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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Low Cost Things to Do This Summer
One of my dreams has always been to live close to the ocean so I could go to the beach whenever I felt like it. When I was a child I used to pretend just that. The concrete section of the backyard was the sand and the grass, the ocean. I’d sit there all day, reading, and then occasionally I’d venture into the water for an imaginary swim. While I still haven’t made my dream a reality, it does prove that with a little imagination, there are lots of low cost ways to enjoy the summer. What’s in your Neighborhood? Have gas prices and the high cost of airfares made…
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No Cook Meals For the Budget Savvy
Whether you’ve been out to work all day, or just had a lazy day at the beach, cooking dinner on a hot summer day is sometimes the last thing you want to do. Here are some no cook meal recipes and suggestions for items to keep on hand for an impromptu meal. Cold Soup I know some people can’t accept the idea that soup can be served cold, but to those people I say, you’re missing out on a quick and easy summer meal. Many years ago I found a great recipe for gazpacho and since then I’ve been experimenting with it and here’s my version of the classic soup.…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Staying Cool
The temperature’s rising and so is the cost of cooling your home. This week I’ve read some interesting and humorous articles about ways people are keeping cool without turning on the air conditioner. Some of them could actually work, but here are some other ideas for staying cool. Keeping Cool in Your Car I’ve always wondered if it’s true that turning the air conditioning on in your car actually uses less gas than rolling down the windows. Last week, I turned on the TV and a local news station asked the same question. They had a couple of car experts run tests and here’s what they found. When you’re driving…
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Staying Cool in the Kitchen
I love to cook, but on hot summer days, even I’m tempted to head to the nearest restaurant. However, there are ways to stay cool and enjoy a great meal in your own home. And best of all, trying to stay cool often means saving money too. Select Your Appliances One easy way to keep the heat out of the kitchen and house is to use an outside grill. The only problem is if it’s that hot and sticky outside, do you really want to head out there and stand by a hot grill? A couple of years ago, I invested in a tabletop style electric grill. It doesn’t take…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Getting Organized
One way to quickly lose money is to be disorganized. You forget where you place items and then you rush out to buy a new one, only to find the original item a few days later. And jumbled closets with clothes that you buy, but they never get worn. Bills that get hidden and don’t get paid and yes, you get stuck with the late fees. The list goes on. Getting organized always seems to find its way to my New Year’s Resolution list every year. So what holds me back time after time? Not the hassle of getting organized, but the cost of all the stuff you need to…
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Making the Most of Summer Produce
One of the things I love most about summer is that there are so many fruits and vegetables to choose from. And best of all, you get to eat some that aren’t available all year round. While produce isn’t as cheap as it once was, now’s still a great time to make the most of what summer has to offer. But It’s Hot Outside It’s often unbearable to think about hot foods when it’s 90 degrees outside, but summer is the best time to start planning ahead. One chore I have on my do to list every summer is to make soup and freeze it ready for fall and winter…
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Making Salads Super
When the thermometer rises, you not only need to get in and out of the kitchen ASAP, but you want to eat something light too. I can’t think of a better meal than a salad to meet these two needs. An Everyday Salad Whether it’s summer or winter, one thing I like to keep in the fridge is my own mini salad bar. Just a few items like romaine lettuce or field greens, shredded carrots, chopped cucumber and tomatoes. I’ll usually combine the lettuce and carrots together in a large serving bowl, but I’ll wait to wash and cut the cucumber and tomatoes until a few hours before I serve…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to Saving Time
If there’s one saying that could be the mantra for Budget Smart Girls, it’s ‘time is money’. How often do you waste time looking for lost items and/or backtracking when you run errands? Do you ever think about all the time you waste…valuable time that you could be spending on leisure pursuits or better yet, making money? Here are some tricks I’ve found to shave off a few minutes or even hours during the day. Make a List For me, making a ‘must do’ and a ‘try to do’ list, every day is essential to keeping everything in my life running smoothly. Here are a couple of Web sites that…
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The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide To Easy Ways to Cut Your Budget
These days it seems like it’s not just us Budget Smart Girls who want to save some money. When the going gets tough here are some ways I’ve found to cut your budget. What Can You Eliminate?Sit down and look at your bills, bank and credit card statements. Do you have any expenses that aren’t really necessary? Things like the weekly pedicure, the two meals you had at the fancy restaurant, the daily latte at the coffee shop? Circle anything that isn’t essential in your life. Added Services Most things that fit into the non-essential category include added services, things like cable TV, text messaging on your cell phone. Do…
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Don’t Leave Home Without It
Remember the old American Express commercial with the tagline, ‘don’t leave home without it’? Great advice, but the thing I never leave home without isn’t my credit card, it’s my grocery list. In fact, I’m adamant about not even entering a supermarket unless I have my list with me. If you’re currently trying to cut your grocery budget, a list is a must. I try my best to stick to mine, and am proud to say only one or two items not on my list ever find their way into my cart. I’ve gone so far as to create a master grocery list that’s stored on my computer. Each time…