Frugal Scholar

Frugal Mom, Frugal Child: Publix Bonding

2012-02-22T08:06:00.001-06:00

Every Wednesday, I engage in an enjoyable activity: looking over the Publix ad on-line, isolating the good deals, and sending a shopping list to my very own College Cook, Miss Em. Sadly, I don't have a Publix here, so my own shopping experience must remain a vicarious one.

She already has a pantry of pasta, rice, oatmeal, and the like, so I focus on fruits, vegetables, and dairy appropriate for the College Cook (no time, no money, no space, no stove). So this morning, I sent her a short list: tangerines, shredded parmesan cheese (BOGO* aka BUY ONE GET ONE FREE), strawberries, and prepackaged vegetables.

The prepackaged veggies are especially good: in 10-12 oz packages, they are trimmed, chopped, and ready to go, whether raw or for cooking. They are only $1 at Publix!

Check over at my other site if you want to see what you can do with the sale items.

By the way, Miss Em recently confessed that she enjoys her weekly trip to the Publix that is within walking distance of her dorm (no car!). She said, "I love to look at the ad and see what's on sale."

To which: "Oh, you don't need to do that. I send you the list."

To which: "Oh, I don't need you to do that. I already know how. But I still like that you do it"

Oh, the poignant moments of parenthood.

Which Credit Card Should I Get? Asks a Recent Graduate

2012-02-20T07:13:00.001-06:00

Which credit card? Well, you can spend hours searching and weighing various options. You can chase down 0% financing and then transfer your money when the rate goes up. You will drive yourself crazy and may mess up.

OR you can follow my advice. If you are SURE you can pay off each month, you should get a free card with a rebate.

If you might EVER be late in payment or carry a balance, then you should get a card from your credit union. They offer consistently lower rates and are more apt to negotiate with a cardholder than the big scary companies with the arcane rules.

Not eligible for a credit union? Guess again. I became a member of the Postal Employees Credit Union by asking if non-workers could join.

Now you can spend your time appreciating the universe.

Worn Worlds and Worn Scarves: An Appreciation

2012-02-19T17:56:00.000-06:00

Unlike most people, I prefer the old to the new. And here I'm not talking only about antiquities and art and the like, but clothing and everyday items. That must be one of the reasons (among a zillion) that I love thrift stores.

I've been thinking about this predilection in part because we were invited to a wedding--the first of Frugal Son's childhood friends is getting married. I perused the registry and found myself wishing I could give them a giant box of slightly used items: I could get half the items on the registry for the cost of the single item I will end up buying. Of course, they would be appalled by the gesture.

The other reason is that I found an essay I thought I had thrown away: Worn Worlds by Peter Stallybrass. This was in the Yale Review many years ago and eventually morphed into a lengthy academic book Renaissance Clothing and the Materials of Memory, which seems sadly to be out of print.

I love the impressive tome, of course, but I also really love the earlier essay, which is a meditation on clothing and memory, centered on a jacket that was given to Stallybrass by a friend's wife after the friend died. The jacket itself was purchased at a vintage shop in London.

Interestingly, when I found the essay (in Frugal Son's closet--don't ask, my fault), I also found a box with a few linens in it and a scarf. The scarf is one of the few things I have that belonged to my grandmother who died almost 30 years ago. It is wool challis and made by Ralph Lauren. It used to smell like my grandmother's cream, a long discontinued Elizabeth Arden potion that I used to sniff at cosmetics counters.

I unfolded the scarf rather apprehensively owing to the fabric content and discovered--a miracle--that no moth or other creature had gotten to it. I aired it out and wore it to school.

I've also been wearing another scarf--a gift from a blogger who may not want me to reveal her identity. Like my grandmother's scarf, it is even more appreciated because it comes from another wearer.

My scarf is a beautiful and pristine gift, beautifully folded. My grandmother's scarf was pristine too, when I got it, save for the smell of the cream.

So many thanks to my benefactress for the beautiful gift and also to the gods of the closet, who kept my grandmother's scarf safe from the moths.

Buy Local?

2012-02-16T19:18:00.000-06:00

As we all know, it is good to support local businesses, even if, at times, they are a bit more expensive. So I began my quest for a new piece of furniture in my little downtown, which has a number of specialty shops.

Store 1: Run by a nice, but crazy lady who used to live down the street from me. I would be afraid to give her my credit card number!
Store 2: I didn't really like the quality of the piece, even though the store is rather high end. The owner was very nice to me, however.
Store 3: A definite possibilty! But the owner was rather short with me. He seemed so bored by my questions. That's how he was a few months ago when I went on a different mission.

Just to check, I looked up the prices on-line. The piece carried by Store 3 is also carried by a fancy on-line company, at several hundred dollars higher.

It's also carried by another on-line retailer and would come to about 10-15% less than the local store.

This isn't a pressing issue. I start my shopping AT LEAST a year in advance. By the time the year is up, I often decide that I don't really want whatever it was I thought I wanted.

But my question is this. Would you buy local even though the owner was curt and indifferent?

Frugality and Poetry: Shakespeare Sonnet 29

2012-02-15T22:35:00.001-06:00

Today I was teaching Shakespeare's Sonnet 29. Even now, I can hardly believe that a big chunk of my job consists of helping students learn to read poetry. It was slow-going. The class is at 8 in the morning, plus my dear students had an assignment due today.

We got to line 10 and--unaided by the poor notes in the venerable Norton Anthology of English Literature--I tried to explain why the word Haply is important. What do you think it means, said I. Eventually, someone ventured Happily??? YESSSS. Then I said, The word has another meaning.

This possibility was outside the knowledge of my sleepy non-majors taking a required course. So, dear Readers, I told them: It's like happenstance; it means by chance. We talked about why that was important.

Then I said, Do you know why a writer might use a word with two meanings? No idea. I pointed out that a sonnet has only 14 lines, each with 10 syllables: the writer doesn't get a lot of words! So, it makes sense to use a word with two meanings. Kind of like a buy-one-get-one-free at the grocery, said I.

This perked some of the students right up: Oh, I LOVE when you buy-one-get-one-free, one exclaimed. At least they were paying attention.

And now I know why I like all those double meanings in poetry: frugality.

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Greek Macaroni and Cheese

2012-02-14T19:37:00.000-06:00

I just happened to have all the important ingredients for this. Below is the recipe, which is from Nora Poullon, a Washington DC restaurateur. I simplified by cooking greens and macaroni together, then mixing in the rest of the ingredients. So only 1 dirty pot. I used a lot less feta than called for also. And I did not have the herbs. It made a lot, which is good, since I leave the house tomorrow at 7 and get home at about 6.

I did have the cherry tomatoes, but I would sub some chopped canned tomatoes if I did not. Hope it sounds good to you.

Greek Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb macaroni
½ lb spinach, washed and stemmed
1 ½ lbs crumbled feta cheese ( about 6 cups)
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2⁄3; cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped (optional)
½ lb cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup mixed chopped fresh herbs ( such as parsley, thyme, and rosemary)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°; bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil; add in macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes until al dente; drain and place in a large bowl.
To blanch the spinach: bring 4 quarts salted water to a simmer over med-high heat; have ready a large bowl of ice water and a slotted spoon; add spinach to simmering water (in three or 4 batches) and submerge it.
Let cook about 15 seconds, remove with the slotted spoon, and plunge into the ice water; let spinach cool completely, drain it, and squeeze out the excess water; if the leaves are large, chop them into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
In a blender or food processor, puree the feta cheese with the milk, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper (blend in two batches, if needed); this will not be completely smooth; there will be very small chunks of cheese remaining.
Stir the cheese mixture into the cooked macaroni; then add the minced rosemary and thyme, garlic, red pepper flakes, olives, cherry tomatoes, and blanched spinach.
Transfer mixture to a 13x9 inch baking dish; sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the mixed herbs.
Bake on the middle shelf 25-30 minutes until the pasta is heated through and the top is slightly browned.

I found the recipe in this wonderful cookbook.

Frugal Travel with the Recent Graduate: It's Cold!

2012-02-13T05:27:00.001-06:00

Frugal Son is en route to yet another vacation spot. A few friends will meet up with him later, but he started out solo and had to spend a night in the airport, owing to his lack of funds.

Hi!

In Vienna and alles gut! Free wifi here! I really think all airports should have free wifi, at least for 15, 30 minutes. Small price, but it really placates crotchety travelers like me. Sleeping in Charles de Gaulle was...interesting. I couldn't go through security (because there were no more flights out of my terminal, although I don't know if they would've let me through anyway) so I had to stay in the outer airport / check-in area. Since it's a public area all the rows of chairs have arm dividers between them. Now I'm sure that in part this is for people's comfort, but mostly I think it's to keep homeless people from sleeping there. As a matter of fact as soon as I did go through security this morning I noticed beautiful, plush (at least compared to where I had slept), leather covered benches that would've easily accommodated me!

Instead I started by sleeping sitting up and leaning to the side to rest my head on a bag. After a little more than an hour, I woke up (at 1.40am) and was too uncomfortable to go back to sleep so I went to a little secluded area behind some airport shops and went to sleep on the floor, again using my bag as a pillow. Again, after an hour I woke up, although this time it was because I was cold. The floors are made of stone and the airport is basically not at all heated! I put on another sweater (I am now wearing a long sleeve shirt, two sweaters, and my wool coat + long johns and jeans and wool socks) and spread my towel down on the floor, which didn't do much in terms of softness, but was incredibly effective at insulating me from the frigid floor! As a final touch I put some socks on my hands. I slept again for a little more than an hour and this time I was so cold I went back to the front of the airport, which was more lit, but significantly warmer. I fell asleep in a chair again, although this time instead of leaning to the side I just put my bags in my lap and leaned forward. I woke up for good at around 5.20am and walked to my terminal. I had stayed in 2F even though I knew my flight was from 2D because, based on my explorations, 2F seemed warmer and like a nicer place to stay.

The walk to the other terminal was freezing even though I never had to go outside. They forced me to check my Rick Steves bag (I think they've shrunk the allowance) so all I have is my backpack, which has everything valuable I brought. Security was a breeze. While waiting I ate some breakfast (a cheese sandwich) and soon we began boarding. As soon as they opened the jetway doors a blast of icy cold air came in to the already cold terminal. The whole terminal is basically single paned glass and rather than central heating they have piddley little radiators near the windows, which are totally ineffective. On the walk down the jetway I could literally see my breath! Fortunately, the plane was warmer and I was fast asleep well before take-off. I didn't really wake up until we touched down in Vienna, though I did wake up briefly to look out the window and see the beautiful snow covered mountains of Austria. It's supposed to be cold in Vienna, but fortunately they've heard of insulation so the airport is a comfortable temperature (though I'm still wearing all my layers...). Guess I'll just kind of wander around til my flight at 13.10 yipee! Typed all this on the iPhone (didn't bring my computer) phew!

Nigella Lawson Cooks Onions!

2012-02-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

Newsflash. I do the same thing as the beautiful Nigella: cook loads of onions in advance and freeze. And for the same reason.

And the one thing I feel utterly beaten by when I'm really tired is the idea of peeling and chopping onions. I don't actually find it difficult, but the thought is a daunting one. So, when I have time to spare (usually when I'm avoiding something I should be doing), I peel, chop, and fry onions slowly and gently to a gorgeous mush that can be frozen in cubes and thawed to form the basis for a stew or sauce as needed.

Let me add that I am even lazier than Nigella: I freeze en masse (rather than in cubes)and break off chunks when needed. Just this morning, I made a soup that began with me breaking off a chunk of onions and blithely tossing it into a pot.

Oh yeah, even lazier part 2: I usually do this in the slow cooker (mush) or oven (roasted).

Oh yeah, and it's frugal too if you buy onions when they are cheap (like last week when they were a dollar for three pounds).

Since at least 75% of all recipes (scientific study conducted by moi) begin: saute a chopped onion, this little tip will save you hours and hours each year.

And, since I'm only me and who cares what I do: I present Nigella as your role model. Do what she does.

Friends and Artists and Thrift Stores

2012-02-10T08:33:00.001-06:00

An artist friend from the past, Joyce Koskenmaki, once defined a true friend as "someone you could go to thrift stores with." So true, dear Joyce, though I haven't seen you in almost twenty years--or even heard from you in nearly ten.

In fact, it is with a twinge of sadness that I realize that I don't currently have a thrift store friend, though Miss Em and I have become a great team on the too-seldom occasions when we are in the same place.

Still, thrift stores are the sites of relationships, albeit usually superficial ones. For years, I had seen an extremely tall woman at the thrifts. She was usually accompanied by a very short older woman. A few years ago, we broke the silence. I mentioned that my daughter liked her handbag, avery beat-up funky leather one.Then last year, we met at the linens and she showed me some nice things she didn't have a use for. Some of which I bought--with thanks.

After that, the boundaries came down. We exchanged first names (though it took me a while to remember hers). I learned that she and her husband owned a horse farm. I learned that the short woman was her 90 year old mother, who is in splendid shape, both mental and physical. We would show each other things we thought the other might like.

We haven't met for a while, since Goodwill moved to a new location. Yesterday, I ran into her (and called her by the wrong name!!! Shameful!!!). She was so happy to see me: I'm trying to get rid of stuff and I've been carrying that purse your daughter admired in my car. Wow!

I asked for her address so Miss Em could send a thank you note. She gave me her card and divulged that she had a website where she sold jewelry made from bits and pieces of things she finds. She also revealed that she is a jewelry expert of sorts: good stuff just falls into my hands, which is the exact thing I say about clothing. I would rather have magnetism for vintage silver pieces than for cashmere sweaters, but I suppose one has to accept the gifts one is given.

So she gave me her card so I could see her website. Check it out! Shades of Joseph Cornell.

A Haircut in France

2012-02-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

You may recall that Frugal Son was motivated to change the obsolete 100 franc note for euros because he was running short of money. The euros he got almost exactly paid for a much needed haircut.

Tuesday January 17, 2012: Bref. Je me suis fait coupé les cheveux.
As I’m sure you know, it has probably been about six years since anyone besides Emma has cut my hair (except for once in Nantes, but even so it was a friend who cut my hair) and even longer since I’ve been to a hair-cutting salon. Even when Emma cuts my hair it is normally a traumatic experience for me, although not so much the experience itself as the dread and worrying that leads up to it. It really is silly, since my hair is kind of unruly anyway, and, since I dread changing my hair drastically, I tend to wait too long, which, of course, makes it even worse because it makes the hair-cut even more drastic!

Anyway, I haven’t had my haircut since the last time Emma did it back in August (or possibly September), which means that I’ve gone basically five months without a haircut! Needless to say, I was in dire need of one, and, needless to say, I was dreading it! Especially now that I had to go in front of students who might possibly make fun of me and snigger about me behind my back if I got a bad one! The horror! I finally decided to bite the bullet, and I was hoping to get my hair cut on Friday or Saturday to give me the full weekend (plus Monday) to acclimatize to my new coiffure before going in front of my students.

Laine had recently gotten her hair cut and was very pleased with the results and the guy who cut it; plus, if I went and said she recommended me I would get a 20% discount! On Saturday I was planning to go, but Laine called ahead for me and they were totally booked for the day! Devastated (not really, but maybe a little upset) I went over in the afternoon to check the place out and book an appointment. The salon is near Laine’s, in Vieux Mans, and though the salon was rather spacious, there is only one guy who cuts hair (the owner) and occasionally an assistant who makes reservations, handles the desk, and washes hair. Plus, it was a very swank looking joint, complete with halves of classic cars jutting out of the walls for décor, posters advertising fancy hair products, and lots of style magazines strewn about. The guy was also wearing tight pants, shiny shoes, a vest over a short-sleeved tight black shirt, and very stylish hair! I was very overwhelmed and felt very out of place, but I decided to go ahead with it and just try to be a little more daring than I normally am. Unfortunately they are closed on Sunday AND Monday, so I had to settle for making an appointment on Tuesday afternoon, after work.

Tuesday rolled around and immediately after class I washed my hair in preparation for my haircut. When I got to the salon the guy took my coat, led me to the waiting room (more fancy décor and couches to recline on and stuff!) and handed me a GQ to peruse while I waited. Since even in English I don’t know how to describe what I want my hair to look like I had brought some photos of me from shortly after Emma cut my hair, just so he could have an idea of what I wanted it to look like. I only had to wait for a few minutes while he finished up the customer he was working on (who was also getting a very stylish haircut) and then it was my turn. I was afraid he was going to ask me if I wanted to look like someone in GQ, but fortunately he just asked me if I had any ideas for my haircut. I explained to him that Emma normally cuts my hair, and that I had no idea what I wanted. He asked if I had come because I “wanted a real haircut from a stylist” and I explained that it was actually just because it was a bit impractical for Emma to come all the way from the USA to cut my hair. I showed him the photos, to which he responded, “she cuts hair very well!” I told him that I felt like I was a person who wasn’t very stylish or daring, and that although I wasn’t ready for a really stylish haircut I would be open to trying something a bit more exciting than what I usually got. The guy was really nice and said that he had some ideas that would be too drastic, but would still be an upgrade to my look. Even though he hadn’t done anything yet he was already putting me at ease about the whole haircutting situation; I felt very taken care of, which I guess is what most people like and expect about getting a haircut (or doing anything where you spend money).

We started with the hair washing, my second of the day, which was very relaxing, and then I got into the chair. He asked if I styled my hair at all or if I used a blow dryer. I said no and he didn’t seem surprised since, as he said, a blow dryer would puff it up. He asked me if I wanted to read a magazine while he cut, so I took the GQ and just sat there as he snipped away. I don’t know if he was just fast or if I was distracted by the magazine, but it wasn’t long before he was cleaning up the back of my neck with clippers and doing some final trimming snips. He then blow dried my hair (with a diffuser, which would “puff it up, but not as much”), put some product in and styled it very lightly before showing me the final product. I was very happy! It had the same basic shape as Emma’s, but the back was a little more stylish (he left some length but cut more around the ears to give more definition) and he also did a good job with the sideburns (don’t worry Emma, I’m not insulting your haircuts! These are just tips you can use in the future! Plus, he has been cutting hair professionally for 20 years!). I paid, which, with my 20% discount, was only 16.80€, which, though easily the most expensive haircut I’ve ever had, was a lot cheaper than I was anticipating! Plus, if I recommend someone and they mention me I’ll get a 20% discount the next time I go (and MK is planning on getting her hair cut soon)! As I left the salon I felt way more stylish, and I had a new jaunt in my step. I went immediately to this bar on Place de la Republique to meet up with MK and Laine to show them my new haircut, which was met with universal acclaim (that is to say they both liked it a lot). So, the haircut that I had been dreading for so long was actually a great success. Now I just need to get some clothes to match my new stylish coiffe!

Who's Your Daddy?: Romney Trust for Sons

2012-02-07T09:53:00.000-06:00

Full disclosure: yes, I am a flaky liberal. But still. Did you see this? In addition to Mr and Mrs Romney's 250 million, the sons have 100 million, all funded through gifts under the IRS threshold (now $13,000 per person, so mom and dad can give each child up to $26,000/year).

What I find interesting (and envy-provoking) is that in a period when my own retirement investments have not done so well, these guys made more than 20%/year. That's more than Madoff was promising! Can someone explain this to me?

Here's the article.

WSJ Breaks Down Cost of Garment

2012-02-05T07:35:00.000-06:00

In case you missed this: the Wall Street Journal presents an anatomy of a high-end polo shirt. With a retail price of over $150.00, the most expensive piece of its production is US labor at $11.00.

Sadly, I think that many similarly priced items are made abroad for pennies in labor, with more going to the manufacturers. So the polo people are fighting the good fight.

What do you think of the polo shirt?

Thrift Store Karma Again

2012-02-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

Every time I think that I should just buy whatever and be done with it (within reason, of course0, my efforts are thwarted. I recently posted about all the little bargains i missed while I was away from home and the internet. Duchesse suggested I get a smartphone. Honestly, I think a smartphone would feed my obsessive ways and also cost MORE than whatever money I was saving!

Once I was home, I, of course, headed to the two local thrift shops. Amazingly, at Goodwill, I found a pair of floor lamps from Home Depot. These were in the box. They are not my FAVORITE lamps of all--those would be from some fancy shop that features items from MOMA's Design Collection--but they were about as nice as the ones from Ballard Designs that I had been looking at. The lamps were $20 each, a lot for Goodwill, but, hey, they were new.

Then, I found a small wool rug. Not bad. Someone had removed the price tag, so the harried manager marked it at $1.99.

So I managed to cross three items off my list of desired items after all. It seems to be my destiny to shop at thrift stores. I rather like it. Not for the prices only, but for the absence of choices. There are zillions of lamps as nice as mine at Home Depot and similar; I got the only PAIR of floor lamps I've seen at a thrift in a long, long while.

Making a List

2012-02-03T07:23:00.000-06:00

In my latest effort not to OVERBUY, I made a list of what I needed. This is not a new method, of course, but once I have a list, I find I can wait for a good price or free shipping. The list calms the impulse to buy RIGHT NOW.

On my list:
2 floor lamps. Really, I still have lamps from graduate school and cheapies from Walmart. I was looking at some on slight sale from http://www.ballarddesigns.com/julian-apothecary-floor-lamp/lighting/top-sellers/199010. Ballard sent me a 15% off coupon for my birthday and I was thinking of buying some pillows too. Total cost: under $200. Within the budget.

Some wool rugs for my bathrooms. I hate bathroom rugs because they get disgusting. Then I had the brilliant idea of getting some reasonable wool rugs. I discovered that lots of stylish types do this. So I picked out this rug from Garnet Hill and decided to wait for free shipping. Hate going to stores. Love mail order. Hate shipping charges. Cost: around $35.

My backup wool rug was from LL Bean. It looked something like this. Cost: around $35.

Mirroru from Big Lots. I was hoping for a 20% off coupon.

Soooooooo. Mr FS and I want to California to see his aged P or Parent, as Mr. Wemmick says in Great Expectations. We left on January 25. We knew we would have no internet---unless we made the trek to the public library in the next town.

The day before we left, I got an email from my pals at Big Lots announcing a 20% off coupon FOR a DAY WE WERE IN CALIFORNIA. OK.

Then I learned after the fact that Garnet Hill had a one-day 20% off PLUS FREE SHIPPING SALE. On the 25th.

Then LLBean had a sale on the rug I liked and it sold out before I could order it.

Oh yeah, I let my Ballard coupon lapse. Don't know why.

Total spent: 0. Items remaining on list: all.

Is this karma or what? The price difference isn't huge, but I decided to remain mellow and trust to karma.

Frugal Son Weighs Price, Quality, Value

2012-02-02T16:25:00.000-06:00

Another interesting post via Frugal Son, on his own, on a budget for the first time. I loved this one (the sausage post!) because it embodies the kind of process Aristotle discusses in Nichomachean Ethics: when you are searching for the right level of anything, you may overshoot. So, if you are toooooo cheap, you might try to get to "normal," but go too far and be wasteful. Then you have to retract a bit. And so on. So read on to see what Frugal Son thinks about a very expensive sausage he tested.

Sunday January 22, 2012: Bref. J’avais decidé de depenser plus en achetant moins.
Unfortunately it is the month that I have the least money that I have decided to implement a new plan, in which I buy less stuff (mainly to eat, although this really applies to everything) while spending more money. “What’s that?”, you say, “Surely that is a typo! You must mean buy more while spending less, or, at the very least, buy less while spending less, but buying less while spending more?! That doesn’t make any sense!” No, no, you’re eyes haven’t deceived you; I’m trying to buy less but spend more. Take for example the humble saucisse sec. Normally, I buy the cheapest saucisse sec at the Carrefour market, which works out to about 6€/kg. But what do I spend the saved money on? More low quality stuff! What I’m trying to do now is have less stuff, but buy higher quality when I do get it.
I started this plan a few weeks ago when I went to the market in search of an artisanal sausage and ended up spending 11€ (that’s right, 11€, or $14) on 300g of saucisse sec de sanglier from a Corsican charcuter at the market. Admittedly, this may have been a bit over-board (although the saucisse sec de sanglier was very good, much better than my normal Carrefour crap), but it was a step in the right direction. The next week I toned down my sausage expenditures and instead bought a higher quality of saucisse sec at Carrefour (10€/kg), which is noticeably better than the cheapest stuff, but not notably worse than the very expensive saucisse sec de sanglier. That’s my goal: to find an equilibrium between price and quality so that I am eating better things that are still “worth it.”
Next on my list of things to improve was instant coffee. I know many might say that instant coffee is inherently low quality and that if I want to improve what I need to do is buy ground coffee, but I challenge those people to try some of the new instant coffees out there, especially ones made for the European market. My instant coffee of choice since my Nantes’ days was Nescafé’s noir et corsé instant coffee (5.20€ for 200g, 26€/kg), but, since I was running low, I decided to replace it with the deluxe Carte Noire instant coffee (5.40€ for 100g, 54€/kg, made by a Kraft subsidiary). After extensive testing—that is to say two to three cups per day for over a week now—I’ve come to the conclusion that the Carte Noire also isn’t worth the price boost since in terms of taste I find it equal to, or even a bit less pleasant, than my old Nescafé. Lesson learned, and I don’t even feel bad about paying so much more since it still works out to about 11¢ per cup.
I’ve also started to spend more on my butter and daily cheese. Paying more for butter is definitely worth it since the taste is noticeably better. As for cheese, I used to get the cheapest camembert, but now I’ve started spending about 1€ extra so that I can get camembert made with lait cru, as it’s meant to be made. Again, the taste is noticeably better.
The last thing that I’ve “upgraded” so far is cured ham. I don’t usually eat sandwiches, but when I do I like to make them with jambon cru, or cured ham. At Carrefour it can be had for 1€ for 100g (10€/kg) whereas the cured hams at the market run upwards of 36€/kg. Two weeks ago I got 100g of jambon de parme, prosciutto, and boy was it good! This week I got some jambon de Serrano and, imagine, it was even better! First off, 100g of jambon de parme is more than twice as many slices of the jambon cru from Carrefour because the butcher actually slices it for you and he can slice it incredibly thin on his big scary machine. Jambon de Serrano can be sliced even thinner so it works out to three times as many slices! Secondly, the flavor of the Serrano and Parma ham can’t even be compared to the Carrefour stuff. Serrano is, for now, my favorite, though next weekend I’m going to try the top notch stuff, some jambon iberico at 76€/kg! The Serrano is, of course, salty, but it’s more than that, extending into the range of umami savoriness, with notes of butter and even dried apricots! I might sound like I’m giving a facetious, mocking wine review, but that’s really what I taste when I have a little piece of jambon de Serrano; and trust me, a little piece is all you need!
Once I have more money I’m going to start applying this new philosophy to all aspects of my life.

Frugal Son Changes Francs to Euros

2012-01-31T12:58:00.000-06:00

Ummmmm. Did I mention that I was in California, with very limited internet access? Luckily, I have another missive from Frugal Son. We did the same thing when we were in France last summer.

Monday January 16, 2012: Bref. Je suis allé à la Banque de France.
Today I did what Mama and Papa have been nagging me to do for months and finally went to the Banque de France to exchange the 100 franc note for euros. In addition to Mama and Papa’s constant reminders, there were a few other factors that were the ultimate impetus for my trip. For one, the euro had recently “celebrated” its 10th anniversary—although celebrated seems a little strong for the somber mood that surrounds the euro these days—and France was entering the waning weeks in which franc notes would be able to be turned into euro. Coins had already long passed this point, becoming valueless in 2005, but bills are still exchangeable until February 17. In addition to the limited time left to exchange, there was also the problem of my very limited funds following my Winter Vacation extravaganza in Germany and the Alps, which meant that the 15.24€ that the 100 francs would get me was suddenly a very enticing sum that would actually have a tangible effect on my day-to-day financial situation. I don’t work on Mondays, so in the morning I was free to go to the bank. I ended up getting a late start, so I had to walk briskly to get to the bank before they closed for lunch at 12.15. Fortunately, the bank was just about an eight-minute walk straight up the road that runs in front of the lycée, and though I had passed it many times on my way to the market, I managed to “get lost” (in reality it was just further up the road than I remembered) and had to ask directions from a postal employee. The building is surrounded by a tall metal fence, which also has panels to prevent you from even seeing in. The only public entrance was a little door in the fence where I had to push a button and then wait for someone to talk to me on the intercom. After a long wait (I even contemplated pushing the button again, but decided not to for fear of seeming suspicious or something) someone finally came on and asked me what I was there for and if I had identification; once I responded the door slowly swung open. Next, I had to press another button to get through the door into a little entrance room, where I was confronted by yet more doors! I again had to press a button and wait for permission to go through this door, which lead me into a tiny little air-lock type room with a machine for scanning IDs. I had to place my passport against a little scanner and then wait for approval before pushing the button and waiting for the next door to open. Finally I was in the actual bank, which was totally empty. I went to a guichet that was specially assigned for people exchanging francs and, after ringing the bell, briefly waited for the employee to show up. He took the francs, my passport, asked me about my address in Le Mans before handing me a full-page receipt to sign and handing over the euro bills. I left—once again going through all the doors—happy to have a bit of extra money to pay for some “exceptional” expenses, most notably a hair cut!

Shoe Shopping in France with Frugal Son

2012-01-25T17:01:00.000-06:00

He has a tiny budget and needs some new shoes. He's trying to shop French-style: more quality, less quantity. So far, he's just window shopped.

Wednesday January 18, 2012: Bref. J’ai fait du leche-vitrine.

Although in the US I normally detest shopping, I feel like in France it is a lot different. For one, most shopping in the US seems to involve going to some gargantuan mall and spending all day flitting from shop to faceless shop, invariably one of the many chains that is exactly the same and found all over the country. Plus, shopping in the US is about buying a LOT. In France, while there are of course the grands surfaces that are more or less like malls in the US, shopping seems to more focused on small businesses that specialize in a few things. Inevitably this makes the goods more expensive, but that leads me to the next reason that I find shopping in France bearable and even enjoyable. In France, buying stuff is more about finding a few high quality items that you are going to keep for a long time and wear over and over, instead of getting twenty junky items that you are going to chuck out next year so you can repeat the whole cycle. Of course there are the H&Ms and other chains where price and quantity trump quality, but I think that French people and French sensibilities still place a lot of value on having a few great, albeit cher, items bought with care and intended to last.

Today after school I decided to go walk downtown and do a little window shopping, or leche-vitrine, which literally means “window licking”. I have been ogling some desert boots à la Clarks for some time, so today I decided to finally go try some on. The walk from my school to Place de la Republique follows Rue Nationale, which is a very commercial street with tons of different stores for everything from clothing to honey (yes, there is a store that only sells honey and honey products) to kitchen supplies. On the way to Republique I decided to stop in a yarn shop to look at what they had for my new obsession—knitting (more on that in a later letter)—since I had just run out of my first ball of yarn. This leads me to another thing that I love about shopping in the little stores, which is that it is a very personal experience. The store was tiny—just a narrow room with floor to ceiling shelves stocked with all kinds and colors of yarn—and the only person in the store was the owner. We talked about yarn, and he told me about the various products he sold, and even though I didn’t buy anything I think he was happy just to talk to me about beginning knitting and, consequently, I am now much more likely to go back there to buy my yarn. He had tons of cool stuff (the store only sells one brand of yarn, Bergere de France, but running the gamut from 100% synthetic to 100% cashmere to alpaca / wool blends) and I can’t wait until I’m good enough to start using some of it.

After leaving the yarn store I kept walking down Rue Nationale, which turns into Rue Minimes just before joining Place de la Republique. Rue Minimes is really the street to do shopping in Le Mans; it’s where all the big stores are (H&M, Galleries Lafayette, Eram, etc) but it’s also where the fancier independent stores are. I first went into a little shoe store called Heyraud (might actually be part of a chain, I’m not sure) because that’s the only store I know of in Le Mans that has actual Clarks Desert Boots. I didn’t try them on because I didn’t have the nerve (the store was very empty and I felt out of place), but I did feel them and look at them to see how they felt in terms of quality since, at 119€, they are the most expensive of my options. After, I went across the street to Eram and went and looked at some of their Eram brand desert boots. I actually tried them on (they looked good!) but I’m not sure if the quality is as good, although at 59€ they are half the price of the Clarks. After Eram I went to Galleries Lafayette, and there I looked at, but didn’t try on, the Hush Puppies desert boots (89€, but I think that’s pre 30% discount) and the Lafayette brand desert boots (79€, but again, I think that’s before a 30% discount).

Of course, me being me, I’m incapable of making a decision for myself, so I’m going to wait until MK or someone can come with me to help me make a decision. All of the shoes look good, but I want a second opinion to back up my ideas on the quality. Right now I’m kind of leaning towards the Hush Puppies, but I’m still thinking pretty strongly of getting the Clarks. I figure if they are as good quality and last as long as these Johnston and Murphy’s loafers I have now then they are well worth the price. I also went upstairs to look at sport coats / jackets; unfortunately the only one I found that I liked cost…435€. After Lafayette I popped briefly into H&M just because I know they have some fitted khaki denim type pants that are stylish and that I like. While I was there I ran into Laine, Bernie, and Diptesh (all three are fellow assistants) so I hung out with them while they finished their shopping and then headed home. One day I’ll buy something stylish to complete my makeover!

A Question to Be Asked: Gifts and Thrifts

2012-01-24T17:11:00.000-06:00

Oh, I have been a slacker of late, at least in the blogworld. In real life, I have gotten started with the semester. Today, though, I found myself in a thrift store. Why?

As Sir John Falstaff, a much-loved Shakespearean slacker, says to Prince Hal, a faux-slacker who will become King Henry V; "A question to be asked." Why, if I am in need of decluttering, am I subjecting myself to temptation, in the name of relaxation and saving money?

This has been a constant question to be asked. Such questions become more urgent around New Year's Day, not to mention my birthday of a few days ago. On my birthday, I received a beautiful gift; it lifts my heart every time I look at it.

Since this object is so beautiful, I decided to share some of my overabundance with others and so brought a big bag of very nice excess stuff to the thrift. That was good, but then, of course, I had to take a tiny peek. If I buy one item per week (which would be easy enough), I would amass 50 items per year. My beautiful gift would be buried in clutter!

So my last (for the moment) rude question: about how many new clothing items enter your space each year? I need a sense of what normal people do.

A question to be asked.

Intentional Spending

2012-01-19T20:01:00.000-06:00

How I love seeing examples of this. Two very different instances from the blogworld. The first, from a blog I'd never read till I followed a link on Une Femme details the purchase of a pair of longed-for Hermes boots: yes, here we have a blogger who is twins with Carla Bruni.

Then from a blogger I've been reading for a while: iamtheworkingpoor. She has had many challenges this year, but managed to pay off her debt, help out her family, and find--when she wasn't exactly looking, the RV of her dreams.

I am, at the moment, trying to decide on my next savings goal. Mr FS got himself a new laptop (a Mac!); I am still searching for the object of my desire.

What are you saving up for?

Paying the Price

2012-01-18T06:32:00.001-06:00

It's easy enough to think frugality and cheapness are the same thing, that we should strive for the lowest cost. I do it myself sometimes. Sometimes, I have to resist the lure of the low price.

It is not worth it to drive to even a nearby grocery store to buy apples that are 20 cents less a pound than usual.

I have been engaged in grocery resistance for a while now. As of this year, I am trying to get to the next step and here are my first projects.

1. Beauty in my Surroundings. Susan Heller, my mother's decorating pal, suggested a fabric for my living room. Two, actually. I already bought one. It was easy because I found it on sale somewhere or other and the site had free shipping. There it sits, 4 yards on the bolt. The other one is more difficult. It is almost $40.00 a yard and all polyester. Yuck. The pictures do not show how good these fabrics look together and how the blue matches my newly painted walls AND picks up a tiny spot of blue in my grandparents' old rug.

Of course, I could go to a fabric store and look. Last time I did that, it took about two hours (of driving and looking) and none of the swatches ended up working. I was also depressed and covered with a film of sweat! Stress does that to me. The total savings would be at most $40, since I need two yards for a few pillows.

So I should JUST DO IT. Then, of course, I have to have the pillows made, since I can't do even the most elementary sewing.

2. Satisfying Miss Em's Material Desires. And she has many, being 20 years old. She is not as dementedly frugal as I can be, but she has some moments. I got a glimpse of myself (the dark side of frugality) when I witnessed Miss Em trying to get some make-up at Ulta: it was BUY 2, GET 1 FREE and she had a $3 coupon. She went crazy! That is because there were only two of the face powders she wanted. Finally--partly because I find make-up stores rather boring and poor Mr FS was waiting in the car--I said: JUST BUY ONE. She did, with gratitude.

The other thing Miss Em wants is camisoles from Banana Republic. They are $25! So, while I was having my nervous breakdown, she sweetly asked if she could use the $15 birthday coupon they send me every January. Sure. Sometimes it's not worth the time to find a SINGLE item you want on sale.

Of course, once you relax in the demented frugality department, you receive karmic rewards. I was getting something at a drugstore, when I saw some face powders marked down to 75 cents. They were a Paula Begoun recommended brand, so I got three for Miss Em. Now she won't need face powder for at least a year.

Then, when I was creating the link to the overpriced Banana cami, I saw that they were having a 30% off sale. Better than nothing. I think I will get Miss Em 3 or 4 (4 will get free shipping too), so we will not have to think about that for a year.

OK karmic forces: where's the fabric?

Seriously, for what kind of things do you "pay the price" because seeking out a bargain will cost too much in time or end in failure anyway?

See Funny About Money's related post on having a hated tree cut down.

How to Gauge Cashmere Quality

2012-01-17T07:48:00.000-06:00

Just in case you missed the little article in the Wall Street Journal.

This confirmed everything I THOUGHT, but now I have some evidence for my assumptions. In honor of the article, I wore the cashmere V-neck my mother bought at Harrods in London about 30 years ago. It was 100 pounds when the pound was par with the U.S. dollar (an event never repeated, at a time when I was too poor to go anywhere). Thick, made in Scotland. My parents were ecstatic at the price and my father was thrilled to be interviewed on the subject of how far American dollars were going in England. He was very loquacious and so was sad that his lengthy analysis was reduced to 1 second of radio time: "A cashmere sweater for $100!!"

By some weird harmonic convergence, I bought an old Hermes cashmere sweater at Goodwill (when what I want is a SCARF! Hear that, Thrift Store gods!!!???). It is the thickest cashmere I ever felt. I can hardly imagine wearing it indoors. I need to find this to test out my new cashmere knowledge, but I think Miss Em spirited it away.

The best place to feel nice cashmere is in vintage shops. No comparison with most of what you find today. Many bloggers feel that Lands End offers the best price/value ratio for cashmere nowadays. I tend to agree. Some of the cashmere at thrifts is so poor quality (and the bad stuff gets worse with age) that I won't even spend $3.00 on a sweater.

I guess if you want to test the best of the best with your hand, you could check out Hermes. I would be too intimidated myself.

Lessons on Quality in Clothing: Fabric and Construction Details

2012-01-16T12:43:00.000-06:00

A couple of readers have asked me how one recognizes quality in clothing--both in the retail and secondhand markets. As a total non-sewer, I have to say I have learned a lot from books.

I've written about this book before. I first encountered it courtesy of a friend with whom I was planning to compile a guide to secondhand shopping in New Orleans. Well, the friendship ended as did the idea, hatched in those halcyon pre-Katrina days.

Why is a book on secondhand shopping still in print after 12 years? Because most of the book is on how to recognize quality: in fabric and in construction. It is really good: even buttonholes and button orientation are things to inspect.

Confession: When I was in graduate school and my TAship ran out, I discovered that I was very good at finding vintage clothes. So I did. And consigned them at the Eye of Osiris, the epicenter of the Bloomington vintage world. In another life, I must have been a seamstress or weaver, because I am very good at discerning nice fabric. In fact, I run my hands across the racks at thrift stores. I can always recognize fellow fabric people, because they--like me--look with their hands.

This is definitely a skill you can acquire, simply by going to stores and touching the merch (clean hands, please!). You could follow the path of Terri, at Rags Against the Machine, who will be scoping out shops from low-end to high-end in the coming year.

Try to get a hold of that book. It is fascinating reading.

Do you have any recommendations on how to learn to discern quality?

Next Nosy Question: What Clothing Do You Buy at Retail?

2012-01-15T14:11:00.000-06:00

As I mention in some recent responses to comments, the time for my ultra-frugality may be coming to an end. I do need to loosen up a bit. Miss Em will be out of college next year, so I can relax a bit.

While pondering my perhaps too-frugal ways, I realized that I cannot recall the last time I bought an item of clothing at "retail." Oh, a pair of jeans for Frugal Son, a few years ago, and even they were paid for by Grandma.

In part, this is because I have a pretty good understanding of how sales cycles work. There is very little that is not on sale at one time or another. the twice a year sales of my girlhood have been replaced by a near-constant cycle of sales. Also, I like going to thrift stores, so I seldom need anything on short notice.

So dear readers, I thank you for providing me (and the universe!) with a list of well-priced basics. Now, a more nosy question, what do you think is "worth" (however you want to define that) buying at retail?

By which I mean clothing and accessories and shoes.

Thanks for helping me!

What clothing brands provide both reasonable prices and good quality/value?

2012-01-14T09:27:00.000-06:00

Just wondering, chic and frugal (sometimes!) readers: which clothing lines provide both decent quality and reasonable prices. Here, I'm not talking about how you can use your Hermes bag every day for ten years, yielding a reasonable COST PER WEAR.

I'm talking more about Lands' (their typo) End tees worn by the wise Vivienne.
Or the silk basics recommended by the equally wise Duchesse.

I guess I'm talking about the basic pieces that will enable those of modest or moderate means to save up for the special item. Sad to say, I mostly buy these basic basics for Mr FS. I bought Mr FS two turtlenecks from Lands'End a few months ago: the cotton is combed and of quite good quality. I need to look for some myself!

P.S. Of course, the reason Lands' End can sell their tees for such low prices is because they are produced where labor costs are very low. I can only hope that these big companies have the desire and muscle to enforce fair working conditions and wages. The rash of suicides at the Chinese factory where Apple products are made gives one pause--or more than pause, really.

P.P.S. Check out Duchesse's swoonworthy shawl in her blog pic.

So...am I weird or what?

2012-01-13T09:50:00.000-06:00

In response to my somewhat incoherent (because I haven't figured things out fully) post that was a response to a blog comment, here's another of the same. metscan--elegant blogger from Suomi--wrote this, to my post about all the luxe goodies I've found at thrift shops:

So, I gather that deep inside, you actually desire the " brands ", the luxuries, as you mention all the fine brands you have bought from thrift shops, only you are not willing pay the price asked for them in a luxury shop?

And she added: Sorry, I have some mixed feelings right now..

Me too. What motivates me? Is it really just that I don't want to "pay the price"? A complex issue, both personal and cultural. Cultural, because in the United States, unlike in Europe, pricing is wacko, to put it mildly. In Germany, say, where sales are regulated, the whole economy is supported by those prices. Here, that is not the case: I have to save up for expensive dental procedures (of which I've had many); higher education for one's children is extremely expensive; and there are few guarantees for retirement. So, in Germany I would pay the price. Here, I need to save where I can for scary uncertainties. It's easy for me to save on clothing, so I do.

And--on the personal side--well, who knows? I like my Lands End cashmere as much as the Dries Van Noten. They are of equal quality, though neither is of the quality of some of my vintage pieces.

Does it make me feel clever? Well, yeah.

Do I feel that good quality items are overpriced? That the name commands a ridiculous premium? Yes. That is why so many fakes abound, which are hard to distinguish from the original.

Am I aware that wearing status items can lead to better treatment out in the world? Yes.

OK. Back to planning my classes for next week. I wonder what I will wear on the first day of class....