Being Frugal & Loving your Body

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Being frugal and living simply has become a big part of my life, and not just in the way of spending money. Living simply, for me, means so much more! It means being practical while still being healthy with food purchases, it means not taking more than I or we need, it means giving back whether to the earth, friends or family, it means learning to put my love into making and creating our foods that nourish us from simple ingredients, it means taking a second thought before buying on a whim and it means being creative when it comes to gifts for others and for myself and on date nights! I'm so grateful to be able to blog about this because its keeps me encouraged to continue living that way!

One very important part of being frugal and living simply, for me anyways, is learning to eat to save myself. Sounds kind of odd, but thats the only way to put it. There are so many people I see running from here to there all the time and just grabbing a quick bite at a fast food chain, and sometimes its even referred to as a "treat" or a "gift" for getting through the week. I give myself treats and I think its important to do that especially after a hard week, but with all the knowledge that is coming out about what horrible ingredients there are in fast food and what horrible things eating that food can do to the body, why call it a "treat"? And I got to thinking where does that mindset come from?

I've been working hard to change my "treats" into healthier ones, but ones that are just as much "treats", like a dark chocolate bar, instead of a hamburger. I realize this kind of choice is absolutely up to everyone as an individual and what people like, but it seems like a contradiction, why "treat" yourself for working hard, with something that is no good for you and can contribute to your body working harder? and therefore not actually feeling any better? I didn't always treat myself in the right way. During college I used to use smoking (I know sounds crazy now!) as a way to "treat" myself, and I think deep down I always knew it was one of those "treating" but hurting myself kind of things. I would smoke a cigarette on the way to the gym! How awful is that!? It turned out that it was just a habit that I had stopped questioning because it was something I had done for a long time.  There was a girl on the train last night coming home from school at 9:30pm, and she had McDonalds. She was eating  the McDonalds, and after she finished the bag about 5 minutes later, she put her head in her head in her hands, she was rubbing her forhead and her temples. She just didn't look satisfied afterwards and so that is another reason why I felt compelled to write this. Not to put anyone's choices down, but just to ask the question, Do you treat yourself for working hard?  What are the reasons why you choose to treat yourself with different foods or sweets or gym time or relax time?

Guest Blogger with some Frugal Fun Holiday Talk!

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Today we have a wonderful guest blogger stopping by to get us in the frugal holiday spirit! Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online schools. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.  I'm so thrilled she has stopped by to give us these frugal tips before the holiday shopping starts! Maria can be found at http://www.onlinedegrees.org/about/.  Thanks Maria for stopping by!



Holiday Shopping: Frugal Fun for Christmas


It’s easy to get apprehensive about spending too much this Christmas, but don’t let your practical side take all the fun out of holiday shopping. You can be savvy and enjoy the holiday season at the same time by getting a little creative with your resources. There are plenty of ways to stay on-target with your spending, from making gifts to shopping with friends. For some helpful tips that will appeal to your fun-loving side, check out the following list.

Thrifty Transportation

Instead of taking your car out on multiple trips, try using local public transportation if it’s available. You can also carpool with a friend and pay for only half of the gas cost. You’ll have more fun shopping with someone else and save money at the same time. Another frugal practice is planning your shopping around the number of trips you need to take – see if you can get everything done in one or two trips. It’s possible with careful planning, and you’ll save on transportation costs as a result.

Group Gifts

When giving to your siblings’ families, couples, or any other people who share a home, don’t get one gift for each person. Instead, see if you can find one gift or a combination of small gifts that will make everyone happy. For example, you could put together a “movie night” basket with a bag of gourmet popcorn, a new DVD, and some boxes of candy. It’s inexpensive and easy, but it’s also a great gift to receive. Other ideas include bath or spa baskets, dry pre-mixed baked goods in pretty jars, and coffee or tea baskets that include mugs, gourmet coffee beans or tea bags, and fancy stir-ins or chocolate-covered spoons.

Creative Contributions

If you have a creative hobby, you’re in luck when it comes to the holiday season. If you knit, try making scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, sweaters, or any other winter-worthy clothing that could keep your friends and family members toasty. Hand-made jewelry is a frugal and unique gift for the ladies on your list, and you can even make hand-made beads to reduce the costs of your materials. Just make miniature origami ornaments like the teardrop, spray with a clear acrylic coating, and string like regular beads. You can also give photos as gifts in creative frames, record and make CDs if you play an instrument or sing, and use software to make personalized calendars for the upcoming new year. If all else fails, make some delicious baked goods and your gift will be greatly appreciated.

Other Options

The mall and other retail stores in general can be tempting and expensive places to do your Christmas shopping. If you’d like to try going somewhere else for more frugal and unique options, try antique stores, craft shows and fairs, thrift stores, and second-hand bookstores. You’ll find reasonably priced items with personality, and you might even be able to track down that perfect gift.



Wise Wrapping

Don’t go out and buy wrapping paper – it’s tough to resist because it’s so shiny, but you can do it. Instead, use the inner (unprinted) sides of paper bags. This is brown and boring, so you can make your own holiday stamps using potato halves and use colorful holiday paint to liven things up. For example, you can cut a star shape into your potato half, either inverted (for a colored circle with star cut-out when stamped) or with the star sticking out (for a colored star). Simply dip your potato into some festive gold paint, stamp your fancy new wrapping paper a bunch of times, and wait for it to dry. Now, to finish it off, place a small sprig from your Christmas tree on top of your gift and tie it up with raffia. You can make personalized tags in a similar way – just cut out small rectangles from your wrapping paper, fold them in half, and write inside them.

Read at No Charge - The NYC Library

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Going to a Barnes and Nobles in the city can be very relaxing. Sitting, drinking a chai or latte downright heavenly but when you get 1/4 way into a book and you can't bring it with you without paying 20$, that can be frustrating! When I first moved to the city and even today, I find myself scrolling through the walls of a Barnes & Nobles looking for a book or a magazine to read while I sit and relax for a bit, but the best way to get inexpensive books while walking through a gorgeous antique environment is to go one of the free public libraries in the city! There are literally tons of public free libraries in the city.  All Public Libraries are listed at http://www.nypl.org/ or a seperate site for Brooklyn Public Libraries at http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/ and are open every day except Sundays. The libraries have exhibitions, panel discussions, classes like using Internet Resources and event a Storytime!  The NY Public Library (above) is one of the largest public library systems in the country and one of the largest research library systems in the whole world!

In Manhattan:
The most well known is the one above called:

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
455 5th Ave at 41st Street
Contact #: (917) 275-6975
Beautiful setting and located right next to Bryant Park!

Mulberry Street Library
10 Jersey St btw Lafayette & Mulberry Sts.
Contact #: (212) 966-3424

Ottendorfer Library
135 Second Avenue near East 8th St & St. Marks Place
Contact #: (212) 674-0947

Columbus Library
742 10th Avenue btw 50 & 51st Sts
Contact #: (212) 586-5098

In Brooklyn -

The Central Library is the biggest library in Brooklyn. It is gorgeous and has so many extras going on all the time! It is located at 1 Grand Army Plaza near Prospect Park. Contact#: (718) 748-5709

Bay Ridge Library
7223 Ridge Road 73rd St
Contact #:  (718) 748-5709

These are just a few of the awesome libraries that are free of charge and that are available everyday of the week except Sundays. And the best part - you get your own library card, that is also free! :)

Saving trips to the Laundromat & a Wordless Lealu for Wednesday

Living in an apartment or a condo or a house even, sometimes means you have to lug laundry around to either a laundromat or at least another floor to a laundry room. Making many trips back and forth to the laundromat can take a whole day, and unless you have a padlock to put on the laundry machine, you really don't want to leave your clothes in a machine while you run out to bring clothes home and dirty ones back!  I remember my last apartment where the laundromat was a few blocks away and I had my trusty 84 Toyota Carolla to drive me and carry my clothes. I'd load up the backseat and bring clothes back and forth to my car. By the time I got home, it took me like 4 trips of running back and forth to my car to get everything, and the clothes would be spewed out all over, getting dirty again!  My roommate and I went one time on a snowy Sunday and spent the whole day washing and drying clothes! Forget about trying to take the subway with all my laundry bags. A great way to conserve time as well as gas, is to pack clothes in a way that would allow for the maximum amount of space.  Here is an example of how much room clothes piled high unfolded take up,

 compared to how much room the same amount of clothes rolled up take.

That is a huge amount of space! I might be able to fit a whole other load on top of there! Rolling clothes keeps the clothes from wrinkling and keeps them from being thrown all over a dirty car, as well as gives you the room to fit more clothes than you normally would, which allows for less time needing to go back and forth! I wish someone had sat me down and had a long talk about laundry when I was young, don't you? lol. No but seriously, this really helps the whole laundry situation especially if you're doing laundry where you can't make so many trips.

And here's alittle Lealu snuggly love for ya!

Bridges & Tunnels - to Pay the Way or Go Free

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When I first moved to the city, I drove my old 1984 Toyota Corolla. I remember the first time driving from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I didn't have any cash on me (I wasn't too responsible those days with having money!) and on the drive from Manhattan to Brooklyn with my nifty map and maquest directions, I came upon the Brooklyn Bridge.  I drove hesitantly in the beginning, suddenly realizing that I was in big trouble if there was a toll. I tried to think quick, I looked for a U turn, nope no u turn. I tried to spot an EZPass sign or a Cash Only sign showing a toll coming, nothing, so maybe no toll. As I got to the end of the bridge, I felt so much relief as I saw signs for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, which meant I was over one bridge without a toll. While I was thankful I didn't have go to jail or have a monstrous penalty mailed to me for not paying a toll, it did pretty much ruin my first ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. Nowadays if I drive over, its a gorgeous view looking a the South Street Seaport and the water below. So to save you from a horrific ride over a Bridge or through a Tunnel, (or from going to jail, and a penalty being mailed) I thought I'd list the bridges in NYC that charge, what they charge and the ones that don't.

Going into Manhattan -

Lincoln Tunnel - (as referenced in the movie Elf is how I like to think about it, not the stuffy jampacked tunnel that it is!)
Cost for entering into Manhattan through Lincoln Tunnel - 8$.
Cost for exiting into NJ from Manhattan - 0$! Which is the only FREE way out of NYC and the one we always take!

Going into Manhattan from Brooklyn and into Brooklyn from Manhattan -

Brooklyn Battery Tunnel - now the toll is 5.50$ each way. It is way too much but can beat traffic if you are in super hurry. I always like to take one of the next two options. Can access from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway going East from Brooklyn towards Manhattan.

Brooklyn Bridge - (now my favorite) no toll! FREE! Can access the Bridge from lower Manhattan or from the FDR which is the highway that runs along the east side of Manhattan.

Williamsburg Bridge - no toll! FREE! Can access the Bridge from the FDR.

Manhattan Bridge - Love this one because there is usually very little traffic. no toll! FREE! Can access the Bridge from Brooklyn Queens Expressway going East from Brooklyn towards Manhattan (just past Brooklyn Bridge entrance).

Going from Manhattan to Queens and Queens to Manhattan -

Queens Midtown Tunnel - Can access from midtown 50th Sts on the East side of Manhattan to Long Island City Queens. Cost is 5.50$ each way.

Queensboro Bridge - no toll! FREE! Goes from 59th St on the East side of Manhattan to Long Island City Queens.

From Brooklyn to NJ -

Verranzano Bridge - Can access on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway going West. Charge is 11$ going out to NJ (which is just ridiculous I think), so one way 11$. There is no charge with the bridge coming in from Jersey, but there is a bridge called the Goethals Bridge that you must take to get back onto the Verranzano Bridge. Goethals charges 8$ one way coming into Brooklyn only.  If you take this way you are adding about 20$ to your travelling costs!

From Manhattan to the Bronx -

Bronx Whitestone Bridge - This is the major bridge going to Manhattan from the Bronx and to the Bronx from Manhattan via a highway called I678. Each direction is 5.50$.

No bridges or tunnels needed to go between Brooklyn and Queens.

Good Luck with your driving! I hope you're first experience is alittle better than mine was!

I get my hair highlighted for 40$

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Part of living in the city is being able to have access to the same hair stylists has Kelly Ripa and Katherine Heigl, but sometimes those prices can range upwards of 300$ per visit. For the student who's just moved here, or for those of us who live paycheck to paycheck, its difficult to afford a good hair cut or color/highlight. I've even heard people say its my hair or my rent! Well you don't have to worry about that anymore! I actually found this out from an intern who was helping out where I work. She always had the most gorgeous hair and highlights and one time I asked her how she did it on a part time pay budget while interning. She told me a secret - salons all over the city have student times where, throughout the week, they allow customers to come in and get their hair cut/colored and/or highlighted by a student for next to nothing! And these are salons like Aveda and Bumble and Bumble! The only catch is that you must have a flexible schedule, so the times for a cut or color might be during the daytime when most people work.  As long as you are flexible and can maybe arrange the day off or take an extra hour for lunch, you can get pretty awesome hair dos for so cheap. The hair salons that participate (there are many more I just didn't list all of them here):

Aveda Salon
site: http://www.avedainstituteny.com/
Aveda is located at 233 Spring St in Manhattan
You just have to contact them and make an appt - their number is 212 807 1492
They take appts for Tuesday- Friday 9a-9p, or Saturdays 9a-5p
cuts cost 20$ and include blow out, color is 45$, half highlight is 50$, full highlight is 75$

Bumble & Bumble
site: http://bbumodelproject.com/
415 West 13th St in Manhattan
While I love everything I've heard about bumble & bumble, it seems like to actually get an appt is a big tough. You have to have certain type of hair and want the cut that they are giving, instead of just going in like a normal haircut but with a student. Their contact is 1866 7 BUMBLE.

Dop Dop
site: http://www.dopdop.com/site/main.html
170 Mercer Street in Manhattan
I've actually tried this one before, and it was great! They treat you very well and like you are a regular customer.  Their contact is 212 343 1897.  Haircuts are 25$, Color is 35$ and highlights are 50$. These services are held every other Monday beginning September 13th from 10:30a-4p.

John Frieda
site:  http://www.johnfrieda.com/index.asp
797 Madison Avenue at 67th St in Manhattan.
John Frieda offers Wed night classes and their contact number is 212 879 0409.  Their site is pretty general, I recommend calling.

Parlor
site: http://parlorhairsalon.com/education.html
Very cute site!
102 Ave B in Manhattan
Their contact is 212 673 5520. Parlor takes appts on Mondays 1, 3 & 5pm. Cut is 20$, and highlights 40$.

Younghee Salon
site: http://youngheesalon.com/
65 North Moore in Manhattan
Their contact is 212 334 3770. I gave a call and the receptionist was very nice. She took my name and number down and said that someone would be in touch within a few weeks to schedule a cut! I gave a call to all of the salons I listed here, and by far they were the easiest scheduling.  I was told they do student, cuts and color usually every week.

The best part about this is that these discounts for working with students are all over the country! My mom took me and my sister out before her wedding for facials at an Aveda school in NJ, and they were amazing...and only 40$ each (which is a great deal on 1 hr facials!) So check and see if they offer students salon services in your area, it could save you alot!

I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!

A Cheap Run at the Best Parks in the city

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If you are a runner and you live in a city, if you don't know about the great running paths in the parks around memberships to gyms can run you between 50 up to 200$ per month. The best deal in NYC that I've found hands down is at Golds Gym (but you have to get that deal before the end of summer), where they offer 699$ for a year and a half, and the gym includes showers and a steamroom.  Thats an even better deal than the YMCA, which costs about 65$ per month and doesn't have a steamroom! But if you're looking to spend nothing and run for free (which sounds pretty good to me), there are alot of different parks that have tracks for you to run on. Here's a handy list of the best parks to run in for you to choose from!

If you're in Manhattan -
Central Park - you can run around the park in a bike/runners lane but there is no actual track. Central Park begins at 59th & Broadway.

Riverside Park - there is a great paved running path here, along with bike paths as well as a skate park along 72nd to 158th street along the Hudson River.  Riverside Drive to Hudson River, West 59th Street to Clair Place.

East River Park - East River Park has 37 acres of waterfront running paths, along with basketball, tennis, and handball courts; playgrounds; a picnic area; softball, football, baseball and track fields; a river promenade; and a footbridge. Montgomery Street to East 12th Street, FDR Drive.

If you're in Brooklyn -
McCarren Park - there is a rubber track that surrounds a soccer/recreation field. Its beautiful especially there at night and is well lit. Lorimer Street, Union & Driggs Avenue.

Prospect Park - probably the biggest in Brooklyn. There is a 3.35 mile running lane. Remember to stay on paved paths! You can enter the park at Parkside Avenue & Prospect Park Southwest.

Coney Island - This is a boardwalk in Coney Island, which is technically not a park but is a nice run along the beach in Coney Island so I thought I'd put it in! Coney Island has almost 3 miles of beach along with a long boardwalk (that was featured in that cute movie "Two Weeks Notice" with Sandra Bullock. Every time I walk passed the building I think of that movie!)

If you're in Queens -
Astoria Park - They not only have a track but they also have outdoor tennis courts, a bandstand, multiple trails and basketball courts!
21 Street, Hoyt Avenue, Ditmars Boulevard, East River

If you're in the Bronx -
Van Cortlandt Park, there is a track at West 240 Street to City Line.

With the cooler weather coming, many people are heading to the gyms but in case you're looking for a free run, remember to bring your sweatshirts and stop at a Park for a run!

Free movies in NYC - you can't beat Free!

One of the neatest things about living in a big city is that there are always odd and one of a kind film/tv screenings going on...and the best part is for free! I remember when I was in college there was a small dingy movie theatre that charged I think it was like 1$ to see a movie for students  it was pretty dingy but at least we got to see a movie!) Sadly that movie theatre is no longer there. While large theatres are charging 11$ for a movie ticket per person now, NYC has outdoor screenings of films all throughout the city that are 100% absolutely free.  So whether you are just moving here or have lived here for awhile now, you can see movies for free!

If you're close to Brooklyn:

Brooklyn Bridge Park is having its Movies with a View series. They've done some beautiful things to Brooklyn Bridge Park to renovate like having water parks and making the area more family friendly! The Movies with a View series begins every summer on Thursdays and goes from July to September 2nd. Some of the movies they are showing this summer include: Annie Hall, Monsters vs. Aliens, the Big Lebowski, Rear Window and Indian Jones and the Last Crusade. (we're going to Indiana Jones, I can't wait!)  Music starts at 6pm and the movie starts at 8:30pm at Pier 1.  This movie series is sponsored by the SyFy channel.

If you're closer to Manhattan: 

On Monday nights Bryant Park hosts a movie screening series. The grass opens at 5pm for picnic, and 8pm the movie begins and lasts from June through August. Some of the films include: Goldfinger, the China Syndrome, The French Connection and Bonnie and Clyde and are absolutely free! This movie series is sponsored by HBO and Time Warner Cable.

River Flicks - Free movie screenings that begin around 8pm and take place at Pier 46 (Charles Street/Hudson River). Even free popcorn is given out! A great part about this free movie series is that there are seperate movies for kids and grown-ups! For kids the movies are on Fridays and include: Wizard of Oz, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Adult films take place on Wednesday nights and include: The Hangover, Julie & Julia, District 9 and Star Trek.

Movies Under the Stars - Riverside Park South at Pier 1 at Hudson River & 70th Street. Movies begin at around 8pm on the pier and are free!  The films take place July - August and include: Inkheart, Big Fish and Stranger than Fiction.  

Some great movies and there's nothing better than a night out either on a date night or with girlfriends, for free! :)