The Inexpensive Spice of Life

Spices are and should be one of the cornerstones of any kitchen. Whether you use them often or not, I'll bet you have a variety of spices, including salt and pepper, in your kitchen cabinets right now. How long have they been in there may be a question you wish not to consider (I know I didn't), but you have them nonetheless.

WHAT DO SPICES AND SAVING MONEY HAVE IN COMMON?

Plenty. Spices Are Expensive! But, they sure do help make your food taste better, so we all need some (potatoes without salt? Spaghetti sauce without oregano or basil? YUK!). You may be saying to yourself, why should I buy more spices if I have a cabinet full? Well, my question to you is how long have you had them and are they still good? One article I read stated this.

Stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place, spices retain their potency longer than you'd think — as long as 4 years for whole spices, 2 to 3 years for ground spices, and 1 to 3 years for leafy herbs, depending on the herb.

That sounds pretty good, but again, make sure you read the first 5 words, "Stored in an airtight container." So, once you have inventoried your spice collection and determined which ones still have some "Omph" and which ones don't, you may find yourself at the local store seeking out more spices.

SPICY TIP #1: Buy spices from bulk bins and save yourself a fortune.

Recently, my boyfriend and I decided to completely restock our spice cabinet. We threw out everything and started over. We determined we had spices older than his youngest child .... who is now 10. (Yeah, I know....Eeww was my reaction too). Instead of buying all of our spices at the local grocery store which could and will cost a fortune, we bought all of our spices from bulk bins. What a savings. For example, we bought 3 ounces of basil (yes we like Italian cooking) for about $1.00. Try topping that deal in the grocery store.

SPICY TIP #2: When you throw out your old spices, just through out the spices and not the bottles. That way, you can save the containers and just replace the spices.

This tip helped us out a lot because we didn't have to spend more money on purchasing spice jars, although you may have to if your cinnamon was packed so tightly it adhered itself to the sides of the jar. Regardless, you can reuse the bottles if you wash and dry them thoroughly. So where can I get these great deals on bulk bin spices?

SPICY TIP #3: Find a store near you and have fun.

If you are lucky enough to have a Central Market, Whole Foods, Ballard Market, or something similar, you can buy your spices from the bins and save money. They keep them stocked with fresh products, so you need not worry about getting "old" spices.

Here's to spicing up your life and your food all while saving money!

Dear Financial Diary...

"Where did all my money go?" Tell me you have NEVER said this, and I will call you a big LIAR!!!!!! Not that I don't like you or anything, but we all need to be honest with ourselves. Have you ever felt like you were financially lost way before payday because you had no idea where all of your money went? I have felt that way many a time and here is what I did about it. I kept a financial diary for a week. As painstakingly annoying as it was, I wrote down every last cent I spent and what I spent it on. It was an eye opening experience, to say the least.

Here is what you do. Get a notebook and pen that you can put in your pocket, purse, backpack, or whatever you happen to carry your stuff around in and know where they are when you need them. Then, every time you spend any money, whether it be cash, check, check card, or credit card, write it down. Write down how much you spent, when you spent it, where you spent it, and what it was for. At the end of the week, review your entries. Review your entries for any patterns or trends to show yourself where/how/when you are spending all of your money. This is a very easy exercise and one that everyone should do when they start to feel like they are spiraling out of control financially.

Here are a few of the observations I made about myself.

1. I eat out WAY to much because I am too lazy to cook when I get home from work.
   
2. I spend a lot of money on junk food and sodas at work. I guess the scale in my bathroom could have told me the same thing. Ugh!
   
3. I spend a lot of time in the same stores and have discovered that I frequent those stores because I am bored and think spending money will cure my boredom. WRONG!
   
4. I am too easily influenced by friends when it comes to happy hour.
5. I should take my lunch to work more often and not eat out so much with my coworkers.
6. I need to learn how to say no to my family when they constantly want money here and there and it is not a necessity.
   

After my little exercise, I made conscience efforts to recognize when I started to fall into my old habits. I am not saying I never eat out, go to happy hour, give my family money, or have a soda at work, but I try to watch my money a little closer so that I can still have fun, but not at the expense of getting caught up in my little drama entitled "Where Did All My Money Go?"

I bet you will be surprised at how much money you could save by just doing a one week self-evaluation of your spending habits. Try it and see if you don't find some financial corners you can cut. Good luck!

I Can't Drive 55!

While on vacation over the past couple of weeks, I was thinking about how to save money while on the road. Given that we drove to and from our destination, money for gas, snacks, drinks, etc., were on my mind. So, here are my tips for a great money saving road trip or vacation.

1. Pack a cooler and take it with you. Take your own water, sodas, and ice with you. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. Also, if you don't have a cooler, I suggest buying a MaxCold because it DOES WORK!!!! We have still had ice in our cooler after 5 days.
   
   
2. Take along your own snacks for the car. If you drive anything over two hours, it is definitely worth it. Our time in the car one-way was approximately 5 hours, so we definitely made sure to have our snacks packed. It also gives you a chance to control what you eat. Healthy snacks are much better for everyone and are not always available at the roadside gas station/convenience store. And there is nothing wrong with throwing a couple of candy bars or packs of cookies in there too!
   
3. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Driving with over- or under-inflated tires can actually cause you to use more gas, which of course adds to the cost of your trip. And, properly inflated tires add to your safety.
4. Drive the posted speed limits (or close to it -- not that I am telling you to speed, but I do understand if you are 1-5 MPH over). Why is this important? Because it saves you from getting a speeding ticket and those can be very expensive. And, it is much safer. Of course you can buy a radar detector starting anywhere from $35.oo up to whatever you are willing to spend, but just remember, if you get caught by Mr. Policeman or Policewoman AND you have a radar detector, you are at risk of paying more. Probably not worth it in my opinion.
   
5. Use your cruise control. Gas mileage is better the more consistent your speed is and what better way to control your speed? You paid for the feature when you bought your car....why not use it?
   

So, on your next road trip or vacation, try out some of these tips. I bet you will save yourself more money than you thought. Have fun!!!!