Boyfriends on a Budget: A Valentines Day Plan of Action!

Fear not, boyfriends. Valentine’s is right around the corner and I’ve got your back. There is nothing sadder in the world that the girl who got nothing from their boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. There’s also nothing more pathetic than the boyfriend who shows up with the same lame red roses and generic heart-shaped box of chocolates.

You wanna know why girls get so excited over the boyfriend that takes them out to dinner dressed in his finest and shows up with hand-picked Godiva truffles? Its not the hundred-dollar dinner or the extravagant chocolate- it’s the fact that he took the time out to select dark chocolate because she hates the milk kind, the effort he made to make the reservations, the three times he tried to get his tie just right. See guys, it’s the thought that counts, not the amount of money spent. There is no excuse not to do a little something special for your favorite lady friend.

Now, if you really wanna wow your sweetie, try this little tidbit of advice. Since Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, what better way to start the day off right than a nice breakfast of fluffy Ricotta Pancakes? I’ve taken this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis (she rocks!) and made it my own. Here’s your game plan:

You need from the store:

Pancake mix (which you probably already have in the pantry)

Your lady’s favorite berries (fresh or frozen). Raspberries or blueberries work best, and no berries are just fine too.

Ricotta cheese (the smallest container you can find)

Honey

Vanilla Extract

Coffee or tea (which ever your girlfriend prefers in the AM)

Easy enough, right?

1. Get the coffee pot going. These pancakes will be done around the time the coffee is done brewing.

2. Mix 2 cups of the pancake mix with 1 cup of ricotta and 1 2/3 cups of water. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix till smooth. Fold in the berries, or don’t if you have no berries to fold.

3. In a small pot, add 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup of honey. Set the stove top on low-medium heat and let it heat up.

4. While you’re waiting for the honey syrup to warm up, start cooking the pancakes like you would any other pancake.

5. Plate up the pancakes, top with butter if you want, and spoon on the warm honey syrup. Pour her some coffee or tea, and be prepared for a huge smile.

6. Have something nice planned for the day, like a nice walk in the park or run your errands together. Anything will seem like a treat after your efforts this morning.

For flowers, pretty much anything other than roses will be affordable. Its also not about getting red roses on Valentine’s day- you should be getting her the flowers that make her smile the most. I personally hate generic red roses. Big white lilies, in my opinion, are ten times better. Daisies and carnations are much cheaper as well and last longer, and I think they are more playful. Any girl with a fun sense of humor will enjoy something less formal than traditional red roses.

For a sweet treat, go to a local candy shop and pick out her favorite candy. There is no rule that says that you have to get a heart-shaped box of Russel Stover chocolates. If she loves nuts, a little bag of toffee would be good. Got one of those girls who is a kid at heart? Get her a bag of gummy bears!

Anyways, like I said, its not a matter of what you spend. Girls really just want to know that they’re with a guy who knows what they like. They like to feel that someone knows what their favorite color is, their favorite food, and their favorite song. So throw on your thinking cap, start paying attention to those subtle cues she sends out, and treat your lady friend to a Valentine’s Day she’ll never forget.

Saving Money By Spending Money

Let’s face it: We’re going to spend money. We absolutely, positively can’t go more than a day or two without spending single penny. It would also be crazy to think that we weren’t going to throw around a little money frivolously every now and again, as well. Things happen- you forget your lunch, a great new book just came out, or there is a great sale at the mall. Fortunately, there are a few things that I’ve come across that will make that meal out, that brand new page-turner, or that new pair of heels not feel as if you broke the bank.

1. Online Newsletters
I can attest that packing your lunch can save you in many ways other than just saving you money. Where I work, I get the option to take anywhere between a thirty minutes to an hour for lunch. Because I don’t have to leave the office to grab something to eat, I can take a 30 minute break which lets me get out of the office 30 minutes sooner- beating the rush hour traffic most of the time. I also save my figure by keeping away from the fast food. But let’s be real- sometimes we don’t always have time in the morning, or we simply forget it on the counter. The other day, a co-worker brought me coupon for Sweet Tomatoes. She’s signed up for their newsletter, and periodically they send her coupons. This one in particular had a buy-one, get-one lunch offer as well as another coupon for a free breakfast. Immediately I got on their website and signed up! Who could pass up free?!

2. Store Memberships
One place that I can’t get enough of is Barnes and Noble. If any of my previous postings have clued you in, I’m an avid reader. I’m finally getting around to reading Angela’s Ashes after I’ve hear a dozen people tell me rave reviews of it. I tote it with me to work so I can read it during my breaks because I can’t put it down! Books can get pricey, though, and if you’re not really a fan of going to the library (which I’m not, even though my taxes that I’m already paying are providing me free books) you enjoy having your own copy. But not only that, you kind of can’t beat the ambiance of Barnes. To me, nothing quite beats a day of perusing the new-to-paperback tables and the discount racks, grabbing a treat from the café, and snuggling up in one of their oversized armchairs. If I had a million dollars, I could easily spend it all there!

But I don’t, so I take advantage of their membership program. Granted, it does cost $25 to sign up. Your savings start right away- you’ll save 10% on everything in the store including the café. You’ll also get 40% off of hard cover best sellers, 20% off of all adult hard covers, not to mention countless coupons that are sent to you via email and free shipping on orders over $25 when you purchase online. Needless to say, the enrollment fee pays for itself very quickly.

3. Online Research
Sometimes the best deals are ones that you have to dig around for. The other day while doing some research on a possible event at the Florida Mall, I stumbled across a page of their website will all kinds of discounts. There was a $10 off of your $40 purchase at Aéropostale, a free beauty bag at The Body Shop, 25% off at LensCrafters, and up to 75% off at Teavana. Also, there were listings about clearance sales around the mall. Next time you decide to go shopping, check out the websites for you local mall before you drive out there to take advantage of their hidden coupons, or just avoid the mall all together if the sales aren’t that great.

Tear It Up At The Grocery Store: Your Cheap Grocery Game Plan

I heart food. People might eat for comfort, but cooking is my therapy. I was shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond this weekend with my boyfriend Eric. We only needed to pick up a Brita water filter but, of course, I had to make my lap around the store. As usual, I got sucked in at the kitchen department. I love appliances and gadgets, bake ware and frying pans. I can’t wait till I get a house with a big kitchen that I can fill drawers and countertops with everything that I buy from the kitchen department.

Since I love to cook, I’m spending a lot of time in the grocery store. Obviously groceries prices have skyrocketed recently due to gas prices making the cost of transporting the goods go up. There’s a variety of tips and tricks that I do to help me save money every week at the grocery store without searching for coupons:

1. Pick a day, and stick with it. Every week, I do my grocery shopping on Sunday. I make Eric go with me, that way there is no ‘but you didn’t get me the right soda!’ We also keep a running list on the fridge of things that we need to pick up next week, as well as planning out what we’re making every day.

2. Know what you can spend. Eric and I know that we can only afford about $80 a week between the both of us. Once in a blue moon we go over, but more often than not we spend a little less- which we put towards something fun. Its also nice to know that every week we stay within our limits.

3. Plan! You know how you go through your pantry and you’ll come across an obscure can of veggies or a box of potatoes and you weren’t quite sure why you bought it to begin with but now you’re stuck with it? If you plan your meals out for the entire week not only will you always use up what you buy and be rid of random groceries, but you’ll also be far less likely to impulse buy ingredients that just mean more money spent now and more confused looks later.

4. Use your resources. Every week, I check out Publix’s online sales circular. You can also find them at the front of the store. I pretty much buy everything based on what is in that paper- and I always save at least $20-$30 and only spend about $70. If pork chops are on sale, then I’m making schnitzel! There is always a huge variety of meats, veggies, dairy, and dry goods that are on sale, so don’t think that shopping out of the sales circular means cashing out at the 10 items or less aisle.

5. Do your research! Always be on the lookout for places that have great deals. Check out your local farmer’s market or produce outlet, then compare prices to where you regularly shop. There is a great little farmer’s outlet by my house that sells the exact same tofu that you can find at Publix- about $3 cheaper. And because its so cheap, Eric and I regularly substitute it for meat. Keep in mind that if you have to spend a bunch of gas to make numerous trips to get your shopping done, then its not worth it.

6. Read the fine print. You know those little numbers by the price on the label for the items on the shelf? Read them! If you ever have a question about whether to buy in bulk or if one brand really is cheaper than another, refer to the little numbers known as the unit price. Example: You need to buy plastic baggies and you see one box going for $4.99 for 20 and another box for $5.25 for 25. Box 1 goes for 24.95 cents a bag, and box 2 goes for 21 cents. See?

7. Go big or go home! Don’t be afraid to buy in bulk. The unit price will be cheaper (less packaging=lower cost to produce the goods), and if you have the Tupperware lying around to pack your lunch then use it! Yogurt is much cheaper when you buy the large container then scoop out a portion and put it in a little container to travel.

8. But don’t overbuy. Once again, this goes back to planning. If corn is on sale, but you’ve already got enough veggies to feed a herd of cattle, don’t buy it! What good is delicious, fresh corn that you got on sale when its just molding in your fridge because you didn’t cook it soon enough? Think of those starving children on the commercials that come up when you’re watching your favorite sitcom! And don’t be afraid to speak up and ask sales associates to split packages of meat and veggies. That’s part of their job, and its better to save the money than let the food go to waste.

9. Generic is not a dirty word. When I’m shopping and I see the private-label next to the national brand, I pretty much always buy the private-label. Not only is it a ton cheaper, but its practically the exact same product due to government regulations. For example, when you’re looking for aspirin, be sure to check the active and inactive ingredients. The active ingredient is the only thing that matters. If a product is an OTC, like aspirin, then the active ingredient in the private-label has to be the exact same amount as the national brand. Make it a point to buy everything that you can private-label for 1 week, and see if you’re world is falling apart. I guarantee that you’ll be too busy smiling over all the money you just saved.

10. Don’t be lazy! Convenience foods are priced more because that’s exactly what they are offering- convenience. Compare the price of the block of cheese to the little bag of the shredded kind. You’ll be taking the extra 5 whole minutes that it will take to shred that block of cheese by hand. Also, see step 7 about separating your food yourself rather than buying something in a ton a little containers (yogurt, for example).

11. Think outside of the box. I’m a die-hard meat-a-tarian. If it doesn’t have some sort of meat it in, then its not a complete meal. Meat can be really expensive, though, so making sure you’re getting your daily dose of protein can require some out-of-the-box thinking. I’ve started to replace ground beef with ground turkey and a can of black beans to make burritos and chili- SO GOOD! Not only is turkey cheaper, but by throwing a can of your favorite beans in with mix you’re also making more that will make great leftovers. Protein-rich beans are also high in fiber, which is something that many people do not get enough of in their diet. Omelets aren’t just for breakfast anymore- eggs are a great source of nutrients and practically cost less than a quarter each. Tofu, depending on where you buy it, can also be a great alternative (see step 5).

New Year's Resolutions

I am pleased to say that I have finally had a successful New Years! For the longest time, I thought that I was cursed to suffer year after year alone in my bed while the world was taking part in the biggest party night ever. I’ve never even had a kiss at midnight. In high school, I was distraught because one of my friends got to spend New Years with my crush. Once I got to college, I learned to loath New Years. Friends were out of town. I broke my ankle and watched Saturday Night Live from the comfort of my hospital bed while heavily sedated by morphine. I had no plans, so I was pissed and went to bed at 10:30. My friends bailed on me, and an ex-fiancé propositioned me to have sex in his dad’s minivan in a parking lot the following day. No matter what year, I never seem to kick off the new one on the right foot…

This year, I was determined to do it differently. My boyfriend Eric and I didn’t really make any plans, so I kind of fell on my old staple: The Wine Room over on Park Avenue. The Wine Room is one of those amazing places in Winter Park where all of the up-and-coming 20-somethings rub elbows with established Gen X’ers and really hip Baby Boomers who are still 21 at heart. They play lots of music you’d hear in the club, always have a game or a UFC fight on an oversized plasma above the bar in the back, and about 100 different wines, champagnes, and beers for tasting- many samples starting at $1.25. They have an eclectic cheese selection, and have recently added a small-but-diverse food menu where prices range from about $6 to $14. The Wine Room is not your typical bar scene- everyone is pretty stylish, though there is no dress code. You might see some MILF once and a while dancing to the music with a pretty good wine buzz, but you’ll never see anyone obnoxiously drunk and puking. The service is amazing, and there isn’t much turnover so you really get to know some of the staff. Kevin is by far the most attentive and knowledgeable wine lovers I’ve ever met- Meet him! This is really one place where you can come with $5 and have a wonderful time with friends, or a romantic night with your sweetie.

Eric and I did find some parking right on the street on Park. The Wine Room wasn’t arm-to-arm crowded with people- which was a relief considering that was my deciding factor in not going to Downtown. There weren’t really any specials going on except for a few glasses of wine or champagne, but they didn’t charge a cover. As always, the place didn’t disappoint. I had ordered the Black and Blue wrap since they were out of smoked salmon needed for the appetizer I really wanted. The $11 wrap looked like a meal for two, and the server just chuckled as she apologized for making it too large (a friendly group of party-goers sharing the table top with us ordered the same thing after I raved about it, and theirs was the same size as well). Once I went to clear my tab I had seen that I wasn’t charged for the ginormous wrap. I called the server’s attention to point it out, but she said not to worry about it.

My total for the night? Most people probably spent about $30 just to get in a club, at least $10 for drinks if you were tipping your bar staff should the drinks be complimentary, and paying for parking. I paid under $20 for two glasses of champagne, a huge wrap that Eric and I had to share, plus the large tip I left the waitress who let the food slide.

A few minutes to midnight the plasma was changed to something being hosted by Ryan Seacrest, and the bar staff started passing out free glasses of champagne to anyone they could get to. It was great to finally be amongst all the people, anxiously awaiting the 10-second countdown, the excitement so think and infectious that you find yourself gripping that champagne flute with a smile so big it looks like a Chelsea grin. We all shouted in unison and clicked glasses. And yes, I finally got my kiss at midnight.

Eric asked me in his cynical fashion, “What’s all the commotion about with New Years anyways?” I just shrugged, but I guess it really is like what that drunk chick says in Forrest Gump: You get to start all over, everyone gets a second chance. Maybe this means that 2009 will be the year that it all gets turned around.


Resolutions

The Holidays have been pretty great. Since I don’t get breaks from work the way I did when I was in school, I’ve come to think of the days that the office has been closed as Winter Break for working people. Today is New Years, so the world has stopped functioning so that it can recover from one-too-many glasses of champagne. And what’s the best thing to watch when you’re home from work?

The Price is Right!

Eric had made some pancakes and put on a pot of coffee, and I enjoyed the morning of getting to sleep in a bit and read a book before climbing out of bed. The PIR was on, so its mandatory that it gets watched- though I’m really not a fan of Drew Carey taking over Bob’s place. I secretly think that everyone feels the same way I do. Although I will say that some people might find Drew a little more useful. For instance, one of the contestants won her way up to the stage, barefoot no less, and used Drew’s shoulders as a pogo stick while she bounced around. That would never happen with Bob! He might punch you out, Happy Gilmore style. Say it with me now: “The price is wrong, bitch!”

Along with the obvious change in tone that Carey brings to the table, the announcer’s speeches have changed as well. When he was describing the trip to Paris as part of the showcase showdown, he said this little gem: “Do you like French Toast? Do you like French Fries? Do you like kissing people with your tongue?”
Ugh. Something that NEVER would have been said with Bob.

Anywho, I found this great article yesterday:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/12/30/o.can.you.afford.that/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

As much as I loathe those self-help kind of people, especially the Dr. Phil types that are just telling people like it is (which any good, honest friend will do) and getting paid millions of dollars for it, I am starting to like this Suze Orman gal. I really liked how there was a situation that I could relate to: Hannah’s story. Myself being a post-grad and having tons of school-related debt, there have been many things that I’ve had to cut back on. I know the feeling of having friends who had lucked out either through their college scholarships, generous parents, or landing a well-paying job even in this economy that has helped them with their finances. Sometimes it sucks having to say, “Sorry, I can’t” when they’re inviting you to the mall, out to dinner, or even to travel.

There are some friends that offer to rent the movies if you make the dinner. Even some that envy your budget-savvy ways, and aren’t embarrassed when you pull out your hoards of coupons to make a purchase. They want to go thrift storing with you to see if they, too, can find a vintage Lacoste sweater, and don’t mind moving dinner plans up a few hours to take advantage of Cheesecake Factory’s amazingly cheap bar menu. Those are the friends that are the best.

There are those friends who tell you, “Oh, I forgot how broke you are. Nevermind then.” There are some people who will flash their new designer duds around, forgetting the fact that you’d love to buy that Spring ’09 Gucci- but the rent, the electricity, the cell bill, and the student loans are all due that week and its going to eat your paycheck alive. And those are the friends that I’ve gladly cut my ties with.

That’s only one thing that I’ve done to set myself up for a successful year. Aside from surrounding myself with good people, I’ve made the resolution to have my credit card debt paid off in 12 months. I’ve started this 2 months ago, and so far I’ve paid the amount necessary every time.

And like everyone else, I’ve vowed to cut back on a few things in 2009:

1. Two weeks ago, I severed ties with what had been a part of my identity: my acrylic nails. I’d had them about four years, and I acquired a second mother- my beloved nail tech Carol Ann. Now Carol Ann and I chat via MySpace, and I keep an extra $30 a month in my checking account by doing my own mani/pedis.
2. I cancelled by gym membership last month. I’ll start taking advantage of my apartment’s facilities. That’s more gas in my tank as well as another $70 a month.
3. With the gas prices as low as they have been, I can now cut my gas budget from $25 a week to $15- an additional $40 that gets to stay in my pocket.

Um, can we say an extra $140? That’s roughly what I need every month to get my credit card balance down to $0 in 12 months.

Aside from that, I also do some other little things to help out day-to-day. For instance, I make my own coffee and bring it in my Starbucks travel mug. I also pack my lunch- usually leftovers from the dinner yesterday- but I do keep an arsenal of take-out menus for budget-friendly places in my desk at work should I want to treat myself every now and again. I also make sure to eat healthier foods and try to take care of my body. Getting sick before I gain health insurance and paid sick time from my employer is not an option.

Here is another article that I found in the Wall Street Journal that also gives solutions to some problems, although some of the problems were kinda funky. Example: You aren’t getting enough Vitamin D. But there are some great ideas in here, like cutting the cost of your health insurance, planning for college and retirement, and even a bougie-friendly solution of how to save your amazing Jimmy Choos. Do check this one out as well:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123068308029744121.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1&

These are just a few things that I think anyone can do. Now stop reading this, evaluate your budget, and see what kinds of things you can do to cut back. Feel free to post some comments on here of what you’re planning on doing this year to save some money!