Cara Davis

This Week in Frugal: Micro-Hotels, Fall Soup and Essential Reads

Photo by QuintanaRoo

• In order to adapt to the new bargainista way of life and lure budget travelers, hoteliers have adopted a trend from our friends across the pond: The micro-hotel. For just $100, here are two Manhattan hotspots.


• This chunky soup hits the spot for fall evenings when all you have in the pantry are cans of beans and tomatoes.


• A mini magnetic board: a frugal craft that’s perfect for school photos, business cards, or other small ephemera. And you can easily swap out the fabric to fit the season.


• Eleven essential books that have found a permanent place on Trent’s bookshelf.


• Is there such a thing as a “frugal spender”? Some reflections on frugality, saving and our spending habits.


• Party-planning tip for kids: use those cute little single-serving playdough tubs as anchors for signs at parties.

Running an Energy-Smart Home

Photo by MRBECK

Have you ever wondered about the cost of running your home? From your appliances to your heat pump and your air conditioning, the energy spent adds up to dollars on your monthly electric bill. For example, running a hair dryer costs approximately .09 an hour. A clock costs .14 a month to run. A pool or lawn pump costs a little more than .06 an hour. Here’s a breakdown of some costs in your home from Progress Energy and ways to trim your daily usage.


REFRIGERATORS
When you shop for new appliances, do you stop to think about the cost of running them in your home? When it comes to refrigerators, models that are larger or include auto-defrost cost significantly more to run than smaller or manual. Here’s a breakdown:

• Freezer (16 cu. ft. man. defrost): .30/ day
• Freezer (16 cu. ft. auto defrost): .37/ day

• Refrigerator/Freezer (18 cu. ft. auto defrost): .56/ day
• Refrigerator/Freezer (24 cu. ft. auto defrost): .77/ day

COOKING
When you cook, the appliances that you choose to use run the gamut in terms of energy usage. Here’s a comparison. Think smaller appliances for small jobs, like toaster oven for toasting and quick baking.

• Oven: .25/ hour
• Range-top burner: .09/ hour
• Toaster: .09/ hour
• Toaster oven: .04/ hour

COOLING
Most folks don’t realize how cheap it is to run their ceiling fans. Keeping these fans running will also keep your expense air conditioning circulating, meaning you won’t feel the need to run it as often.

• Central air conditioning: $2.80-$3.76 per day (1200-1600 sq. ft.)
• Room air unit: $1.46 per day (1 ton, 12,000 BTU)
• Ceiling or portable fans: ½ cent per hour

CLEANING
When it comes to doing the laundry, cold is best. Hot water can double the cost of each load. Dry your clothes just long enough to get the wrinkles out, then line dry indoors or out.

Washer
• hot water: .53/ load
• warm wash/cold rinse: .12/ load
• cold water: .04/ load

Dryer: .25/ load

The dishwasher costs .29 a load, and the iron and the vacuum .07/ hour.

The Best Frugal Cookie Recipe

Photo by splityarn

These days cookies and cupcakes have gone gourmet, and it’s not uncommon to shell out $1-2 (or more!) on one from a specialty shop. While those might be a sweet treat every once in a while, cookies made from scratch are still a delicious, economical way to enjoy sweets anytime. Cookies are easy to make, allowing toddlers and kids to help. And by steering clear of more expensive ingredients, like nuts, cookies will be kinder to your wallet than they are on your waistline.

One of my favorite cookie recipes of all time is the old-fashioned Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. These cookies are no-bake, saving time and energy, and they’re made with economical ingredients I always seem to have on-hand.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

½ c. milk
2 c. sugar
1 stick margarine
2 Tbsp. cocoa
3 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ or ½ c. peanut butter (the family recipe calls for ½ cup but I find that this is too much and it makes the cookies crumbly.)

Mix first four ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Let stand for several minutes. Drop as individual size cookies on wax paper.

This Week in Frugal: Denial, Caramel Apples and Birthday Specials

• Denial’s not just for addicts. Fiscal Fizzle has 15 Signs You’re in Financial Denial, plus steps to start taking toward financial health.


• Give what you can, without regrets. The Simple Dollar explores the attitude we should approach charity with.


• Wise Bread is now doing a series of podcasts called The Dealista hosted by
  Linsey Knerl and Lynn Truong. Check out the 50 Best Deal Sites post.


• If you have infants and toddlers, check out Frugal Dad’s post about how to minimize your expenses: including setting “gift boundaries.”


• With apples coming into season, try a new recipe like Betty Crocker’s Grilled Caramel Apples. Delightful!


• Looking for a simple way to make someone’s birthday special? Skip to my Lou has an idea.


• Bargain Babe has details about Hotel.com’s half off sale now through Oct. 15.

 

This Week in Frugal: The Nines, Cutting Debt and Disagreeing with Dave Ramsey

• Treasuring Thrift: NPR’s review of the new book, 'In Cheap We Trust'.
• Individuals slashed their borrowing in July by the largest amount on record: Consumers Cut Debt By Record $21.6B In July.
• Brilliant idea for playing makeup with young daughters: Make Faux Makeup.
• Dare to disagree with Dave Ramsey? Trent at The Simple Dollar does: “Five Ways I Disagree With Dave Ramsey”
• On 9/9/09, 9 couples married in 99 Cent Only stores. The ceremony was held in aisle 9 and each couple paid $.99 for the wedding. See the photos.
• Wojciech Kulicki of Fiscal Fizzle is on a simplicity rampage: The High Cost of Financial Clutter.

This Week in Frugal: Fashion Edition

You know fashion has gone frugal when it’s cool to carry your summer wardrobe into the fall. MyItThings.com has the rules for wearing it the right way: think layering, opaque tights and boots. And a surprise tip: accessorize with black for instant fall feel.

• Shoestring magazine lists their Top 10 Budget Fashion Bloggers and tips about staying budget and fashion minded throughout the year – not just in September.
• Want to look good in your fall wardrobe? Interval training has been in the news lately for its weight loss advantages. Goodyblog has tips for doing it on your own.
• The “Flea Queen” shares tricks for knowing where and how to look for thrift-store bargains.
• Planet Green says find everything you need at a local thrift store to make a personalized dress-up box for kids.

Elsewhere on the Web:

• Skip to my Lou has adorable free printable labels – perfect for lunches and back to school items.
• Money Saving Mom has details on a free slice at the Cheesecake Factory when you donate two canned soup items.
• Mr. Free Stuff has a list of 101 restaurants where kids eat free.
• Fiscal Fizzle reviews two fun books – one for children and one for “dirty little money-grubbers.”
• The Simple Dollar has tips on reducing spending without making yourself miserable.

6 Ways to Save Money this Labor Day Weekend

Some travel experts believe travel will be down this Labor Day, due to it falling later than usual (Sept. 7 this year). With kids in school and families back into a scheduled routine, it’s less likely a last summer hurrah is in the plans. But if travel is on your mind and in your budget, here are some things to consider.

1. BudgetTravel.com has the scoop on what airlines have the best travel deals for the upcoming holiday weekend.

2. Check local event calendars for free Labor Day events in your city, or see what other cities are doing in this online listing.

3. If you’re planning a road trip, gas will be cheaper than last year’s Labor Day.

4. Labor Day weekend is always a great time to snag some great deals in retail store. Find Labor Day coupons on FreeShipping.org, read the newspaper’s ads or visit your favorite retailers online a couple of days before for details.

5. Grilling out is still the most popular activity on Labor Day. Stock up on sale items at the grocery store and use these recipes for a delicious take on the last holiday of summer.

6. Print off some fun Labor Day Trivia to keep your cookout guests entertained. Create a playlist of “working”-related songs as background music. Suggestions: “9-5,” “Workingman’s Blues #2,” “Sixteen Tons” and “Luxury.” For more, see Rolling Stone’s the top 25 work-related songs.

9 Do-it-in-a-Day Projects

Short on time, but need to complete some DIY projects around the house? Labor Day and other one-day holidays are perfect for catching up. Here are some around-the-house projects you can save money by completing yourself in a day’s time.

1. Paint the front door.
Does the site of your front door make you cringe every time you walk through it? Make the best first impression for your houseguests by sprucing up the look of your entrance. Dust cobwebs and outdoor debris from the entrance first. Then use a paint color on the door that complements your home’s exterior.

2. Bake.
Plan a day of cooking and baking that will last your family a month or more. Many moms take one day a week and tackle a bunch of baking projects and freeze the bounty for later use. You can do the same. Free up freezer space, plan your baking strategy and buy ingredients beforehand. Then strap on an apron and get to work. Here are some recipes to get you started.

3. Clean a room.
Tackle one room and clean it top-to-bottom (and in that order). Start with dusting the ceiling fans. Move furniture and vacuum. Dust baseboards, fluff pillows, wipe down refrigerators (don’t forget to vacuum the coils underneath). And while you’re at it, experiment with rearranging your furniture, or paint one wall an accent color to add drama and change.

4. Take care of business.
While most businesses will be closed on a holiday, you can make a list and gather papers and materials you need to make calls to care of unfinished business on another day, like: canceling a credit card, enrolling in switching car or home insurance, creating wills. Or, be proactive and schedule out the next few months on your calendar, using your company’s or school districts calendars. Make calls to relatives to plan ahead for the holidays. Or make a list of activities you’d like to do or goals you’d like to accomplish in the coming year and schedule them out.

5. Organize the garage.
It’s the bane of your existence and it’s never going to get better until you throw some stuff out. This is an all-day job and one that will last you at least a year. Throw out or donate what you don’t use. Use organizing tools like bike hangers to create space. If you’re really up to a challenge, paint the walls and floor using Epoxy paint (check eBay for discount pricing, but be sure to order in enough time for it to arrive for your project day.) Or if the garage isn’t your thing, tackle a big organization challenge in the house, like a closet or a kitchen pantry – how long have those cans of peas been in there anyway?

6 DIY Halloween Costume Tips for Kids (and Big Kids)

Hard to believe Halloween is around the corner. Avoid buying expensive costumes by waiting too long to plan your kids’ wardrobe. Plan now and scout out inexpensive materials to make a creative and fun costume.

1. Set a budget.
If your child is old enough, get them in the act of planning their ghoulish gear. Set a budget and give them ideas on how to pull off their costume for that set amount of cash.

2. Stay general.
Costumes that aren’t commercial characters like SpongeBob or Hannah Montana will be easier to pull off cheaply – like ghosts and witches. But don’t limit yourself to traditional Halloween fare. Anything out of the ordinary can be a treat: cowgirl (or boy), scarecrow, a mime, punk rocker, sorority girl, hippie, pirate or a dancer.

3. Get inspired.
Search the Web for costume ideas and inspirations. If you already have an idea of what the costume is going to be, search online for pictures to give you ideas. You can also search for discount gear online from sites like Zoogster Costumes.

4. Start with what you own.
Do you have vintage gear like scarves, coats, glasses, jewelry hats or wigs that would make a great foundation for a costume?

5. Reuse.
Next, scour thrift stores, garage sales, consignment sales and even your friend’s closet for additional accessories.

6. Clip coupons.
Hobby and craft stores like Michael’s and JoAnn’s issue weekly coupons. Buy one item a week – like a boa, face paint or fake nails – until you’ve fulfilled your treasure chest with Halloween goodies.

15 DIY Placemat Projects

Placemats make cheap and versatile material for a variety of crafts. They’re especially good for beginning crafters – young and old. Here are a few placemat-centered crafts for use around the home or on the go.

Making a Placemat
First off, if you’re looking to create a placemat instead of creating a craft from an existing placemap, you can use any fabric (including remnant pieces you may already have on hand).

Place two pieces of fabric on top of each other and using a washable pencil, create marks to cut your fabric to size (normally 17" X 12"). Cut the fabric.

Optional: Take two pieces of interfacing fabric and cut to size to give your mat a suitable thickness. Iron one of each pieces of interfacing to the inside of the fabric.

To close your placemat, use a zigzag stitch to sew the edges shut. Or, if you’d prefer, use fabric or hot glue to close all the edges but one while the fabric is inside out, then turn the fabric right side out and glue the last edge.

• To take it to the next level, check out this leaf-patterned placemat tutorial.
• Or, use your kids’ artwork as a placemat using this tutorial.
• Lest we forget our furry friends, here’s a way to create a cut placemat for your pup – and this is a project for the kids to get involved in.
• Recycle Christmas cards and laminate them to posterboard for festive holiday placemats. Do the same with copies of photos for special events, like Father’s Day.