There's a new Chef in town... and he's easy on the eyes.
(Okay, he's my husband)
Check out his new blog here.
It's really good. I promise.
(Okay, he's my husband)
Check out his new blog here.
It's really good. I promise.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Book Review Time!
I can't say I've ever really written a book review in my entire life, but recently I was lucky enough to receive a copy of a really great read for all you frugalists out there. I kinda feel like I'm in high school again.
10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget was written collaboratively by the writers of Wise Bread, a personal finance web site that has a blog of endless tips and life hacks, as well as links to online deals and forums for readers.
Right now the book is on Amazon for only $10 and some change. That's nothing compared to how much I can see it saving me.
I am less than halfway through the book and there are literally, so many good items in it that I can't remember them all.
Over the years, I've read everything from Rich Dad Poor Dad to Millionaire Next Door, and I still have yet to finish Your Money Or Your Life. They are all very good publications for big picture ideas, but there are some advantages 10,001 Ways to Live Large On A Small Budget kicks those other books' asses.
1) It was written by not one or two people, but TWENTY. These folks all come from many different walks of life. They are different sexes, races, ages, and live in different parts of the country, I'm basically getting valuable money saving advice from twenty people. How cool is that?
2) It's super practical. Saving money in every area of your life from travel to household items. So far one of my favorite tips is a recipe for how to make astringent. Currently I use the Body Shop's Tea Trea Oil line. Each bottle is $11 and lasts just over a month. What caught me about the recipe is that it calls for tea trea oil, which can be purchased cheaply online. I'm dying to try it. I'm guessing each bottle of homemade astringent would cost about $3 or $4. If I go through 12 bottles per year, that's $132 versus $48.
Which price would you rather pay for something that's essentially the same?
3) There is something for everyone. Maybe you don't use astringent, but want to save on grocery shopping. There are good secrets to saving at the check out.
I've been a frugalist and money saving maniac for quite some time. I CVS. I clip coupons and use my Entertainment book. And so far I have learned quite a bit of useful information from Wise Bread bloggers.
I give the book 5/5 stars.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Fuck Walmart
Apparently big-time retailer Walmart will turn down customers who want to purchase items from the store.
I'm not kidding.
As I write this, I am furiously thinking of ways to help Walmart go out of business. It's been about six weeks since I've blogged anything, but I'm so pissed at Walmart that I feel this merits a blog.
That seems to be logical. I mean, If the company will not sell items to willing buyers, what is the purpose of doing business?
Now, I realize that there's no law against businesses refusing a transaction with anyone. But it's just plain stupid to turn down money.
Today I needed a few items including a paper shredder, a pet carrier, and a few other items for our new kitten.
To start off, I'm not a huge fan of Walmart. There's the past allegations of using child and sweatshop labor, mistreating and underpaying workers, and the giant helping close long-time mom and pop shops.
However, the prices are low. The stores in general suck ass. Many of the employees don't understand basic English, aisles are crowded, other customers have screaming children, and it takes forever to find what you need. Target is such a better store!
I decided to brave it anyways to look particularly for the pet carrier and the paper shredder.
So I went to Walmart.
After searching around for a half hour, I found what I needed including the carrier. I found the one below, but it seemed to be the only one in the pet aisle and was out of the box. It was near a spot with a price around $30. I was definitely willing to pay that, despite the fact that I would have preferred a model in the box and fresh.
I recommend to anyone who lives in the Tampa Bay area, NOT to give your business to this particular Walmart store:
I'm not kidding.
As I write this, I am furiously thinking of ways to help Walmart go out of business. It's been about six weeks since I've blogged anything, but I'm so pissed at Walmart that I feel this merits a blog.
That seems to be logical. I mean, If the company will not sell items to willing buyers, what is the purpose of doing business?
Now, I realize that there's no law against businesses refusing a transaction with anyone. But it's just plain stupid to turn down money.
Today I needed a few items including a paper shredder, a pet carrier, and a few other items for our new kitten.
To start off, I'm not a huge fan of Walmart. There's the past allegations of using child and sweatshop labor, mistreating and underpaying workers, and the giant helping close long-time mom and pop shops.
However, the prices are low. The stores in general suck ass. Many of the employees don't understand basic English, aisles are crowded, other customers have screaming children, and it takes forever to find what you need. Target is such a better store!
I decided to brave it anyways to look particularly for the pet carrier and the paper shredder.
So I went to Walmart.
After searching around for a half hour, I found what I needed including the carrier. I found the one below, but it seemed to be the only one in the pet aisle and was out of the box. It was near a spot with a price around $30. I was definitely willing to pay that, despite the fact that I would have preferred a model in the box and fresh.
So I get to the register (12) and the cashier notices that the pet carrier does not have a tag on it, which I hadn't noticed. She's not sure what to do. The woman calls over a manager who tells her that it's a "floor model" (Floor model, WTF? If that's a floor model, I'm the pope) and that the "pet manager" needs to approve the purchase and the price.
The cashier rang up my other items, so the customers behind me in line can check out. (Note: I actually suggested that to her, she really had no idea what to do) She also calls the pet department. Twice.
Ten minutes later and I'm very unhappy. It's been a really shitty week and this is not cool. I ask the cashier if there's anything she can do. She suggests I go to the manager's area and ask. Gee, how helpful of her.
I take the carrier over to the managers area and a woman takes it back to the pet department.
Fifteen minutes after that I'm still waiting. Finally, the manager who earlier told me I needed "approval" to purchase the carrier returned with it. He informed me that they could not find anyone with the pet department and since they could not find the item, I could not buy it. That they couldn't "make up a price" (Why didn't they check the web site to see if they could find the item?)
This, after spending 30 minutes just waiting for a price check.
Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous???
I told him that. I said I had been waiting a very long time and was upset that I did that only to be told I couldn't buy an item in a fucking store.
If you find my language offensive, please accept my apologies. I'm not a regular curser unless I'm absolutely livid.
I told the asshole manager that I wanted to return all the items I just purchased. Unfortunately the line for returns was massive. He very rudely replied "Well, go ahead and wait in line."
I left the store in tears, and told the greeter at the door that I would never go back there again.
As I pushed my cart to my car I could not believe what had just happened. I was so angry that I hurled my cart upside down in some grass near my parking spot. Sorry, Walmart, not using those cart return spots this time! This is a bit embarassing, but I was also in tears leaving and driving home.
While driving out of the parking lot, I called 1-800-Walmart to file a complaint with that store. I really wish I had noticed the asshole manager's nametag. He was a heavier set white guy with brown-gray hair in his mid to late 40s. I've NEVER called a corporate office of any store to complain before.
I then called the store I had just left to try and find out his name. I was told Roy was the assistant manager on duty.
Just a few hours later Roy actually called. The voice didn't sound like asshole-man from earlier. He "apologized" for my experience and said that they found another identical carrier in the box. (Genius Roy, why wasn't anyone able to find it when I was actually AT the fucking store???) Apparently the carrier was $16 and not $30. He told me he could "help" me out with the price. Like I needed help with buying a $16 carrier?
I told him how poor the customer service is at Walmarts in general, and that store in particular... and that I would be returning all the items I'd purchased that day. Why the hell would a store refuse to sell a customer an item that's ON THE SHELF???
He told me to stop by and see him when I was there.
I had great satisfaction in telling him that I would go out of my way to return the other items at another store.
Personally, I will never set foot inside that store again. And besides a trip to another location to return the stuff I bought and get my money back, I will never go to Walmart again. My husband and I have a Sam's Club membership. Sam's Club is unfortunately owned by Walmart. I really don't have a desire to renew our membership and give that horrible corporation our business.
And it is now my mission to destroy Walmart. I urge all of you who have pride and are sick of being treated with no respect and dealing with the nightmare that is Walmart to shop elsewhere. Target, Aldi's, Big Lots, local shops, wherever.
Why give over your hard earned money to a business that apparently doesn't want or need it.
Fuck Walmart.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Free Home Security System Quote
At my old apartment, the unit across the hall was broken into while we slept. So I found this free quote for a Brinks system and I think I'll check it out. I'll let you know how it goes!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Hello Readers!
It's definitely been awhile!
Between having the Super Bowl in the Tampa area, and newlywed life, I have had to put blogging on the back burner the past few months.
Sorry guys!
I am still CVS'ing every week, and enjoying having a Gordon Food Service nearby our apartment.
Gordon Food Service is a regional distributor that's open to the public. It's kind of like Sam's Club or Costco, but without the membership fee.
On Sunday we bought an ENTIRE ribeye lipon beef portion. (this is the part of the cow that we get delicious ribeye and delmonico steaks from). It was about $4.55 lb or $69 for 15 lbs of meat. Tim, being the chef that he is, broke down the meat into 16 steaks ranging from 12 - 15 oz. and 15 oz of beef tips to use for cooking.
That equals about $4.50 per steak! Pretty great deal!
The one complaint we had was that the sign in the store said the beef was USDA Choice, but the plastic packaging said USDA Select, which is one step down.
We compared a steak from this batch to a more expensive flat iron steak. The quality was similar!
I highly recommend trying to find an entire ribeye or strip pieces of beef. Sam's Club also carries these larger pieces. They're quite a great price for what you get! Don't be afraid of having to cut the meat yourself. The outside of the meat may not be pretty, but the inside will have a beautiful color and marbling.
Between having the Super Bowl in the Tampa area, and newlywed life, I have had to put blogging on the back burner the past few months.
Sorry guys!
I am still CVS'ing every week, and enjoying having a Gordon Food Service nearby our apartment.
Gordon Food Service is a regional distributor that's open to the public. It's kind of like Sam's Club or Costco, but without the membership fee.
On Sunday we bought an ENTIRE ribeye lipon beef portion. (this is the part of the cow that we get delicious ribeye and delmonico steaks from). It was about $4.55 lb or $69 for 15 lbs of meat. Tim, being the chef that he is, broke down the meat into 16 steaks ranging from 12 - 15 oz. and 15 oz of beef tips to use for cooking.
That equals about $4.50 per steak! Pretty great deal!
The one complaint we had was that the sign in the store said the beef was USDA Choice, but the plastic packaging said USDA Select, which is one step down.
We compared a steak from this batch to a more expensive flat iron steak. The quality was similar!
I highly recommend trying to find an entire ribeye or strip pieces of beef. Sam's Club also carries these larger pieces. They're quite a great price for what you get! Don't be afraid of having to cut the meat yourself. The outside of the meat may not be pretty, but the inside will have a beautiful color and marbling.
Get an Entertainment book for 50% off!!!
These are fantastic! I used a discount last night when Tim and I had Italian food. $14 less we had to pay, and the waiter gave us free dessert!
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