A Step Ahead of Christmas with Cheap Deals

I was telling someone this weekend that the secret to enjoying the Christmas holidays often rests in the ability to think of Christmas well ahead of day. Advanced planning is the only way to save money, time and effort in preparing for the holidays. So, start now in order to enjoy a hassle free holiday. Here are a few tips to get you started...

Be a perennial shopper. Keep an eye out throughout the year for great sales and clearance items that you can take advantage. Pick a theme an build gift baskets around it by filling it with end of season items, great sales items, and clearance items that you find throughout the year. Examples: (1) Flip flops, beach ball, beach towel, beach chair (with fan!), frisbee - all for $23. (2) Golf shirt, Scrabble (golf version), box of golf balls, and magnetic poetry - golf version - $25. (3) Stainless steel coffee thermo, 3 lbs of gourmet coffee, NY Crossword Puzzle book -$18. (4) Hand painted needlepoint canvas, assorted threads, needlepoint scissors, and needle case - $20. Great stuff. Cheap Prices. True Bargains.

Store Gifts in One Location. It's just easier to keep everything in one place. I put all gift purchases in an armoire. And organization is key to saving effort. In the armoire, I've got gift bags set up for the different themes, labelled with the intended recipient's name. I toss items in the bags, so everything is pre-sorted come the holidays.

Make your gift list. I keep my gift list in my armoire. I cross names off the list as I stock the gift armoire with purchases. This helps me keep track of who I've bought for, what I've bought, and how much inventory I've got left to work with.

Know your sales. I've been tracking my favorite stores for so long, I know when the best time to do my shopping. Every Columbus Day weekend, Toys R Us runs a Buy One; Get One Free Hasbro Game Sale. LL Bean Outlet runs a 50% off Canvas Tote bag sale. Michaels runs 25% off Everything in the Store Sale. And yes, every year, I'm there stockpiling, games, tote bags, and arts & crafts at deep discount.

Yard Sales, Garage Sales, Estate Sales, whatever - just go. You'd be amazed at the great gifts that you can be found at bargain prices. A copper weather vane (great gift for a friend's barn), original edition Scrabble (for a crossword enthusiast), antique tools and hinges (for a woodworking hobbyist), and a cordless cookie gun and cake decorating kit (for me, the baker- even I need a luxury every now and then.)

Knowing What Plants to Grow

Ever get frustrated trying to figure out which plants will work in your garden or why a plant isn't thriving? Get yourself an EasyBloom Plant Sensor ($49 -60)and take the guesswork out of what to plant. This tool monitors your soil environment (e.g., sunnlight, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and drainage) and then provides you with plant recommendations (e.g, what to buy, how to care for it, pruning, fertilization, etc.) specific to your garden's conditions. So you save money by buying the right plants upfront, and save effort because you'll know what does/doesn't work for your garden.

And it's easy to use. Leave the sensor in your garden for at least 24 hrs, then hook it up to your computer's UBS port. It connects to the Easy Bloom website and turns the sensor's readings into recommendations for plants for your soil environment. Once you've received your results set, you can then filter based on desired bloom color or season, plant height, drought tolerant, deer resistant, and other features.

Christmas is around the corner. EasyBloom Plant Sensor is a great gift for a beginner gardener, anyone who has moved and has a new garden to set up, and co-workers with lots of plants in the office.

Related Links:
Buy on Amazon
EasyBloom website
Plan A Garden

Good Paint vs Cheap Paint

I've decided to paint the living room. A color selected (wild ochre), but not after the great debate on paint brand. When you're trying to manage a budget, save money, find a bargain or save yourself some effort - how do you tell the difference between good paint and cheap paint? Is Behr paint different from Valspar or Olympic? Who is Benjamin Moore and why should we buy his paint over Sherman Williams? How much is too much to pay for a can of paint? Is $50 can of Benjamin Moore that much better than $30 can of Behr?

The answer - Yes. Paint professionals will tell you "You get what you pay for." Price is a good indicator of quality. While good paint and cheap paint look the same when you pop off the lid, the differences lie in the materials used to make the paint (technically speaking, it's the binders, pigments, and additives). How long the paint lasts, how easy it is to apply, scrubability, mildew resistance, sheen, and hiding (e.g., how it hides surface imperfections all depends on these ingredients.

To learn more, here's a great article "Why Pay More for Paint" by Scott Cohen of Fine Homebuilding. You'll learn how paint is made, how to select paint based on your project, and when to turn to Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley and Martha Stewart. (Answer: for unique color, textures, and finishes).

Related articles:
What paint type is for you?
Short cuts that make painting less of a chore
Estimating the amount of paint to buy
Paint Calculator

A Cool Dip on a Hot Summer Eve

No better treat on a hot summer night than a quick swim or dip in a refreshingly cool pond or lake. And it's a much better bargain and much cheaper deal than installing a pool ($75K because installation requires blasting through alot of ledge , renting a Chatham beachhouse ($3K/wk), joining the Westford swimclub ($700/year),or snagging a day pass to use at Stonehedge Inn to use their spa's pool ($20). And there's no maintenance to be done, so you always save time and money. Net, net - Your local public lake or pond may be your best bargain for a cool dip on a hot summer eve.

Springs Brook Park, Bedford MA. - The swimming hole by which all others should be judged by. This place must be one of greater Boston's best kept secret. Fantastic man-made pond with underwater filtration system that keep the water clear and the muck away from the sandy bottom, aqua slides and water parks for the kids, basketball & volleyball courts, picnic areas and a snack bar. Well-staffed with lifeguards and a super clean bathhouse to boot. $7 per person (all day); $3 after 4 p.m., Free after 5PM. Truly paradise has been found in suburbia.


Other great swimming holes (though none as delightful as Springs Brook Park) include: (1) Walden Pond, Concord MA ( $9 /person daily) and (2) Crystal Lake, Newton MA. ($10/person daily)

And after cooling off at Spring Brook Park, end your day with an ice cream at Bedford Farms Ice Cream Stand. Delicious!

Kitchen Wisdom

A few simple tips to a better baking experience based on lessons learned in the kitchen. Ahh, the kitchen wisdom I've learned through trial and error and few good cookbooks! These tips should save you some effort when working in the kitchen; the substitutes should help you save some cash by avoid the overstocking of your shelves with ingredients rarely used.

Meringue: For the stiffest of egg peaks, beat your eggs whites in a well-chilled metallic bowl rather than a plastic bowl.

Cheesecake: Avoid having your cheesecake crack as it cools by running the knife around the edge of the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven to cool.

Buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use the following substitute. For every one cup of buttermilk needed, mix one cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

Ledges on Edges. -Eliminate the unwanted rims around the edges of muffins and breads. Grease your pans on the bottom and half way up the sides of the pans.

Flaky Pastry. For the lightest, flakiest dough, use butter not margarine. Make sure the butter is well chilled. And grate your butter rather than use pastry knifes.

Chocolate Substitutes. Always best to use the type of chocolate called for in a recipe. In a pinch, use one of these substitutes: (1) 1 ounce unsweetened = 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon cooking oil. (2) 1 ounce semisweet = use 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate & 1 tablespoon sugar.

Melting Chocolate. Make sure the bowl you're using to melt the chocolate is clean and completely dry. Else, you're likely to create to lumps.

Soft/Stale Crackers. They make great cracker crumbs. Crush them, place them in an air tight container, keep them on hand in the freezer to use as a topping on casseroles or a coating for baked chicken or fish.

Cracker Crumbs: Save yourself the headache of clean up. Crush your crackers in a plastic ziploc bag and by using a rolling pin or a large drinking glass. Leave the bag open so a bit of air can escape as you complete the rolling.

Baking Pan Substitutions. I try to minimize the number of pans that I own. Here's how to manage your inventory of pans by using substitutes. - 10" bundt= (2) 8" x 2" rounds

- 10' x 2" round = 9" x 9"x 2" square

- 12 cup muffin tin = 8" x 4"x 2" loaf pan = 9" round = 8" square

(Note: baking times will vary depending on pan size, so you may need to adjust times slightly).

Check out Getting Serious with Baking Substitutes for additional tips on ingredient substitutes.

Easy Dinner Idea

I can never understand why most folks think lobster is too special to make for dinner any old day of the week. Price per pound, Lobster is cheaper than most cuts of steak. Most local markets are willing to steam them for you for free. And, it's a great summer meal that doesn't require you to heat up the kitchen. So, if you're looking for a dinner bargain that's easy to pull together, here's the main course suggestion and a few sides to round it out that makes a great complete dinner during the summer when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.

Lobster. Estimate 1 - 1/2 lb per person. Steam it at the market approx 1 hr before dinner. Store in a plastic bag or a cooler to keep it warm/hot.

Corn on the Cob. Some people grill corn; others boil it. Me? I steam it in the 5- 6 qt crockpot. Shuck the corn. Place in crockpot with 1 cup of water. Cook 2-3 hrs on low. (Yes. It's that simple.)

Clam Chowder. Grab yourself a few pints of Legal Seafood's Clam Chowder at your local market or BJs Warehouse. Place in crockpot. Cook on warm 2-3 hours.

Coleslaw. Make it yourself, grab the semi-premade Fresh Express bag and some Kraft Coleslaw dressing, or pick up a container at your deli.

Ice Cream Novelities. Go retro and pull together a selection of your favorite Ice Cream treats from your youth (e.g, drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches, italian ices, dillybars, etc.)

Havaianas Flip Flops

Attention Fashionistas! Save money while you look good this summer. Head to your local BJs Warehouse where you can buy Havaianas' flip flops for $8 (normally $44).

Havainas flip flops are often referred to within the fashion industry as the "rolls royce of flip flops". These flip flops are on the pages of the hottest fashion magazines (e.g., Vogue, InStyle, etc.) and on the feet of some of the world's biggest celebrities (e.g, Gisele, Jennifer Aniston, etc.).

A summer staple on the cheap, cheap! Hurry. Supplies are limited. This bargain won't last too long.

New England Book Mobile

About to head out to my favorite bookstore - New England Book Mobile on Needham Street, Newton. It's a truly a booklover's adventure. Shelves and shelves of books; the type of store you go into looking for one book but end up exiting with an arm full; a place to get lost in for just a few minutes or a few hours. And honestly, a bit overwhelming - so many books, so little time to read them all. All books organized by publisher. Excellent room of book bargains. Great selection of children's books supplemented with games, Klutz crafts and other wickedly cool things. Net, net - A great place to grab a good read.

Book Fair EveryDay Values include
20% off Paperbacks and Hardcovers Every Day
30% off New York Times Best Sellers (Hardcovers)
40% off 50 best selling cookbooks
Spend $50. Get a choice of 1 yr subscription to Bon Apetit, Gourmet, or Conde Nast Traveler.


Added Bonus: Today's Boston Globe features a 30% coupon off retail price for a one item. Nice savings particularly if you have a specific book in mind.

Looking for some inspiration - here's my short list of good reads to buy:
That Old Cape Cod - Richard Russo
The Condition - Jennifer Haigh
Perfection - Julie Mentz
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Steig Larsson

Directions to New England Book Mobile
Rte 128, exit 19A - 1 1/2 miles on right