are comparatively cheap. When I was very young, my musician father and scientist mother had to be very creative to feed a family of four on $20 per week. They learned quite a bit from their Depression-era parents. My mother often served foods that were tasty but stretched the meat budget tremendously. She also made most of our clothes, and shopped the sales and clearance sections of the local stores to ensure that we were properly dressed.

My grandmothers both enjoyed shopping in several grocery stores to take advantage of the loss leaders, the foods that were being sold below the store’s cost to attract customers. For my mother and grandparents, these activities were for survival, As a 10-year-old child, these money saving strategies became a game for me.

After our family’s fortunes changed and my parents became comparatively well off, we had a large home, beautiful wardrobes, and took several exotic vacations a year. We truly lived as if everything was bigger and better in Texas. Regardless, it was my responsibility to earn money while I was in high school to help my family pay for some of my college expenses. By the time I was a freshman at Texas A&M, I had to revert to the lessons that I learned from my family as a child, and found that it was just as fun as a young adult to stretch my dollars as it was as a kid. The difference was that now, the money was more valuable to me because I earned it myself.
After earning a degree, I moved to Santa Barbara to marry my college sweetheart. His family also believed that it was important for their children to become self-sufficient, so we were on our own. Being at the beginning of our careers, money was tight, but we managed to pay off my student debt and save for a home. Now, over 15 years later, we are both in careers that we love. From the outside, people would say that we are living the high life. We have designer wardrobes, late model cars, original artwork on our walls by name artists; we travel around the world and we eat at fine restaurants every week. We’ve saved enough to retire in 10 years, and we have done all of this on middle income salaries. Most people would think that we make twice the amount of money that we actually do and our only debt is our mortgage.

I wrote this blog so that whether you are a student, a family living on one income or someone who wants to retire early, you will benefit from making simple adjustments to your lifestyle that are low-income but high-style. You too can save thousands of dollars per year but still live like high rollers in Santa Barbara.