Making Lemonade

There are two things that annoy me to no end.

1. This tank top

It looks like the basic black tank top from the Gap that I thought it was when I bought it,

but this tank top is evil. Over the years, over the course of many washings, it's done the thing where it shrinks up and becomes wider and shorter. As I have a freakishly long torso, this simply does not work for me. It's also irregular in some way where as I move in it, it twists around. Every time I wear this thing, I spend all my time thinking about how uncomfortable I am and adjusting my shirt. I wear this surprisingly often, because to look at it, it's identical to five other black tank tops from the Gap that I own that fit me just fine. I don't find out that this is the bad one until I'm out the door, and then I suffer all day.

2. When my sunglasses get all scratched up

It's hard to see in the picture, but I have a tendency to throw my sunglasses in my purse where they rub on the other contents of my purse and get scratched. Then I can barely see through them because they're just a mess. Since I get most of my sunglasses from the lost and found at work (after waiting the appropriate time for someone to claim them), it's not like I'm wasting any money, but it is a waste to be constantly replacing sunglasses. Not to mention, it's really annoying to put on a pair, realize that you can't see out of them, then remember to look in the lost and found next time I'm at work.

What I have decided to do, is to bring together the two things that bother me, and create a solution that will make me happy i.e. I'm going to make glasses cases out of my crappy tanktop and solve two problems at once.

1. My glasses will no longer get scratched
2. That awful tank top will be out of my life forever and I won't accidentally wear it again.

Step one: Make some cuts

Step two: cut fabric scraps to size measuring against sunglasses, and sew a pocket. I used contrast color thread so you can see what I did, but basically just sew two sides together so you have a pouch with a hole in one end. You could hand stitch this easily, but I was feeling lazy.

Pouch!  Now reverse it.

And there you have it.  If you're worried about the glasses falling out, you can make a little indent stitch like this:

Or you can re-use the straps from the tank top to make a tie for closing.

Since this is a rather boring tank top, these are rather boring glasses cases, but who really cares.  They serve a purpose, and the t-shirt material is great for polishing lenses.  I saw the exact same thing, only more stylish for sale in the gift shop at an art museum-- for $14.  These were basically free and took about 15 minutes to make four of them.  If you want something better looking, just recycle a funkier shirt.

Oh yeah...

My friend Elizabeth over at the unemployed librarian reminded me that since it's the last day of August, I should revisit my monthly goals. That also means I should come up with some new ones, I bet. First things first:

1. Start planning to menu plan

Well, that's just not going to happen. I planned to plan, and discovered that I just cannot plan. It's not for me. Now I need to let go of the guilt. That will be on the list for next month. It's just such a good idea! But, it just doesn't work for my life.

2. Cut down on spending and make a little more money

I think I can say that I met this goal... mostly. I did get back to freelance writing, albeit not as much as I could have. I managed to swing a couple extra shifts at a library where I'm a fill-in, and I got another job! From now on (unless something goes terribly, terribly wrong) I will be making a nearly liveable wage! I promise that I won't let it change me.

My food budget for the month was higher than usual because I had some last minute adventuring thrown in before summer's end, but I was way under budget in that column anyway. Patting myself firmly on the back.

3. Get back under budget

Well, that didn't happen in the food column but otherwise I was pretty much on target. I went over in clothes (for the new job--necessary expense), but used birthday money, so doesn't count.

Goals for September:

1. Get over the guilt of not menu planning
2. Cook more now that it won't be so hateful to run the oven. I have scads of good fall recipes from last Thanksgiving's Bon Appetit magazine and I should really cook some of them. Man, I love fall.
3. Live as if I'm making the same amount of money as before. I said my new income won't change me, and I'm determined to not let it. I'm going to do my best to live on the amount of money I was making working only one part-time job and sock the rest away in savings or send it to direct loans.

That's enough for this month. I'm going to be worn out trying to learn names and settle into my new environment--best not overwhelm myself.

Why menu planning may not work for me

I've mentioned before that I have a huge mental block when it comes to menu planning, and I think I'm finally able to put into words why that is:

1. I work at least two nights a week. That means that I'm having dinner at work between 4:30 and 5pm, and that dinner almost always consists of a tuna sandwich and yogurt--I really don't need to plan for that, and I don't like having a heavy meal when I've still got four hours of work left (makes me sleepy). I'm starting a new job soon, which means that I'll be working five nights a week. I may get sick of tuna sandwich and yogurt dinner, but I may prove to the world how truly boring my eating is...
2. I don't really eat meals. That sounds odd, but I grew up in a household where we fended for ourselves. Because of that, we never had family sit-down meals, and I got into the habit of eating a big meal around 3pm, after school was over. I'm still in that habit, and I like it.
3. I don't eat meat, and my boyfriend does. I'm not going to cook meat for him. I've never really eaten meat (I don't like it), and I'm certainly not going to learn to cook it just because he's lazy in the kitchen. That does make it difficult to plan meals though. Added to that, is the fact that I'm not around for a few of the meals, so it'd be like I'm planning two. Also, I don't know if he would eat something just because I told him to.
4. Writing down a menu plan means admitting that I eat the same thing almost every day. Even though I'm okay with that, it doesn't make for good reading.

What I'm going to do in lieu of traditional menu planning is a bit of what I've always done. I buy groceries, and then Sunday night, I typically cook something that will last the week or part of the week. This can be a soup, lentil loaf, casserole of some kind, etc. Occasionally I bring leftovers to work, but usually I have these leftovers for my 3pm meal.

Maybe I'm just making excuses, and maybe menu planning can't work for everyone. Anyone have any ideas?

Travel Tips: Finding Deals

Obviously when traveling we want the most bang for our buck, but you always hear these fantastic stories like, "I went to Paris for a week for $50 and they kept giving me free cheese!" All you can think is "This person is exaggerating, and how can I make these amazing things happen for me?!?"

I don't have all the answers, but I do have some. Here's what I've found.

Look for packages.

The best way to get a lot for a little is to book a package, usually with the airline directly. I use travelocity for all of my "build your own" vacations, but I pay close attention to what else the airlines have to offer--especially the discount carriers like Southwest. Southwest's special offers page is full of deals on airfare and they occasionally include hotels. The tradeoff with packages is that sometimes they include things you're not too keen on, or they require a little more effort on your part. For example, before my recent trip to Ireland, I found a great deal for $600 round trip airfare and two hotel nights. The drawback was that it also included a lot of guided touring, which is not how I wanted to enjoy my vacation. Sometimes, you find an incredible deal, but have to change hotels a couple times. Weigh the pros and cons and you'll often find that significant savings outweigh minor inconvenience.

Bragging spot: The best deal I've ever gotten was in 2002 when my friends and I scored round trip tickets from Chicago to London plus three nights free in a London hotel for $223. With taxes and fees it ended up being closer to $300, but who cares! I could have spent that on hotel alone. The drawback was that we lived eight hours away from Chicago, and we had to book it direct with the airline over the phone--big deal. Since there were six of us, it was more economical to borrow a minivan from a friend's mom, drive to Chicago and pay for parking.

We got this deal because it was March, which is the slowest time for British travel since it's a bit soggy (it's always soggy, just bring a scarf), and British Airways ran a special that we happened to notice. No tricks, nothing fancy--I don't have an in at the airlines, we just pay attention.

Travelzoo is another fantastic place to find package deals, and you can sign up for a weekly email that delivers them right to you.

Priceline it first.

Do a little sleuthing to see the average price of whatever you're looking for, and then throw a lower offer into priceline just to see what happens. Priceline is particularly good for last-minute deals, but it's always worth trying before buying. I've gotten luxury hotels (normally $150+ per room) in Boston and Montreal (during jazzfest!) for 75% less than retail this way. It's certainly not guaranteed, and last time I tried to book a hotel in Boston, I barely saved anything, but it's still worth the try.

Couch surf?

This is one that I haven't tried yet, but find very intriguing. The new trend in frugal travel is to stay with other people in their homes either for free or for a significantly cheaper cost than a hotel. There are a number if sites dedicated to helping people find a place to stay without going broke doing it. As I understand it, the fee-based services don't require you to open your home in exchange for staying with someone else, but the free ones do. you can interact with your guests/hosts as much or as little as you like, but often it's nice to arrive in a new city and have an expert resident right there for the grilling.

Couchsurfing.org is one of the free ones, Airbnb is a pay-per-stay, which I read a fascinating article about recently.

To keep current on frugal travel trends, I recommend the New york Times budget travel section, and frugal traveler blog. They cover everything from making cheap international calls to how well you can travel with an iPad--good stuff.

Travel Tips: Planning a cheap(er) vacation

Vacations and travel in general just aren't cheap, but there are certain costs you can cut or options you can explore to make seeing the world a bit more affordable.


Trim your food expenses. Food is often the most expensive part of a vacation, and perhaps the one you plan for the least. You go from eating at home most days to eating out for every meal, and that can add up considerably. There are a few steps to take to trim food expenses on the road.

1. Think of food when picking a place to stay. If possible, book a hotel with a kitchen so you can cook a few meals or pack lunches. It may not be possible or desirable to hoof it back to the hotel every time you get hungry, but if nothing else, eat a large breakfast and bring a couple snacks to get through the day. If you do get hungry (and I realize that many people may get hungrier than me) grab some street food or an appetizer to hold you until dinner. If you find an affordable Bed and Breakfast--take it! Unless you think B&Bs are gross and cutesy (and they can be, but not all are), take advantage of that breakfast. I've stayed at B&Bs in the UK that offered a huge, delicious breakfast that left me stuffed for the rest of the day, for the same price as I would have paid for a regular hotel. Plus B&Bs are cozier.
2. Shift you meals. Instead of eating three meals a day and spending so much time of your vacation sitting at a table, eat two larger meals and skip lunch. As I mentioned above, you can make a large breakfast in your room, and bring a few granola bars or other snacks along. Depending upon how early you had breakfast, you might even opt for an early dinner and cash in on a deal that way.

Save upfront. Depending upon where you want to go, you have a number of options for whittling down the cost of travel itself.

1. Travel in the off season. Cruise vacations peak from January-March, but it's just as nice to get away in April. You can often book airfare and the cruise itself for considerably less because they just want to fill the boat. Likewise European travel peaks in August, but if you go over in May or June, it's still quite lovely, cheaper and less congested. Be mindful though when booking a Caribbean getaway that often it's cheap because it's hurricane season--do a little research first.
2. Consider a stay-cation or a mini break. There are tons of destinations within driving distance of my city, and I don't get large chunks of time off work since I work part-time. I manage to sate my wanderlust by taking short daytrips or overnight stays. This past weekend, we went to the Berkshires, stayed with BF's aunt and uncle and visited one art museum and two author homes. It was a fantastic time, and the biggest expense was gas. Even if we had gone and stayed at a hotel, it would have been very reasonable because we only stayed over one night. When traveling locally also try to find some local deals before you set out. I mentioned before that my area has museum passes that offer free or discounted admission when checked out (for free!) from the library.
3. Don't neglect your National Parks. I am a huge National Parks nerd, it's true, but they are "America's Best Idea" for a reason. What's better than natural, unspoiled beauty that you can enjoy for practically nothing? I've never met a park ranger who wasn't eager to answer all my questions (no matter how inane) and tell me things I never would have thought of. I'm not a nature girl by any stretch, but I intend to visit every national park before I die. With 58 parks in the US, there's no excuse for not trying it out--you'll be surprised what you might find.
4. Don't forget about your house. Unless you have someone staying at your house while you're away, turn off your water, turn down your water heater and make sure everything is sealed up. A unexpected rainstorm while you're gone can destroy house and possessions, and why pay to heat water you're not using? The savings may seem negligible if you're not gone very long, but savings are savings.

Skip the souvenirs. Souvenirs, chotchkes, gee-gaws what have you--they're almost always overpriced and poorly-made. I like rooting through a gift shop as much as the next person, but I very rarely buy anything because I've learned over the years that it's fun in the moment, and two years later, I don't really care. If you collect a certain item, that's one thing, but if you're just buying something to have a memento--take more pictures instead. My one big souvenir is I like to get a pressed penny. For $.51 I can get a shiny penny imprinted with a logo from where I'm visiting. It's cheap, it's small and it reminds me of my visit.

If you feel like you have to get a souvenir for every relative and friend--reconsider. I'm not saying that to be a jerk, but buying souvenirs for adult friends and family seems silly. They weren't there, so the souvenir is less special in that regard; and I've had friends who have spent entire vacations agonizing about what to get for other people rather than just enjoying the trip. Your friends will understand.

Travel Tips: Packing Light

First rule of frugal travel: pack light. Luggage fees are a ridiculous waste of money, and there is no need to bring more on a trip than you can carry comfortably. I'm not advocating bringing one outfit and wearing it every day, but by just using a little sense and limiting yourself to one bag, you'll be amazed how little you miss all the extra stuff. Travel is about experience not stuff. Rick Steves also has some excellent videos about packing light, but he's a guy and I'm a girl, Girls have needs.

First rule: You do not need a bunch of travel-sized items.

Unless you 're using a coupon and getting them for free, these things just aren't worth it, and they are a waste of plastic. Invest in reuseable containers and put what you need in there. I bought two three-ounce containers at Target filled one with shampoo and one with conditioner

Pretty sexy, eh? Decorated with the finest sharpie. They are exactly 3 ounces, so I can bring them in my carry-on, I won't need to make that frantic trip to the store the night before my flight ever again. Plus, the containers were $1.19 each (slightly more than one travel-sized shampoo), and the shampoo and conditioner probably cost about $.25. Less wasted plastic, less wasted money.

Do the same thing with body wash, face wash, hair goo--everything. The only travel-sized item I do buy is contact solution. I don't have a dishwasher, and I don't want to take a change with a reuseable container holding something that goes into my eyes. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but there's also almost always a $1 off coupon for contact solution floating around the internet, so I'm not paying for it anyway.

Other ways to cut back on toiletries in both size and money:

1. If you're staying at a hotel, use what they give you--and take it home. If you're staying at a nice hotel, and even some not-so-nice ones, they will give you soap, shampoo, conditioner, a shower cap, probably a sewing kit. Take it all. Leah Ingram, one of my frugality gurus even takes hotel soaps and grates them for use in home-made clothes detergent.
2. Free samples. Free Sample Freak has the lowdown on where to get free samples for just about everything, but there's a drawback to certain gratis items. Sometimes, you have to buy something to get something, or remember to cancel a membership in three months--it can be more work than its worth. That said, I always take advantage of free samples for shampoo and conditioner, and the brands that I use most often, often give out samples regularly. Stockpile these items, bring them along, and you can usually get two uses out of each. Whenever I travel, even if I'm not buying anything, it seems like my luggage keeps getting heavier--it's nice to throw away something, even if it's just a shampoo sample.
3. Those little extras. You know how sometimes you buy shampoo, facewash, bodywash and they come with an extra small bottle of the same thing or another product by the same company? Save those and use them for traveling. Usually, that little extra bottle is what gets me to pick that particular bodywash, and if I have coupons, I may get more than one.

Second rule: Don't bring that many clothes.

You probably don't need them all anyway. This is all dependent on the type of vacation you're taking. If you're going somewhere cold, you need more bulky items, tropical, not so much, but you can use the same type of thinking in all circumstances.

1. Plan to wash clothes. If your vacation is that long, do laundry. If you're staying at hostels, there is usually laundry on site, if you're staying at hotels, ask about a wash and dry place in the neighborhood, if you can't find one of those, go to a laundromat or wash your clothes in your bathroom. Failing that, just don't wash your clothes every time you wear them. Hang them up to air out over night instead of crumpled in a ball, and they should be just as good. Unless you're sweating constantly or have body odor issues, wear your clothes more than once.
2. Bring only one pair of shoes--two at most. Yes, I really said that. Shoes take up so much room in your luggage, and they're heavy and awkward. Just don't bring that many. If you're traveling for a wedding, wear the same pair to the groom's supper and the wedding and have another pair for non-fancy use. Match your clothes combinations to the shoes you bring, and quit worrying about how you look.
3. Light layers. Light layers are your friend. Again, this all depends on the climate where you're traveling, but bring a light jacket or sweater and a scarf. This way, if it winds up cold and rainy, you will still be comfortable. If it's hot and sunny, you didn't fill your luggage with one sweater for each day of the week.
4. Bring sturdy clothes that don't wrinkle. You don't have to wear outfits made entirely of nylon, but don't bring all linen either. Are you really going to want to spend your vacation ironing? When you're clothes shopping, select items that won't wrinkle easily. Crumple a part of the garment in your hand and see how long it takes for the wrinkles to fall out. That's your litmus test. Don't go out and buy a wrinkle-free wardrobe just for your vacation, you probably wouldn't mind ironing less in real life too--just change your shopping perspective a bit.

Things the are worth the splurge

I may actually be a pauper (not knowing the technical definition of pauper), but that doesn't mean I'm willing to live like one. I'm not talking about living beyond my means or living on credit, but readjusting my priorities and making the most of the good things that I can budget for. Little splurges, when planned for, are the best way to stay sane. Because you've planned and can afford them, there's no guilt. There's also a feeling of accomplishment that comes from being responsibly reckless; and by living within your means every other day, you actually do deserve to splash out every now and then.

A fancy meal every six months or so
Providence (where I live) does this wonderful thing every year called restaurant week--though now it's actually two weeks. What that entails is pre fixe menus at dozens of restaurants all over the city. For $29.99 you get an appetizer, entree and dessert in a fancy restaurant you would otherwise never afford. All the menus are posted online beforehand, so if you're a vegetarian (like me) you can see what sounds good, and what gives you the most/best food for the money. Since I eat out pretty infrequently, but don't want to just be that poor girl who never gets to have any fun, this is exactly what I need. Also, this is food I would never allow myself otherwise. I would rather eat gourmet food prepared by chefs once a year than go to TGI Fridays once a month.

Travel

Yes, I don't shut up about how much I love to travel, but as I've mentioned before, travel is the thing I save for. It is the thing that makes living frugally and giving up other stuff that I might enjoy worth it. Plus, when planning to travel and when actually doing it, I keep my budget in mind, and get deals... more on that later.

Well-made clothes

I hate to shop, it's a chore, so when I buy something I don't want to have to buy it over and over again. A lot of people save money doing thrift store shopping, and I commend them, but I just cannot do it. It's too much effort, and too hateful to me. Plus I hate trying things on, and you can rarely return stuff. Yes, this sounds whiny, but it's just not for me. Instead, I buy classic pieces that I intend to wear for years. I buy clothes I can layer, usually in solid and neutral colors that are well-made and will last. I try not to buy more than I need by keeping an inventory of what I already have, and then I just wear the stuff out. Yes, it's a little more up front that going thrift store shopping, or buying everything at Forever 21, but it saves in the long run--time and money.

Name-brand foods

You can trim your food budget significantly by switching to generic or store brands and often the items are of comparable quality. Sometimes they are not, and I certainly don't feel guilty buying the name brand if I've tried both and prefer it. I would rather eat food that I like rather than save $.50. I can find that savings somewhere else, if it's a significant amount. The brand of hummus that bf and I prefer is usually the most expensive and goes on sale less often (bastards!), but it's really, really good and eating it makes me happy. Hence, fancy hummus for me. In exchange for my fancy hummus, I buy the cheap cream cheese (which tastes no different), the store-brand milk and generic instant oatmeal. Crisis averted.

Split pea curry soup

I love split pea soup, but rarely eat it because all canned versions have ham in them (the ones that don't have actual chunks of ham have some kind of ham essence) or they're $2 a can and made by Wolfgang Puck. Wolfgang, thanks for thinking of the vegetarians, but I think I'll do it myself. This is Alton Brown's recipe from foodnetwork.com, and it's super easy and very, very filling--oof. I made a couple changes--omitted onion, subbed in veggie stock for chicken, but am pretty true to Alton's vision.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces split peas sorted and rinsed--I'd use the whole bag (16 oz next time, just so I don't have four leftover ounces.
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic--I used fresh, about 2.5 cloves, I'm not a huge garlic fan
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon curry powder--The only curry powder I could find was Jamaican mild, which was a bit mild, I added an extra 1/2 tablespoon
• Salt and Pepper

Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the garlic and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the peas, stock and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Fantastic and cheap! This is going to make me really happy this winter.

Split peas- $1.50 for a 16 ounce bag

garlic-- I had on hand but probably paid less than a dollar for the whole head

stock-- $.20

curry powder-- was $3 for a big jar that will last a long time so I probably used $.30 worth.
That's about $2.00 for six servings or $.35 apiece--not too shabby.

Things I can do without

When contemplating frugality, people often get worked up about what they'll miss the most. They think their new life will be beans and rice, going to bed when then sun sets to save electricity and wearing holey jeans from the thrift store. That's not how I roll. I want a full, fun life and a decent balance in my savings account. Naturally, I can't have it all, but there are things I can happily trade off in exchange for stuff I really do like.

Regular eating out

Eating out is expensive. You can often cook food of equal quality at home for 1/4 of what you spend in a restaurant. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy eating out, but it should be a treat, not the norm. Some people save money eating out by not tipping as well, or by sneaking in their own food. Both of those practices are appalling and rude, and anyone who does that is certainly no friend of mine. If you can't afford to eat out, don't eat out. Behavior like that is what makes people hate the thrifty--behavior like that is cheap, and I do not want to be cheap. Frugality is not stiffing a server, it's knowing what you can afford and adjusting your spending accordingly.

The other problem with eating out regularly is the huge quantity of food they give you. As a frugal person, I want to eat what I paid for, but often it takes me two or three sit-downs to get through one restaurant entree. That food doesn't last as long as stuff I make at home, so I typically eat it daily for three days, which is a bit boring. When I was eating out often, I gained a lot of weight just trying to keep up with the large amount of food I brought home all the time. I dislike gaining weight, but not as much as I dislike wasting food. The sensible thing to do is just eat out less often.

Shopping

I've already said that I dislike shopping, but there have been times where I got into the shopping habit and did it more to get out of the house and feel like I was accomplishing something than to buy things I actually need. No more. I shop seasonally, and pick up a few pieces when the temperature starts to change. Now that I've been in my profession for over a year, I have a good base wardrobe to build on, so I end up needing less. The more you own, the more your things own you and I would rather have no more than what I actually use.

Books of my own

I've stopped buying books. I am an avid re-reader, so I used to buy books I knew I would read again, but now I don't even do that. I've found that I don't read anything unless it has a due date. I check out so many library books, and am very aware of them needing to be returned, that I never actually read any of the books I own. Once I realized that, I stopped acquiring them, and actively started getting rid of them. I now buy a few books a year from the sale rack at the library ($1 each) and then I bring those traveling and leave them behind along the way. If I really love something and want to read it again, I know I can get it but I don't need to own it. I make an exception for Nancy Drew books because I collect those, and the few books that I truly love and want to see on my shelf. Maybe someday when I have a bigger house I'll keep books again, but right now, they just look like something I'll eventually have to move.

Cable

I'm not going to be one of those assholes who says "I don't watch tv", but I kind of don't watch tv. I do have a few tv shows that I enjoy and keep up with, but I don't watch them on tv, regularly scheduled. I wait for DVD, and then get them from the library or netflix. It was an adjustment at first, but I've been living this way for so long that I actually get angry at the thought of promising myself to a tv show every Tuesday night. What if I want to do something else? Your life might be very different than mine and cable and tv might be more important, but there are workarounds as well. Try to find ways to watch your shows online or have viewing parties with like-minded friends. This is how my friends and I watched Sex and the City years ago. Someone's mom had HBO, so she would go over there, tape it, bring it to my house and then we'd all watch it together. It was free entertainment, and more fun that way.

Weekend Reading: Suddenly Frugal

Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less

By Leah Ingram

Adams Media, 2010

In the interest of full disclosure, I had to admit that I have a bit of a bloggerly crush on Leah Ingram. Hers was the first frugality blog I stumbled across (thank you google reader), and from that moment forth I decided that I kind of want to be her. That's the bias I'm bringing to my write-up on this book when I say that this is easily one of the best frugality books I've ever read (and that's a lot). Just like her blog, this tome is chocked full of practical advice that saves you money.

I'm not entirely sure what it is about her that I respond to so much but I think it's a combination of things:

1. She's an actual writer. It's hard to find bloggers that can actually write. There are many talented people out there who have a style, but to find a professional, polished writer is a real treat.
2. She's no-nonsense and doesn't make it about herself. There are little asides about how she and her family started doing x, y or z, but it's certainly not confessional or full of pictures of family weekends. That stuff is all well and good sometimes, but other times, I just want the advice.
3. Religion doesn't factor in. This may be an odd thing to say, but one of my biggest complaints about frugality blogs is that many are run by stay-at-home moms who are very religious. I have no gripe with religious people, but it's really refreshing to just read about saving a bit of cash without having to wade through the whole "god directed me to save money this way" stuff. Again, I just want the advice.

While I find the claim on the front cover of the book that a person can save up to $25,000 per year just by reading a bit silly, she does back it up. At the end of each section, there is a breakdown of how much you can save by doing everything she says. Sadly, most of it doesn't apply to me, but maybe someday it will.

Best takeaways:

I need to get a drying rack for my clothes.

I've actually known this for a while, but this book really brought home the fact that I could be saving a lot of money, energy and wear on my clothes if I just sucked it up and bought one. Problem is, I did buy one a few years ago at Target, and the damn thing would not stay together. It was the kind where the wooden dowels fit into plastic brackets on the frame, and the dowels wouldn't stay in. I tried glue (several kinds) and duct tape before I finally just threw it out. If anyone has managed to find a well-made drying rack, let me know.

DIY Laundry detergent.

Borax, washing soda and Fels Naptha soap and you've got laundry detergent that works just as well as the stuff that smells like a meadow. She also posted this on her blog, but the DIY chapter in this book is exhaustive and a little bit awesome. I haven't actually tried making the laundry soap yet, but I will, and you'll hear about it.

How to Compost.

Explained in a way that actually make sense. I have a boss who is a master composter, and she's half explained it to me before, but since she knows it so well, she omits things. This book breaks it down in a way that actually resonates to me much more than boss's advice or anything I've read on the interwebs. Granted, I do not have a yard so cannot really compost--but someday! I'll be ready.

Random Reuseables.

This is an entire section dedicated to giving you ideas of other ways to use common items. It's not unlike the new uses of everyday items section of Real Simple, but that's one of my favorite parts of the magazine, so I can't get enough of this stuff. I love dual purpose and maximizing what you can do with one thing. Ever thought of using toilet paper tubes as seed starters? Genius.