Tag Archives: tips

Advice for Remodeling an Airstream

Airstream remodel advice is a tricky topic because each Airstream will be different. They each have their individual quirks, problems and issues.

That being said, there are a few common themes that all Airstream remodels will encounter, so we jumped on a video to chat about ’em.

We talked about making a budget, how much we spent and how much you should expect to spend, how much time it took us and how much time you should dedicate to the task, how to deal with weather issues and other frequently asked questions from folks that are curious about how to remodel an Airstream.

Remember to take our advice with a grain of salt! We each have different skills, abilities and time. It may take you years to remodel your Airstream and you might have a larger budget than we did.

Enjoy! And as always, any more questions about Airstream remodel advice, you can ask in the comments!

Airstream remodel advice from folks that have done it!

How to Make Beeswax Candles

beeswax candle DIYDid you know that beeswax candles are honey hole full of benefits? Ok, that pun was forced. But seriously, beeswax candles can help with allergies, have calming benefits and burn slower and cleaner than paraffin candles. I’ve even heard that beeswax candles give off negative ions that actually purify the air. I also love the scent of beeswax candles.

In elementary school we went to visit the town of Old Salem, a living history town that depict Moravian life in the 18th and 19th century. Well, one guy, dressed in his period-correct finery, was pouring candles. Even as an elementary schooler, I thought that was pretty cool and I bought one. My parents didn’t let me play with matches, so I ended up just smelling the unlit candle like a weirdo. But I’m still obsessed with the natural scent of beeswax candles.

Anyway, I know that beeswax candles are one of those things that I can make cheaper than I can buy. So I did just that. It took me a couple of tries to perfect the process, but here’s how to make beeswax candles.

Supplies

glue wicksGlue your wicks to the bottom of the jars. The glue helps the wick to stay in place during the pouring process. Let dry, then trim the wicks to slightly longer than the desired length. (I didn’t do that and regretted it later.) Pour your pellets and coconut oil into the pitcher. 1/2 pound of pellets makes about a 1 pint jar candle. Fill large pot of water 1/4 of the way full of water.

candle making pitcherPut the candle making pitcher in the water. It might float a bit. That’s ok. Stir until the wax is melted.

candle coolingAs the wax is melting either heat up your oven on low or prepare a bowl of warm water and put your jars in it to cool the candles. I did both and both methods worked. The addition of coconut oil and the intricate cooling process ensures that the candles don’t crack. The coconut oil also gives the candles a lovely baby yellow hue.

beeswax candles coolingWhen wax is fully melted pour carefully into jars to not disturb the wick.

candles covered in tinfoilIf using the water cooling method, cover in candles in tinfoil. If using the oven method, turn the oven off and let the candles cool inside.

We just made beeswax candles! All my childhood dreams are coming true! Also, wouldn’t these make great gifts?!

Have you ever tried candle making? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

12 Habits to Save Money, Be Happier and Make Life Easier

12 habits to save money, be happier and make life easierAutomating my life through habits is my big secret to staying sane. During the summer, I work 10 hour days, have two hour commute and with my lunch hour, I’m gone from my house for at least 13 hours a day. I also write for this blog and And Then We Saved, have some semblance of a social and family life and maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle. But to fit everything in, that doesn’t leave much time to do anything other than sleep. Automating my life has made things so much easier and it’s given me a bit of time back each day. It’s the only reason my brain hasn’t completely gone haywire.

I’ve learned that we humans can only make so many decisions per day and if we waste those precious decision-making skills on something like the lunch menu, we have fewer skills available for something actually important. I’m no psychologist or even an expert, but The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg explains the science (and power!) of habits way better than I ever can. I’d really recommend it.

Even our president knows about the power of habits. Ina 2012 interview for Vanity Fair President Obama was quoted saying, “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” he said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” I’m not making the important decisions that our president is, but even piddly decisions are exhausting. So to deal with those decisions, I make habits. It’s helped me to save money, be happier and make my life easier. Here’s my best habits:

1. Meal Prep
There’s all kinds of articles out there about how to meal prep. Most of them I find overwhelming and boring. Here’s how I meal prep: On Sunday night I make all my breakfast and lunches for the work week, and then I have a loose idea of the dinner choices. I chose to not make my dinner in advance, because I like variety—it’s the spice of life! But I may do some dinner prep– like cutting up vegetables.

For breakfast I’ll have my crustless quiche. This helps to use up the leftover veggies in the fridge—ensuring that I don’t waste food or money and I start the day with protein and veggies.

For lunch, during the summer, I’ll usually have a large spinach salad with pre-cooked chicken. It doesn’t take long to throw together and it doesn’t get old because I can mix it up with different dressings and toppings. During the winter, I’ll usually have soup or stew made from my trusty crock-pot.

For snacks, I rely on packs of nuts and apples with nutbutters that I keep in my desk at work. I also keep tea and coffee at work for those times when I need a little extra jolt. It keeps me from dropping $5 at my school’s coffee shop.

For dinner I rely on easy staples. I don’t plan in the traditional sense of the word (i.e. there’s no Taco Tuesday) because George and I might be in the mood for tacos on Monday or every other day, we love tacos. Instead, I’ll have a loose idea of what we’ll eat that week. One night will usually be stir fry, the next night will be tacos, another will be fish or chicken and a veggie. We’ll usually have hamburgers and we’ll almost always finish the week with a homemade pizza. Pizza is a treat and it’s our favorite.

One of my favorite tips for these easy dinners is to buy a grocery store roasted chicken. They are tasty, cheap and you can make so many quick, easy meals with them.

2. Lay out your clothes for the week (even gym clothes!)
In the morning, I’m a grump. I admit it. You’ll never see me spring out of bed to greet cartoon bluebirds at my window. I just won’t ever be a morning person and that’s ok. But to make my mornings a little easier, I’ll look at the weather forecast on Sunday; then I lay out my work clothes for the entire work week—including my socks and underwear. When I don’t do this, I end up dressing a lot sloppier than I should. It’s really helped me to up my wardrobe game and I don’t have that panicky “I have nothing to wear” moment in the morning.

I also put all of my gym clothes for the week in my gym bag along with my shoes. When I get home, I take the dirty clothes out of the car and leave the clean clothes and the bag in the car. This means I go to the gym right after work (or during lunch at work) and I don’t have the chance to go home to change. If I have the chance to go home and change clothes it’s a million times harder to go to the gym because my bed just looks too comfortable.

Sidenote: To make this process even easier, I’ve been on the lookout for clothes that can double as work and gym wear. I haven’t come up with much, yoga pants aren’t acceptable at my job, but I’m hopeful! If you have links to (preferably inexpensive) gym clothes that can double as work clothes, link me in comments!

3. Put things in their place
To make things a habit, I’ve found that placing things in a visible or convenient place makes the habit stick faster. To help me to drink more water and kick my vending machine bottled water addiction, I bought a refillable water bottle and I keep it on my work desk at all times. That simple step has helped me to drink more water and has saved me a couple hundred dollars.

Here’s a weird example: I could never remember to pluck my eyebrows and I’d always find weird stray ones when I was sitting in the car before I went in to work in the morning. So I started keeping tweezers in the car and now my eyebrows don’t look like Helga Pataki’s.

I also constantly found myself out-and-about without medicines or Band-Aids, so I made myself an Ouch! Bag to keep in my purse and it’s saved me so much money. By putting things in a convenient place (even if that place is a little unconventional) it’s so much easier to trick your brain into making a habit.

4. Make a list of tomorrow’s to-dos before you leave work
I love a to-do list. But on the days that I forget to make one, I totally notice. I won’t have direction and I’ll spend most of the day putting out fires. (Usually not literally. Although the HVAC system in the library did catch on fire one night. But I left that up to the professionals.)

By making a to-do list before you leave, you also leave that responsibility at work and you’re less likely to worry about forgetting to do something. I’d recommend keeping the to-do list short. I’ve found that three “to-dos” is the perfect number for me. More than that and I’m overwhelmed. Less than that and I’m bored.

5. Do the hard stuff first
I have way more willpower and concentration at 8:00 am than I do at 4:00 pm, that’s why I start my day with the hard stuff. It’s usually the stuff that I really don’t want to do, but as soon as I finish it, I feel better and the rest of the day is a breeze. Some people call this habit, “Eating the Frog.”

I also have a rule that I don’t buy anything after lunch. After lunch I have a lot less willpower. It’s too easy to buy things!

6. Reward yourself
You will never create those hard habits without a reward system. Our bodies crave a reward and when we don’t get that reward we become depressed. Seriously! Give yourself a small reward after you complete a new habit, like a small piece of chocolate after working out. Once you establish the habit (it may take a couple of months) you’ll no longer need the reward because the habit has become, well, a habit!

Even after my habit is established, I also like to give myself healthy rewards. If I finish a project at work, I’ll take a short walk around campus. That way, I get my daily supply of Vitamin D, a little exercise and a reward!

7. Automate your bills and savings
Automating your bills and savings is like a habit that is done for you! There’s no reason to waste time on paying bills if your income is stable. (If your income is unstable, you may want to try the envelope system.) Automate your bill pay through the billing provider or through your bank. It makes life so much easier. It saves paper and stress.

Automating my savings has been one of my best life hacks. The bank automatically pulls a bit of cash from my checking account out each month into another bank account. I have the cash in a separate bank account to take away some of the temptation of spending the money. I don’t even have an ATM card for that bank. I love my Capital One 360 Savings account for this because you can designate pots of money within a savings account. (They didn’t pay me to say this!) For example, I have a little bit of money pulled into a travel fund each month and a house fund. I even had a savings designation for my laser eye surgery!

8. Learn from people who already have it figured out
We’ve all got that friend or relative that has it all figured out. They have their habits down pat. Ask them how they established their habits. The same habit-reward system won’t work for everyone, but I think it’s fascinating to find out how my dad does so much laundry or my mother-in-law manages to hand wash all the dishes after she just made dinner. (Dishes are my kryptonite!)

There’s also some really great literature out there about habits. I can’t recommend Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit more. I’d also recommend Getting Things Done by David Allen. His system to-do system is a little complex, but he offers some great insight into the power of list-making.

9. Keep a journal
One of the best habits I’ve established is keeping a gratitude journal. Each night I write down three things that I’m grateful for. It’s helped me to be happier and more grateful for my life. Even on the bad days, I’ll find something to be happy about and many times on the good days, I’ll write down more than three things. It’s also a habit that has helped me to establish other habits because I can see the positive effects that my habits have on my life. For example, going to yoga made me feel clarity or sweeping the floor made me feel accomplished.

10. Start habits one at a time
I get so excited about starting habits that I want to do all the good habits all at once. But I have so much more success when I start habits one at a time, establish the habit for about a month, then try to incorporate the next habit. We aren’t robots and trying to start five habits is overwhelming. We may do good for a week or so, but then we’ll resort back to our old bad ways because it is too hard. I know. I’ve been there. Take your time establishing a habit before moving on to the next one. You’ll have much more success. Promise.

11.  Delegate
Some tasks aren’t worth your time. They really aren’t. Creating habits and automation will only take you so far when you have a busy life. (And we all have a busy life.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it or even hire someone to do it for you. I know it cost money and we’re all trying to save money, but consider if your time would be better spent on other tasks. Figure out what your time is worth with this handy calculator from Learn Vest.

There’s some great services out there to help out busy professionals. Fiverr will help you to do everything from writing a professional bio to creating a logo for, you guessed it, five dollars. To the point where you need an assistant? Virtual Gal Friday can help! For more errand-like tasks, TaskRabbit will help you to outsource household tasks.

12. Forgive yourself and start again
Creating new, positive habits is hard. I still struggle with habits every.single.day. We all have days that just don’t go as planned and we don’t have time to meal prep. Or we fall asleep before we have time to lay out our clothes. (Ahem, me.) But don’t beat yourself up about it. Simply forgive yourself and start again. That’s the great thing about habits. You have the control to pick that habit back up and start again.

How have you established a habit? How have habits bettered your life? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

18 Tips for Traveling to Memphis, Tennessee

18 tips for traveling to Memphis TennesseeI finally surprised George for his 30th birthday. Big time. With a trip. To Memphis. Because I’m the best wife ever. Surprising George was a huge feat for me. Something always happens and that little stinker somehow figures out his present. Not this time. Oh no. This time I waited until I could hardly stand it anymore (12:01 PM on his birthday) and whipped out those tickets with so much pride.

We had the best time. No stress. Just relaxing and sight seeing. And Memphis is perfect for that. Of course I learned a bunch along the way. And as I learn, I like to share it with you all. Learn from my triumphs and tribulations, folks.

Here’s what I learned along the trip, along with some phone photos because I remembered the camera, but forgot the charger. Story of my life.

1. Memphis is in on Central time (duh!).
I did a lot less planning on this trip because I had to keep it a secret. Much of this trip was loosely planned or not planned at all which was a little nerve-wracking for me. I didn’t even remember that Memphis is on Central time! We went to bed much earlier than many of our Memphis friends, but we got up earlier too and avoided some of the crowds.

Memphis Trolley

The inside of a trolley in Memphis.

2. A downtown trolley ride is a steal.
The downtown trolley in Memphis is a steal. The trolley doesn’t travel very far, just in a large loop around the downtown area and up and down the main drag, but it’s only $1 per ride or $3.50 for a day pass. The trolleys are heated, and beautifully restored. I was ready to move into one, they were that pretty. We even took a ride on the trolley at sunset right by the river. Gorgeous.

3. There are weird alcohol laws in Tennessee.
If you are a drinker, especially a wine drinker, be aware that the alcohol laws in Tennessee prohibit you from buying wine at a convenience or grocery store. You’ll have to visit a liquor store for to purchase wine. And the liquor stores, especially in the downtown area, where we stayed are not plentiful. But you are allowed to enjoy adult beverages on the street. I did some researching and the wine laws may change soon, but as of April 2014, you still can’t easily buy wine in Memphis.

4. There are weird smoking bans.
I’m not a smoker, but apparently in Memphis if the bar, restaurant or establishment is 21 years of age and up (even for breakfast!) people are allowed to smoke. This may have been more of a problem if we were traveling with kids.

5. Be careful if you have food allergies or intolerances.
The food allergy and intolerance wave hasn’t hit the south yet. I love the south, it’s my home, but people are still fairly clueless about food allergies and contamination. And it can be dangerous for folks like me. Almost every single thing was served with a biscuit or on toast. I would suggest doing your research and asking your waitstaff how your food is prepared. Some places surprised me with a gluten-free items that weren’t on the menu.

Beale St. in the morning

Beale St. in the morning

6. Visit Beale Street in the morning to avoid crowds.
Crowds don’t bother George and I, per say, but if we can avoid crowds, we will. Beale Street doesn’t get going until the late afternoon, but if you like to keep it a little quieter, visit Beale Street in the morning. We went about 11:00 am. The bars and restaurants were just opening. Beale Street didn’t get crowded (and obnoxious) until we swung through at 4:00 pm.

7. There’s no breakfast restaurants on Beale Street.
Really. It’s hard to imagine because breakfast food cures hangovers, but there are no restaurants serving breakfast on Beale Street. You’ll have to get a couple of blocks away to get your breakfast fix. We stopped at a little diner called the Bon Ton Cafe, just a short walk away.

Sun Studios8. You can walk from Beale Street to Sun Studios.
We had debated whether or not to get a car on this trip. It would have been convenient, but after doing the math, I decided against it. Parking fees can be steep and other than Graceland, you can walk to most attractions if you stay in the downtown area. Walking from Beale Street to Sun Studios, for example, was no problem.

9. Be prepared for crowds. Check local events.
I had booked a hotel and bought our plane tickets for this trip months ago. I’m also pretty oblivious to sports. Little did I know that Memphis was one of the hosts for the NCAA tournament. There was an insane amount of people in town for the games. It was also spring break for schools in Arkansas which is right across the river. Luckily I booked early so the hotel rates weren’t outrageous, but the restaurants and the streets were a little overwhelming at times.

Wearing our nerdy headphones at Graceland.

Wearing our nerdy headphones at Graceland.

10. Sun Studios does guided tours. The Graceland tours are self-guided.
I was a little disappointed that the Graceland tour was self-guided. We wore nerdy, Walkman-esque headsets and it was distracting trying to figure out if I was on the correct audio chapter. Sun Studios, on the other hand, had a guided tour. It was obvious that our tour guide had a passion and respect for music history. It made such a difference. She even played a bit of guitar for us! Just get to Sun Studios early. The tours fill up quick and the waiting area is cramped.

11. You can’t walk to Graceland from the downtown areas, but the taxis from Graceland are plentiful.
You’ll probably have to call for a taxi to Graceland, but the taxis will be waiting to whisk you back to your hotel. I considered staying at the Heartbreak Hotel for a night—its right across the street from Graceland, but it was more expensive for us to stay at the hotel than to commute via taxi from downtown.

The living room at Graceland

The living room at Graceland

12. Graceland isn’t open late and it’s smaller than you’d imagine.
I splurged and purchased the “platinum” tickets for Graceland. It was a good decision. In addition to the house, we also visited most of the exhibits. I think I would have been disappointed with the house-only pass. The platinum tickets gave us access to other exhibits where we saw boat loads of costumes, artifacts and videos. It’s also important to note that Graceland is only open 9:00-5:00 pm Monday-Saturday and 9:00-4:00 on Sunday. And the lines can be long.

13. Buy your Graceland tickets online first and pick them up at will-call.
In order to avoid the long lines, I would highly suggest purchasing Graceland tickets in advance. You will avoid the long ticket lines and you might even be able to find an online discount code like I did!

14. For souvenirs, get away from the tourist areas.
I try to stay away from souvenirs. Instead, I take a lot of pictures for mementos. If you must purchase souvenirs in Memphis and in other big cities, get away from tourist areas. The local drugstore or even Wal-Mart will carry similar souvenirs at half the price.

15. Check the weather report, especially if you are staying downtown. The streets fill with water pretty quickly and without boots, your feet will get wet.
I packed in such a hurry that I didn’t even check the weather report. I really wish I had packed boots. It was rainy for two days out of our trip and the older streets of downtown Memphis were filled with water in a matter of minutes. I genuinely thought I might get trench foot from this trip.

16. The highlights of Memphis can be seen in a long weekend, but the museums and sites are plentiful.
There’s plenty to see in Memphis. Memphis is steeped in music and civil rights history. And there’s plenty of museums to prove it. And although there’s much to see, if you get your priorities straight, Memphis can be seen in a long weekend. With just four days in the city, George and I felt like we saw almost everything we wanted to see, but also never felt rushed.

Memphis Skyline from the top of the Peabody hotel.

Memphis Skyline from the top of the Peabody hotel.

17. The view from the top of the Peabody Hotel is the best in the city.
The Peabody Hotel is a sight to see— especially if you appreciate architecture. It’s a seriously majestic hotel in the middle of the city that was built in the opulence of the 1920s. The hotel is also home to live ducks! The view from the top of the hotel is awe-inspiring. On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Mississippi river to Arkansas and most of the city’s sites. And the best part is that the view is free and open to the public!

Ducks in the Peabody Hotel fountain!

Ducks in the Peabody Hotel fountain!

18. If you want to see the ducks march at the Peabody, get there early.
The Peabody Hotel is home to a parade of ducks which at 11 am everyday march from the roof to the fountain in the lobby of the hotel. Then at 5 pm, the ducks are wrangled up and marched back up to the roof. The original ducks were put in the fountain by some boozed up guests who were going to use them as decoys on their fishing trip. Years later, a hotel employee, who was a former Ringling Circus animal trainer, trained the ducks to march on the red carpet and the tradition is carried on to this day. The march is super cute, but a bit crowded. We arrived 30 minutes early to the march and got a pretty good view. But we definitely weren’t the first folks there!

Have you ever been to Memphis? What kind of tips do you have? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

20 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Road Trip

save money on road trip

Picture c/o http://web.archive.org/web/20121219045655/http://usamania.wikispaces.com:80/ released under CC licensing.

This summer George and I are taking a road trip to Florida. We’ve been talking about taking this trip for years and I am so pumped that we finally ponied up and planned the thing. I often visited the gulf coast of Florida on family vacations as a child. And I can.not.wait. to (annoyingly) sing entire Jimmy Buffett albums in the car and experience the first time George swims in the warm, clear water of the gulf.

This isn’t our first road trip. Oh no. One summer I lived in California and we drove all the way across the country. I learned quite a bit about road trippin’ and money from that excursion. This time we won’t be traveling quite as far but my budget is still tight. Here’s some of my best tricks and tips to save money on your (and my!) next road trip.

  1. Plan, plan, plan
    Planning is one of the most important aspects of saving money– especially on a road trip. First, create a list of the stops on the trip. Google Maps has a great multiple destinations feature. Using your ideal stops and mileage,  create a budget. I’ll have more tips about the details of creating a road trip budget tomorrow. Knowing where you are going and how much you think it will cost is one of the most essential ways to keep your road trip on the cheap. 
  2. Travel with friends
    By traveling with several people, you’ll be able to split more of the expenses like fuel and hotel rooms. If you like to do your own thing, just let your group know that you like your space too. There’s no shame in needing a little me time.
  3. Expect the unexpected
    So many unexpected things will happen during a road trip– good and bad. You might have car trouble, prepare for that. You might also see something  so kitschy that you just have to stop. The world’s biggest ball of twine, anyone?!
  4. Pack your own food
    Eating on the road will eat through your budget like pac-man eating dots. By packing your own snacks and some meals, you manage to fight the lure of the gas station pretzel and Slurpee. Some of my favorite road trip snacks are: peanut butter and apples, dehydrated fruits and instant coffee! I’ll, of course, have another post about road trip food closer to my trip.
  5. Eat out for lunch instead of dinner
    There comes a time on the road trip when jerky just isn’t going to cut it. Plus, the local cuisine is part of the experience. To cut down on the cost of eating out, try eating at restaurants for lunch instead of dinner. The prices will be lower at lunch time, but you still will be able to savor that local cuisine.
  6. Grocery stores
    Gas station food isn’t very healthy and it’s expensive to boot. Sometimes eating out isn’t much better. Find the local grocery store for healthy and inexpensive fare. George and I will go to the grocery store as one of the first stops when we get to our destination. We stock up on things we couldn’t pack on our road trip like yogurt or milk and store it in our hotel fridge– if we’re lucky enough to have one. This is great for those late night snacks or hotels where breakfast isn’t free.
  7. Stay with people you know
    Relatives and friends have an obligation to let you stay at their house for free. Kidding. But it never hurts to ask if you can stay with relatives or friends who live in cool locals. Offer to cook dinner for them or do other household chores while you are there. Be a good guest and offer the same in return. 
  8. Stay with people you don’t know
    If you don’t know anyone in your desired travel location, you could always try couch surfing. I’ve never tried it, but if I was going to couch surf, I’d be take precautions. I’d only couch surf  with a friend and through a verified organization like Couchsurfing.org.
  9. Collect experiences, not things
    Stay away from souvenirs. You don’t need them. Rely instead on pictures to remember your trip. If you must bring back something for your loved ones, look for something free and memorable. I brought my mom a rock from our trip to the Grand Canyon. Shells from the beach are another total classic.
  10. Take advantage of your smart phone
    What would I have done traveling without a smart phone? Probably eaten at a bunch of crappy restaurants and seen a lot less sights, that’s what. Yelp is one of my favorite tools for scoping out delicious (and cheap!) restaurants in a new city. I also just downloaded the Gas Buddy app for this trip. Gas Buddy helps you find the cheapest gas in your location.
  11. Make some money on the way
    If you are going to travel a long distance, you might as well make some money while you do it! There are a couple of different ways to make money on your road trip. Barnacle uses drivers to deliver packages all over the U.S. If you have a truck, you could also become a carrier for things like furniture and motor vehicles. Check out U Ship for more details.
  12. Camp along the way
    America is a beautiful country with lots of free or low cost camp sites. Even if you aren’t a happy camper (I’m not!) just knowing that I have a hotel booked for the next few nights would soften the blow of spending a night at a campground. It might soften the blow to my wallet too! Recreation.gov is a great place to start your camp ground search.
  13. Kayak.com
    Kayak is my favorite site for travel discounts because it searches all the major travel sites at once. No more going to Priceline to compare it with Orbitz. Kayak does all the work for you!
  14. Ask hotels for discount
    It never hurts to ask for a discount. I highly recommend AAA for roadside assistance. They’ve helped me when I’ve locked my keys in my car– more than once! With AAA, you’ll often get discounts on hotels too!
  15. Don’t forget stuff for the actual trip
    I never leave for a trip without sunscreen, cash and paper towels. Sunscreen is always more expensive at the beach or touristy locations. My bank’s ATM or a Cash Points may be no where in sight. (I hate ATM fees!) And paper towels are a must for quick clean up in the car. In general, all of these items are going to be cheaper for me to buy at home than to buy on the road.
  16. Pack light(er)
    I know, I know, I just said that you need to bring all kinds of stuff. And you need to bring stuff to a point. But packing light(er) will help you to save on gas. I’d consider things like shoes. Do I need 5 pairs of shoes for this trip? Probably not.
  17. Keep your car in tip top shape
    Before you leave on a road trip, get your car checked out by an expert. There is nothing worse than having to buy a big unexpected thing, like tires, on the road.
  18. Keep your tires properly inflated
    By keeping your tires properly inflated, you’ll save on gas. Properly-inflated tires also are more environmentally friendly and believe it or not, help prevent accidents!  Periodically check them at gas stops and you could save a cost of $300-500 per year!
  19. Maintain steady speed
    Keeping a steady speed is essential for achieving optimal fuel economy. Tests from The Energy Conservation Japan show that “varing your speed up and down between 75 km/h and 85 km/h every 18 seconds can increase your fuel use by 20 percent.” So, put on that cruise control and ease on down the road, baby!
  20. Make travel a priority
    Travel is a big priority in my life. I save for it just as I save for retirement. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and regret not taking George to see the clear, blue-green water of the gulf coast. That’s why each month I sock a little bit away just for travel.

What are your best road trip money saving tips? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

Chunky Knit Scarf and Tips for Working with Homespun Yarn

lion brand homespun yarn scarf foldedLast time I was at home, my mom was admiring my knit capelet. Ok, so maybe she wasn’t admiring it so much as I was making her model it for me. I mean, she’s my mom, she has to be proud of my work, right? I was being an extremely annoying daughter that day and after I made her model for me, I drug her away from her J.C. Penny couponing to go to Hobby Lobby. It’s right across the street! She picked out some yarn so I could make something for her and man, oh man, my mom paid me back for annoying her. She somehow managed to pick out the most difficult yarn in the store to work with– this Lion Homespun Yarn.

lion brand homespun yarn scarfIt’s a really pretty, textured yarn, but man, was it a pain in my tuchas. I found very few tips for working with this yarn online, so I’m sharing with you all what helped me to actually create something with the Lion Brand Homespun Yarn.

1. Work with needles larger than the ones recommended on the package. I ended up using size 19 needles after knitting a giant twisted ball of nothing on smaller needles.

2. Knit with two strands of yarn at the same time. The yarn is naturally twisty, so it twisted onto the other strand of yarn instead of onto itself. This will also make a chunkier knit.

3. Keep going. I abandoned this project several times because after I cast on it looked like a big ol’ mess. Only after I knitted the first few rows, could I see the scarf come together.

homespun yarn scarfI cast on 13 times for this scarf and in the end it turned out to be the perfect size for a chunky knit scarf.

Man, I wish I had this advice weeks ago! Have you ever had adventures with Lion Brand Homespun Yarn? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

How to Stay Warm in an Airstream

Airstream in the snowPolar vortex sounds like a made-up character meant to scare children at bed time. If you don’t go to sleep the Polar Vortex will sweep you away to the Netherlands (I imagine it’s cold there) where you have to live in a frigid cave and the only food to sustain your miserable existence is  cold beanie weenies served from a spoon made of icicles. But the polar vortex is all too real, folks. All too real.

George and I are determined to stick it out the weather in our tin can, but there’s been a couple of nights where I’ve questioned my sanity. Luckily we’ve made previsions. Here’s some tips for staying warm in an Airstream and in other old, tiny spaces.Airstream in winter

  1. Winterize
    To winterize the Airstream, we wrapped the pipes in insulation, caulked any and all cracks (it’s my favorite thing to do!) and made thick curtains. Most of the cold in our Airstream comes in through the single-pane windows and it’s surprising what a difference thick curtains have made.
  2. Layer up
    I’ll admit it, I hate being cold. It’s annoying and I’m quite the grump when I’m cold. In the Airstream I always wear socks, sometimes two pairs, and I’ve been sleeping in a sweatshirt. I also made this super comfy scarf/capelet (scarplet?) and I’ve been wearing it as I do chores. I draw the line at having to wear gloves in the house.
  3. Use rugs
    The floors of the Airstream feel like a giant ice cube some mornings. By using throw rugs in almost every area of the house, we avoid freezing toesies and add a touch more insulation to the floor.
  4. Invest in a heated blanket
    Heated blankets may just be my favorite invention ever. I mean, it’s a blanket that is warm. Throw one of those on the bed and you’ll feel like a piece of hot, buttered toast. In a good way.staying warm in an airstream trailer
  5. Heat the pipes
    Before we learned all of these tricks of the trade, our pipes froze… twice. It’s quite unpleasant to wake up to no water. Now we religiously check the weather, put the faucets on drip and use space heaters to heat the pipes.
  6. Have more than one source of heat
    We heat the whole trailer with two space heaters. We’ve chosen to not use any propane at the moment and it’s been working out just fine. I did have a small freakout when George spilled a drink over one of the heaters and it stopped working. (What are the chances?!) Luckily, we had two heaters and could use the other space heater that night as our primary heat source. If I was doing it all over again, I’d seriously consider installing a wood stove.
  7. Have a cuppa
    Nothing warms better than a piping hot cup of tea or coffee! I received an electric tea kettle for Christmas and that thing has been boiling non-stop. If you are a frequent hot beverage drinker, it may be an investment to look into.
  8. Have a backup plan
    And as always, have a backup plan. Hypothermia is no joke. Luckily, George’s family lives close to us and they have a wood stove. Living in the country means that if the electricity goes out, we’ll be out of power and water for days. I cannot stress how important a backup plan is in this kind of situation.

How are you staying warm? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

 

8 Ways to Save Money by Reusing Leftovers

leftoversYou probably already know that leftovers can be a big money saver. Duh, they all say. But let’s be real, leftovers get old quick. Pun intended. I do pretty good at eating leftovers, but after a couple of days I’m sick of eating the same thing. So what’s a girl to do? Repurpose and upcycle those leftovers, that’s what!

Here’s some of my favorite ways to repurpose leftovers:

1. Make chili even heartier with spaghetti noodles!
Chili can last a long time– especially if you make a big ol’ pot. When I was little we never ate chili alone. We always ate it over spaghetti noodles. It makes the chili heartier, last longer and stretch further. When we were grown, my mom told me this was a “poor person thing” but until I moved out of the house I had no idea that people ate chili without spaghetti noodles!

2. Put an egg on it!
One of my favorite ways to spice up leftovers is to throw in a fried egg. Eggs are super cheap and I seem to always have extra in the fridge. Protein power! My absolute favorite is a breakfast pizza. Throw a raw egg on top of your leftover pizza and heat in the oven until the egg white is well… white. So delicious!

3. Don’t throw that last bit away!
Sometimes it’s tempting to throw that last tiny bit of chicken or sauce away. It’s not enough for a whole meal, right? But before you toss it, think about ways you can pump it up. Adding more sauce or more vegetables can beef up that last little bit of food into a whole meal.

4. Smorgasbord!
As you might have noticed, when I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. It didn’t bother me much because my mom had a great imagination and encouraged us to have one too. She used to tell me that the local grocery store during the fall was a pumpkin patch. I didn’t find that out until last year. Man, was she clever. At the end of each week, she’d break out all the leftovers and we’d have a little dab of everything. We got to pretend we were kings eating at our very own smorgasbord.

5. Experiment
It’s so easy to get in a cooking rut. Eating the same 5 meals is easy. But challenge yourself to experiment. Get creative with your cooking. Try to eat all of the stuff in your pantry and fridge before you go shopping. See what you can come up with. Don’t feel very creative? Websites like Recipe Key can help you to find recipes using just the ingredients you have in your pantry.

6. Remember, you don’t always have to use leftovers right away.
Certain foods lend well to freezing. Chili for example. You don’t have to eat chili for the next two weeks (because you’re eating is with spaghetti noodles, right?). You can freeze half of it and break it out during an extra busy or extra chilly weeknight.

7. Leftovers can be made into totally different meals
One of the worst things about leftovers is that they can be boring. But they don’t have to be because they can be made into totally different meals. I used to hope, hope, hope that we had leftover rice at our meals to make rice pudding. My mom’s recipe for rice pudding is the best. Stale bread can be made into french toast, leftover veggies can be made into quiche and leftover spaghetti sauce can be used as pizza sauce! The possibilities are endless, people.

8. Use it as compost
Don’t feel guilty when that leftover tortellini looks like a science experiment gone awry. You can’t eat it now. (Well you could, but you could also end up in the hospital.) But you can still compost it! Throw it in the compost heap and use it to get that garden good and fertile! Helpful hint: Used coffee grounds make excellent plant fertilizer!

Do you have any tips for upcycling leftovers? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

Tips for Charitable Holiday Giving

Photo courtesy of Tracy Olson on Flickr.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Olson on Flickr.

Although I’d like to scream at most stores (and some people) that have had their Christmas decorations out since before Halloween, I can no longer deny that Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are just a day away! The holiday season is upon us, ya’ll.

I’m not diving through a swimming pool full of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck (yet!), but I do find a way to give some of my mere wages to charity during the holiday season and throughout the year. I’d like to encourage you to do so too.

So how do you know if an organization is legitimate? How do you know where your donation goes? How can you make a difference? Here’s some of my tips to making sure your giving counts.

  1. Think about the things that mean the most to you.
    Do you have a big heart for animals? Has a teacher made a difference in your world? It’s time to get mushy and find an organization or organizations that aligns with your beliefs.
  2. Check to make sure the organization is a 501(c) tax-exempt nonprofit.
    The IRS database of nonprofits is difficult to navigate, so I’d recommend just downloading the zip file and searching for the organization by using Ctrl F. You can download the file here.
  3. No money? No problem.
    Charitable giving just isn’t a reality for some people. I get that. But many organizations not only need cash, they need the time of dedicated individuals. Consider dedicating your time, as well.
  4. Ask and give donations instead of gifts this holiday season
    Instead of gifts at our wedding, we asked our guests to donate to our favorite charity. It was one of the best decisions we made. It definitely made our wedding feel a lot less self-absorbed. Instead of yet another something that someone doesn’t need, consider making a charitable donation in their name. It’s pretty much like giving holiday cheer.
  5. Remember that you may be able to deduct charitable giving from your taxes
    Just keep a good, solid record of your donations and in April, you might be able to write them off!

Still stumped? Here are a few of my favorite charities.

  1. Your local Community College Foundation
    Community Colleges change the lives of people by giving them a higher education or a technical skill for a relatively low cost (or for free!). But unlike large universities, community colleges don’t have the alumni support base that large universities do to help offset costs. I donate to the community college I work at each month and I know that my small donation is helping to change the life of student.
  2. NPR
    NPR is another organization that I give to each month. I don’t have a television, so I rely on NPR to supply me with unbiased news on a daily basis. I’m also a sustainer, so I am entered into their trip drawings during their pledge drive. 🙂
  3. Heifer International
    Heifer International empowers families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity. You can donate livestock to international families or communities to help “bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty.” This year I’m giving a goat!
  4. Stronghold Society
    The Stronghold Society is the organization that George and I chose to donate to during our wedding. Their mission “is to inspire confidence, creativity, hope, and ambition for the youth of native and non-native communities… [And] encourage youth to take action to live a healthy life in mind, body, and spirit through the diverse means of skateboarding, arts, and creative movements.” It’s a beautiful mission and it blends George’s love of skateboarding and the arts with my heritage.

In this time of thanksgiving, please think about those who are less fortunate.

love and thanksgiving,
melanie

 

20 Weird Ways to Save Money

Weird ways to saveMy dad once told me a story of this guy at his work who was so thrifty that he ate only bologna sandwiches for the last 20 years. That’s it. Two pieces of white bread, a piece of bologna and some mustard. (Not even any cheese!) Every day. His coworkers used to say that he was so tight with money that if you squeezed him, quarters would fall out of his butt. Crude, I know. When he died, they went into his house and found almost a million dollars stashed under his mattress.

I don’t know if the story is true, my dad tends to exaggerate, but it’s the ultimate story of odd thriftiness. I’m not suggesting you only eat bologna sandwiches because I can’t believe the guy didn’t get scurvy. I’m also not saying that you die with a million dollars stashed under your mattress because you do need to live a little. But I thought I’d share some less extreme, but still a little weird ways I’ve found to save cash.

  1. Don’t wash your hair: My hair stylist actually suggested this one and it has saved me a ton of money. I went from washing my hair every day to washing it once a week. My hair is so much healthier now, less dry and I save an hour a day. And I know what you are thinking: But my hair is oily! George‘s hair was too, but when I convinced him to quit washing his hair so much, his body regulated itself and produced less oil. You’ll go through a gross stage where your hair looks terrible for about a week, but see it through. I’ve yet to go completely shampoo-less, but some people swear by it!
  2. Don’t coupon: Believe it or not, couponing can lead to overspending. Those $10 off $100 deals can be a trick to get you to spend more than you planned. Expiring offers, like those from Groupon or Living Social, can also put pressure on you to make an impulse purchase. And believe it or not, some coupons aren’t actually a “deal.” Coupons are usually for name-brand items, and sometimes even with the coupon, the generic brand is cheaper. Ridiculous! Read more about why I don’t coupon here.
  3. Unsubscribe to junk mail and email: Unsubscribe to retailer emails through Unroll Me and junk snail mail through Catalog Choice. The junk mail will never even make it to your mailbox or inbox, taking away the temptation before it happens! It’s also a great tip to keep down clutter.
  4. Shop under a time limit: Shop before you have to be somewhere or set a stopwatch and give yourself a limited time to shop. There’s less temptation when you know you need to just get 5 things and get out. Sometimes I’ll shop on my lunch break and store the food in the break room fridge at work. It gives me a chance to get out of the office and shop on a deadline.
  5. Flush less: If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down. Nuff said.
  6. Put a water bottle in your toilet tank: Ok, after this one, I swear I’m going to be less gross. A capped water bottle filled with sand in the back of a toilet tank can displacing enough water to save 10 gallons a day. That’s a savings of almost $100 per year! Sometimes it pays off to be slightly gross.
  7. Displace water in your tub (or bathe together!): Displacing water in your tub can also save some dough. I’ll let you decide what or who to help you displace the water 😉
  8. Cash only: Challenge yourself to operate on cash only. By doing everything from paying bills in cash to using cash for groceries, you’ll see exactly where your money is spent. It might be a little more hassle, but the convenience of credit and debit cards can lead to overspending.
  9. Save condiments: If you eat out, save your leftover condiments. My paternal grandma, god bless her, didn’t pay for a single condiment in her entire life. She had a giant Ziplock in her fridge full of ketchup, mustard and mayo packages. She also freshened her breath with the parsley garnish on her plate. As a kid, I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. But now, I know, she was a smart lady. Smart enough to raise five kids on a single income home. Which leads me to…
  10. Think like your grandma: I don’t know when it happened, maybe the ’80s, but people started to get spoiled. We had a boom economy and “treat yo’ self” was the norm. Maybe they said it differently, “Like totally, treat yourself, dude,” but times were easier. Now, it looks like that time was the exception, not the norm. We need to learn how to make do and mend like our grandparents.
  11. Make friends with thrifty people (and stay away from the big spenders): I’m not saying you should ditch all your rich friends because you might need to use their yacht one day, but being friends with like-minded thrifty people is much easier. Your big spending friends influence you to spend more whether you realize it or not. Hanging out with my friend, Gabby, who is ultra-thrifty has has challenged me to be thriftier too. She is a Craigslist ninja!
  12. Eat raw: Uncooked veggies are significantly cheaper than meat. Plain and simple. You don’t turn on your stove, so you save energy costs and we all know how much cheaper veggies are than meat. If this idea is hard for you (it’s totally hard for me! I’m a big omnivore), challenge yourself to just eating one day or one meal per week meat-free. Even Martha does “meatless Monday,” so you know it’s a good idea.
  13. Forage: I’m no foraging expert, but truly getting back to the land can be an educational, money-saving experience. I wouldn’t recommend you go at it alone, though. You don’t want to end up all Into the Wild, but there are mycological (mushroom hunting!) and foraging clubs across the U.S.
  14. Reuse disposable items: Tinfoil, Ziplock bags, saran wrap and other “disposable” items can all be reused. I, personally, wouldn’t reuse them more than a couple of times because I worry about chemicals, but I had a friend who said his mom still had a package of tinfoil from the ’70s because she always reused it. That’s thrifty, ya’ll.
  15. Reuse coffee grinds: This is one of my favorite tips because, well, I love coffee and I have super dry skin. Coffee grinds are a great exfoliator. My skin glows after I slough some on. The jury is still out, but I also heard that coffee grinds can help cellulite ANDDDD those delicious, fragrant grinds can also be used in your garden as fertilizer. Is there anything coffee can’t do?
  16. Shift your thinking: I once read that if you begin thinking of yourself as a fit person, you’ll become more fit. If you tell yourself you “don’t”  eat something instead of “can’t” eat something, you are taking away the negative emotion and empowering yourself. It works the same with money. Begin thinking of yourself as a saver and you’re more likely to actually save. Try telling yourself that you “don’t” overspend instead of you “can’t” overspend. It’s liberating.
  17. Get Scroogy: The holidays are coming up and it’s oh so easy to walk into the nearest Target and drop $200 bucks on decorations. Try making your holiday decorations out of stuff you have around the house or forgo decorations all together this year. You could also make it clear to your friends and family that you won’t be partaking in present exchanges this year. They’ll probably be disappointed, but explain your reasoning and they’ll get over it. If you’re crafty, you could also try your hand at making gifts this year.
  18. Pick up every coin you find: I have a friend who literally throws pennies away. She also won’t pick up change on the ground. WHO DOES THAT. Last year, my mom picked up every coin she saw on the ground, put it in a jar and at the end of the year, it added up to almost $12. That’s free money!
  19. Go to bed earlier: This is a toughie for me, but I know if I go to bed earlier and get up earlier, I’ll be taking greater advantage of the daylight and using less electricity at night.
  20. Make it a competition: Start a saving competition with your family or friends. See who can  save the most money each month. Make sure there is a prize at the end, so you all have that incentive. May I suggest a weekend trip together?
  21. Bonus tip! Live in an Airstream. No really! We do it and it’s been the biggest money saver in our lives. Want to read more about how we live? Start here.

What weird, crazy or out of the box tips or tricks do you have to save a buck? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

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