Frugal Skills: Becoming the Jack of All Trades

ezioman


When Armegeddon occurs, how valuable will your skill set be? Can you farm, repair clothes, cook a pot of beans? Can you build a piece of furniture or repair a small motor? Do you know basic first aid? There are a variety of skills out there that are valuable in terms of living a more frugal and socially valuable lifestyle. Here's a list of possibilities you might want to acquire for the future:

1. Be the Cook: Back before there was such a thing as "convenience foods," somebody had to know how to cook. Most of the time, it was the lady of the house, but many an old bachelor could at least manage some boiled potatoes and fried eggs. Simple cooking skills are not difficult to acquire, and trading in your convenience foods one by one will be a great relief to your wallet (and certainly your health).

One way to approach this is to learn how to cook one new dish per week until you have a fairly broad repertoire of dishes from which to choose.

Another way is to make a pact with yourself to give up one convenience food per week and replace it with something home-cooked. Here's a potential list:

A. Cereal from a box. Yes, this goes for branded oatmeal (especially the little packets) as well. If you eat oatmeal (and I hope you do; it's really good for you), buy the raw rolled oats from a bulk bin and whatever condiments you use (brown sugar, raisins) and learn to cook it yourself. The fastest, least troublesome way is in the microwave. Other good alternatives for breakfast that are not, technically, convenience foods are baked white or sweet potatoes you cooked the night before, fruit, bread you baked yourself, or any leftovers you previously cooked.

B. Bread. Baked, sliced, and bagged, bread is most definitely a convenience food. Baking your own bread seems intimidating, and there is a bit of a learning curve, but there is nothing like bread you have baked with your own hands. After you get the hang of it, you'll be able to whip out a couple of perfect loaves in far less time than it takes to go to the store to purchase them. Look for no-knead recipes to take the work out of it, and buy yeast in bulk packages rather than in expensive little packets.

C. Canned soups. Soups and stews are one of the easiest things to make in the world. You basically throw a bunch of stuff into a pot and cook it a while. Really. If you eat chili from a can three times per week, make one big pot of chili, divide it into six containers, and freeze them. You'll have enough chili for two weeks. The cost of those six cans would have been $18. The cost of that chili you made was about $6 (and this includes energy used to freeze them!).

There are, however, a few convenience foods that probably cost about the same to make as to buy pre-made. These include frozen vegetables bought in large bulk packages (such as broccoli, spinach, corn, peas, etc.) and tomato sauce. A can of tomato sauce will cost about the same price as a pound of tomatoes, so it really becomes more of an issue about which will be best for your recipe.


2. Be the Tailor: Did your mother never teach you? Neither did mine. I bought a machine, my neighbor got me started, and I've picked up a few skills here and there. What will sewing enable you to do? You'll be able to take in a piece of clothing if you've gotten smaller, or let it out if you've gotten bigger, or make a small repair. You'll be able to make gifts from out of your creative wellspring. You'll be able to buy the exact material you want (at a discount fabric store, of course) and make up a set of curtains the right size for your windows in less than an hour or two. You'll be able to hem your own napkins from $.99-per-yard muslin, getting a set of six napkins to the yard. Sewing opens up a whole world of possibilities.

3. Be the Farmer: If you have any space at all (I don't, living in a 550 square foot apartment in the city with another person, though in the past, I have used windowsills to grow tomatoes), you can save yourself a little money by growing your own fresh vegetables. As we all know, fresh produce is expensive, organic produce is even more expensive, and the small amount of time and effort put into a garden is well spent. What skill is more valuable than being able to (relatively) independently grow your own food? This is food security at its best. I have a whole list of things I'm going to plant for when (if ever) I get a yard.

4. Be the Handyperson: Whatever it is, don't throw it away just because it's broken. Check to see if it can be repaired. There are videos all over the web for do-it-yourself repairs such as drywall repair, step/stair repair, plumbing repairs, even vacuum cleaner repair. This has become increasingly more difficult over the decades as manufacturers design their products so that you can't get into the motor of that food processor to change the belt without destroying the plastic casing (this actually happened to me), but repair whatever you can. I once repaired all the plumbing under the kitchen sink of an apartment I was living in because it had rotted through. I knew nothing about plumbing at the beginning, but now I could do it again in half the time, and I could expand that skill to include bathroom sinks as well.

5. Be the Mechanic: Basic auto maintenance is not rocket surgery. With a little effort, and a few internet how-to resources, you can learn to do a variety of simple repairs yourself. Tire inflation, anti-rust paint touch-ups, air filter changes, oil changes, spark plug changes, headlight and turn signal bulb changes, a dead battery, and windshield wiper changes are all things that you can accomplish on your own. Check your auto's manual to make sure you get the right parts.

6. Be the Physician: Good nutrition, regular exercise, and self-care are priceless daily skills to cultivate. Nothing is more valuable or more worthy of your time than your health. If you lose that, you lose your ability to use the skills you have, to live the life you want, to take care of others, and to be a committed member of your community. These skills save you time, since you are less likely to spend it sick. They save you money that otherwise might be spent on doctors, pills, and hospitalizations, as well as missed work. They allow you greater energy to work with the life and skills you've got.

7. Be the Accountant: Keep written tabs on where the money's going, and go over your expenses on a regular basis to keep your household within budget.

8. Be the Manager: You have to know how to prioritize when you're being frugal, because you will, at some point, have to make sacrifices in order to achieve your overall goals. If making the tough decisions seems overwhelming, start with one small day-to-day thing at a time, such as creating a small emergency fund, or paying twice the payment on your credit card debt. The smallest constructive action is better than ignoring the problem.

9. Be the Networker: Educate yourself on how to find knowledge, skills, and resources. If there's something you need, send out the word across your social network. You may be able to borrow or barter instead of buying it.

The Cost of the Holy Days: Thanksgiving

00dann

A quick rundown on what we cooked for Thanksgiving, and how much each dish cost:

Baked Seitan Cutlets and Gravy:
I'm a vegan, so instead of turkey (or even Tofurkey), I rustled up a batch of seitan. Seitan is pure wheat gluten, or what's left after you let the starch of wheat flour dissolve in water. You can buy vital wheat gluten flour, but it's considerably more expensive than just processing the flour yourself. Our seitan was homemade, as in I dunked my arms into cold water up to my elbows and kneaded some dough for a half hour until the starch runneth over. It was the first time I'd ever made it, and it could have been better; I don't think I got all of the starch out of the center of the dough, and I probably should have cut it into thinner slices to boil, but...next time I'll know. This recipe made eight sizable cutlets & gravy made from "drippings." If you were expecting to feed a big crowd, I would double this amount.


Total Cost: $2, and a little elbow grease.


Baked Veggies:
This dish would have cost about $2.50 less had I used broccoli instead of asparagus, and red wine vinegar instead of balsamic. On the other hand, this amount of veggies fills a 9 x 12 pyrex baking dish to nearly overflowing, and the roasted asparagus was worth it.

Asparagus: $3
Mushrooms: $1
Carrots: $.3
Peppers: $.5
Potatoes: $.2
Balsamic vinegar & seasonings: $1
Total cost: $6


Louisiana Red Beans & Rice:
My partner in crime loves this recipe, so I'll definitely be making it again. Next time, though, I'll add more spices, as I found it a little bland.

Beans: $1
Rice: $1
Celery: $.3
Onion: $.15
Bell pepper: $.35
Seasonings: .5
Total cost: $3.30


Mashed Potatoes:
Five pounds makes A LOT of mashed potatoes.

5 lbs Potatoes: $1.20
Soy milk: $.50
Garlic: $.35
Total cost: $2.05


Cranberry sauce (1 can): $1
Homemade Bread (two loaves, total cost): $1.20



Total cost of meal: $15.55

We actually went to someone's house for dinner, and these were the dishes we were bringing. Had it been just the two of us eating at home, we probably would have also made dessert (apple pie = $3), and stuffing instead of red beans and rice. We would have also only made one loaf of bread, cut the amount of mashed potatoes in half, and used the less expensive options for the baked veggies. Even then, we would have had more than enough for four people. In this scenario, our cost would have been:

Cutlets: $2
Veggies: $3.50
Stuffing: $2.50 (using homemade bread crumbs)
Taters: $1
Bread: $.60
Cranberry Sauce: $1
Apple Pie: $3

Total: $13.60

One of the things that keeps this meal so inexpensive is that it is vegan, sans expensive dairy and meat products. Still, if you were going to do a non-vegan meal, and you bought a small twelve pound turkey at $.89 per pound, and used milk and butter instead of soy milk in the potatoes, as well as in the pie, you could tack on about an extra $11.00. $23.50 is still an inexpensive Thanksgiving meal for four, or two with leftovers.


Happy Frugalling,
Robbie

The Popcorn Conundrum

Zanastardust

Lately, I've been giving thought to popcorn.

I like popcorn. It's potentially a healthy, cheap, easy snack. However, I've noticed that the trend (and I've done this myself) is to buy prepackaged microwave popcorn which is salted and sugared and MSG'ed and so forth. Its potential healthfulness is compromised by processing. This made me think of the electric air popper I possessed back (way back) in college. All I used then was plain old popcorn kernels. On top of that, microwave popcorn costs $.15 per ounce. Compare that to the bulk popcorn I paid for at $.05 per ounce. So I brought home the bulk kernels.

But then I had to figure out how to pop them.

Here were my options:

1. Pop them in a lidded pan on the stove.
2. Buy a little plastic microwave popper from Amazon for $8.99 plus shipping.
3. Pop in a microwave in a paper bag.
4. Buy an electric air popper.
5. Find a more creative solution.

There were two problems with option #1: I didn't want a lot of added oil in my corn, so tossing the kernels into a pot with a lid would likely be out. Also, I'm much too lazy (at least when it comes to snacks) to shake the pan over the burner until the popcorn pops. #1 was out.

I liked option #2 a lot. I was willing to pay the $8.99, but I was unwilling to pay the shipping charge, and I didn't happen to need anything else from Amazon that would bump me up to free shipping. So option #2 was, at the very least, put on hold.

I had actually been using option #3, but for some reason, no matter how closely I would watch it, the popcorn would always burn a little. Also, I was throwing brown paper lunch bags into the recycling bin, and I would prefer something much more reusable.

Option #4 turned out to be twice the cost of Option #2, and electric air poppers take up a lot of counter/cupboard space. It had been a useful gift in college, but this was no longer a viable option.

That's when I had a revelation that became option #5. Gladware. I have a lot of lidded plastic containers lying around since I stopped using plastic baggies and cling wrap for food storage purposes. Technically, these containers are disposable, but I wash them and use them over and over again. It so happens that I had one with a tiny little crack in the bottom rendering it useless for the purposes of holding soup (which is what I most often use them for). I checked the maker's website and found out that the lid was microwaveable (some plastic lids will melt, so be sure to check the brand you have before trying this at home). I poked plenty of holes in the lid so that the steam from the cooking popcorn could escape and keep the lid from popping off and making a mess.

I dumped two tablespoons of popcorn into the bowl, secured the lid, and put the microwave on high for two minutes. Voila! Perfect popcorn! I sprayed it lightly with butter-flavored no-fat cooking spray, sprinkled it with salt, and my partner and I were good to go! The popper basically cost me nothing, since that plastic container could not be used for keeping food anymore, but if you have to go out and buy one, they cost about $3.49 for three of them, or $1.16 a piece. I consider this money well spent.

Happy Frugalling,
Robbie

Let Me Entertain You

carf

Living in San Francisco can be extremely expensive when it comes to entertainment. Happy hour pints cost $3 a piece these days; regular pints are $4 to $5 and mixed drinks are $6 and up. A concert ticket at the Warfield is around $50 per person. Even a cheap dinner out usually ends up being about $15. I recently paid $17 to see a movie at the Metreon IMAX because 15 minutes of it was in 3D. True, that 15 minutes was fall-out-of-your-seat spectacular, but $17...sheesh! I rarely go out to movie theaters, and I haven't seen a concert in years.

At the same time, entertainment doesn't have to be expensive. There's a lot to do in San Francisco, and a good deal of it is free and cheap. Sometimes it takes a little digging and preparation, but it's out there.

Live Theater

I've had several friends over the years volunteer as ushers at local theaters so that they can see shows for free. Places like Volunteer Match can help you find your way into ushering possibilities.

There are sometimes pre-opening-night shows, matinees, and other discounted versions of the plays you want to see, as well. Check Theatre Bay Area for info.

SF Mime Troupe

If you haven't yet seen them, the SF Mime Troupe is a must for anyone living in SF. The group was established in 1959, and they provide free shows (donations accepted, however) all over the city.
These are talented writers, musicians, and actors, and their shows are original and entertaining.

And don't forget that every year brings free Shakespeare in the Park.

Opera

I've had other friends who would get all gussied up and go out for an evening of opera...and they only paid $10 per ticket. These are the "standing room only" tickets that go on sale the day of each performance. For more info, go to SF Opera.

Art

Most museums in San Francisco offer "free" days once a month when residents can go into the museums for free. The problem with these days is that they are often crowded to the gills and filled with packs of schoolchildren. Also, you're likely to miss these days if you work a nine to five job as they are usually held on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. However, if you don't mind the crowds, and have time mid-week, here's a list of local possibilities: SF Museum Free Days

Another equally interesting possibility are art galleries open across the city for your perusal. This is a great way to see a variety of different styles, even if some of these galleries are geared towards economic consumption rather than artistic originality. While some of the more uptown galleries are not necessarily on the cutting edge of the art scene, you will find pockets of interesting work here and there at places such as 111 Minna, City Art, and the San Francisco Art Institute's exhibitions.

Golden Gate Park
I can't tell you how many times I've "run into" free entertainment in Golden Gate Park. From the annual "Hardly Bluegrass" music festival, to the ducks in the Botanical Gardens, Golden Gate Park is an endless source. It's a great place to pack a picnic lunch and blanket and lie around in the grass for a little people watching. With regular meetings of tai chi groups, lindy dancing on Sundays, and disco roller blading, there's something here for everyone.

Ocean Beach

What's better on an October evening than a bonfire on the beach? There are fire rings located on the north end of the beach. Get there early to hold your spot, or join a party that's already grooving.

While the ocean at Ocean Beach is generally too cold to swim in, it's a great spot for a long walk, people watching, or a peaceful nap in the dunes. The sunsets are frequently lovely, and the ocean reflects a different sky every day.

Stern Grove

Stern Grove is famous for its summer concerts. They consistenly get great acts and promote international musical arts. This past summer featured r&b songstress Roberta Flack, folk singer Joan Baez, work by the SF Ballet & Opera, rap group the Mighty Underdogs, and Kailash Kher, out of Bollywood.

Netflix

Netflix, how I love you; let me count the ways. I don't often tout the services of a corporation, but Netflix has been so innovative, with such an original idea and excellent customer service, that I just had to give it a plug. Not only can I have three DVD's out at a time, I can go online (if you have a PC...if you have a Mac, it won't work) and stream movies and television shows (they add more options to this feature all the time) for unlimited amounts of time. I get immense entertainment value for about $18 a month (including taxes). Netflix also offers a "box" (which I'm considering) for $99 that you hook up to your tv. It's equipped with a wi-fi card so you can stream video from Netflix's site straight into your television. I think this is a great deal.

Back to the Good Ol' Days:

The Old Fashioned Library

One of the best resources in the city is the public library system. I can go online, request a book, and have it sent to my local branch. I show up at the library, and it's already pulled from the shelf with my name on it. I'm in and out in five minutes. I can pay late fines online. The library has dvd's, music, and many, many books that I can't wait to read.

Potlucks

One of the best ways to hang out with friends is get everybody together for a potluck. Potlucks remove a lot of work from the host's shoulders, and enable everyone to showcase their favorite dishes. It's a great way to get together for the cost of a homecooked meal.

The Return of the Board Game

I don't know if anybody's noticed, but board games are back! We've recently discovered some good ones: Apples to Apples, Cranium, Dominion, and, of course, cards. Our most recent favorite card game is Eucre. Board and card games are a great way to get together with friends and family for almost no money, beyond the beer and popcorn.

There are PLENTY of cheap entertainment sources in San Francisco, and many of the most interesting ones don't involve $100 dinners or $20 cover charges with two-drink minimums. If you can't find cheap entertainment, make some. Your friends will be grateful.

Happy Frugalling,
Robbie

Revisiting Service Contracts

joebeone


I recently received my yearly car insurance contract renewal in the mail. On closer inspection, I realized that I had myself down as driving 12,000 miles per year. In the four years that I've had the car, I've only put 7000 miles on it. Not yearly, but 7000 miles total for four years. So I went online and got a new quote for 2000 miles per year and saw that I would save well over $100. On further inspection, I realized that it might be in my best interest to bulk up my liability a little. When I called the company and made the changes, I went from paying $340 per year to paying $280 per year...with more liability. I'm saving $60 a year, and I'm receiving a better service. $60 was well worth the ten minute phone call it took to make the changes.

My partner also recently reviewed his cable bill and found that his sign-up deal had run out. The cable company was now charging him nearly double. It took a few frustrating phone calls, but he found someone at the company who was willing to sign him on to a slightly different deal for about the same money he was paying before. It made the difference between paying $75 per month and paying $120 per month. A few frustrating phone calls is worth an extra monthly $45.

Definitely take a look at your service contracts (cable, cell phone, internet, insurance policies, etc.) on a regular basis, and make sure you're really getting what you need. Before you renew a contract, shop around. Right now is an especially good time to find good deals and strike bargains.

Happy frugalling,
Robbie

Putting my house in order.

pnwra


I know it's been forever since I last posted, but the underwear project completely derailed me. :) I actually succeeded in created two pairs of underwear, but they didn't...quite...fit. Too bad, because they were cute. I need to further improve my sewing skills before taking on such challenging projects. One sewing project I did complete in the meantime was a dozen muslin napkins, good for dinner parties, easy to clean, and pleasantly rustic-looking. They would also make unique and inexpensive gifts for the ecologically-minded.

In other news, after receiving a modest check for serving as a medical experimentation subject, I've achieved completion on my emergency fund. If pushed to do so, I could live on just under $1000 per month, and I currently have enough stashed away for about eight months. This is satisfactory savings for me if I were to suffer a long-term lay-off.

My next two financial goals are 1) real estate, and 2) retirement. I currently put away about $75 into a Roth IRA for retirement purposes, though this really isn't enough. I'm going to consider raising this to at least $100 per month, and all the rest of my savings will be put aside for the purposes of a real estate purchase. I'm not sure what sort of real estate I'll be looking for; likely something that will not mean going into debt. I'm considering acreage or a fixer house outside of California, but we'll see. I'm a good year or two away from being ready to lay down the cash.

Happy frugalling,
Robbie

The Underwear Project

kallao

I need new underwear, so I've been exploring my options. I've checked out Old Navy, and although I like their styles, their underwear costs about $5 per pair and a trip either downtown (which I hate because it will take me two hours via public transport...there's no parking downtown, really, unless you want to pay $5 per hour) or shipping charges online. To purchase, for instance, five pairs of underwear, it's going to cost me $33 online, or $30 and an unpleasant noisy, crowded two- hour trip downtown. If I were to choose this option, I would probably go for the $33 online. There's also Gap and Co.'s sordid past of using sweatshop labor, per the Amnesty International reports. Even though I've heard they've cleaned up and it's not explicitly sweatshop, they are certainly not using fair-trade labor practices, so I try to avoid buying from huge corporate sources whenever possible.

Another option is to get them from Target. This would cost me about $36 for six pairs of underwear, including shipping, or gas, and taxes. Target is a half hour drive from my house, and would cost me a substantial amount of gas and time, so I would probably opt for shipping online. Again, Target's sources are unknown to me, and are certainly not fair-trade, so I'd like to avoid them, if possible.

A third option is to go to a Ross store here in the city. This option would be easy on time and gas for me, and I could probably acquire five pairs of underwear for about $15, including tax. My only problem with Ross is that they rarely have what I like (I'm picky) in the size I need. So though I could buy cheaply here, I'll get a sub-par product that I might be unlikely to wear, and therefore would be unworthy of the expense. The other problem is that issue of unknown sources, although a positive is that Ross buys up the clothing other retailers are unable to sell, keeping them in the market and out of landfills and/or recycling processes.

Since none of these options seem that appealing, lately I've been considering a fourth option: I could sew my own. I could choose a yard or two of inexpensive stretchy knit cotton material in the color of my choice, some elastic, and some thread (which I might already have) at a discount fabric store within walking distance from my house. I could use an old pair of well-fitting underwear as the pattern. I could probably accomplish ten pairs of underwear in less than three hours for under ten dollars (this includes the walk to the fabric store, a walk which I take daily anyway for exercise). How much would that save me in cash? About $20. Would the material be fair trade? Probably not, but at least it would be one level of production process removed. Also, there's a very big added benefit to sewing my own: The creative effort to make them gives them a value that reaches more deeply than the impersonal $5 I would have spent. There will be an emotional and spiritual investment as well as financial. I'll take better care of them, and wear them longer. They'll be of a higher quality, so they'll last longer anyway. I'll have an expanded sense of accomplishment and I'll have added something new to my skill set: Undie-maker. :)

Tomorrow, I'll purchase the fabric and try to post pictures.

Happy frugalling,
Robbie