Friday Finds

Happy Halloween everyone! M. and I will head over to the Red Room this evening as Vampire & Frank the Bunny. Do join us if you are in or around Long Beach. I will post pictures tomorrow of our get ups and the best costumes of the night.

Not surprisingly, I am in a money-saving mood. I am cheap already and we don't spend all that extravagantly, but I am lazy about things like coupons. Mine tend to expire, or I forget the coupons when I go to the store. Time to reassert my frugal mindset, passed down to me through the ages. Generations of working class know-how can get you along during the lean times. I already live by the motto of "I can totally make that/do that myself." I wash my own car, use Dryel for dry cleaning, microwave sponges to disinfect them and give them extra life. I hope I don't become one of those people with Depression-era quirks like saving every bag or reusing coffee filters. But those people did have some good ideas.

Anyway, here are a few blogs about living frugally:

Frugal Living - general tips

Boston Gal's Open Wallet a 30 something gal trying to live cheaply in the city. Great blog!

Domestik Goddess - thrifty tips for home and garden

50 Tips for Frugal Living is really helpful, but I just can't fathom not having cable television. I write it off every year on my taxes, thanks to my job, but even if I didn't, it would be quite the sacrifice to give up my stories! The other tips are very useful.

One thing I will miss for sure is my book habit. I go to the bookstore about 2-3 times a month. I don't always buy something, but I am always looking to buy something. My book obsession is big. I heart books. Lately I have been requesting complimentary books from publishers (for academic books). This is a good tip for professors out there. Some publishers, like Sage Publications, have a variety of books that are complimentary for teaching profs. I tend to buy novels and entertainment reading, but I think it's time to get out the local Library card.

On the Lox and Bagels front: The salmon is curing as I type! I made it super dilly and will be hopefully having fresh lox on Sunday morning. I have everything I need for fresh bagels too. Whether or not it turns out pretty, I will post the results here. Wish me luck...