Set in Aldergrove B.C., Million Dollar Neighbourhood challenges 100 families and encourages the community to come together to raise their collective net worth by a stunning one million dollars. The show shares the real life struggles we all face when it comes to finances and family.

The first episode called ‘Hidden Money’, aired January 22 on OWN Canada, and I was in it!

You can catch all of Episode 1 online at OWN Canada | Million Dollar Neighbourhood. I make my reality TV debut at the 32:00 minute mark. Note: I’m not sure if this video plays outside of Canuckland. Hopefully my American readers can view it?

About Episode 1 – ‘Hidden Money’
The neighbourhood must reach their weekly $100,000 goal by uncovering the hidden money in their taxes, by gathering all of the spare change in their homes, and by eliminating their credit cards and living cash only.

During the all-day shoot I was stationed in a big white tent for a frugality fair called the ‘Hidden Money Market’. I had a blast meeting the families and showing the community where to find hundreds of bucks in hidden money stashed around their homes.

To get them on the right savings path, I shared these 10 Money Saving Tips for a Million Dollar Neighbourhood — only a few made it to air. You’ll have to watch the show to see which ones made the cut.

Hint: Carl’s crazy green phone from The cost of collecting (your favorite post from 2011) just might make an appearance.

I posted many thank-you’s to the cast and crew here. I’d really love to thank Bruce Sellery again, and again, and again though. After seeing the show, I’m touched by his kind words.

Check out Bruce Sellery’s bestselling book Moolala: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things with Their Money (available on Amazon, Amazon Canada), and tune in to Million Dollar Neighbourhood Sunday at 8PM/5PM PT.

Lastly, big major thanks to W Expert, Globe Columnist, and top blogger Preet Banerjee of Where Does All My Money Go for helping me view the show before it went online. Don’t ask me how.

Your Thoughts: Did ya watch the show? Do you think the community can save one million bucks?

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I met Andrew Hallam by accident in my email’s spam folder. It’s a bad day when a notable financial writer (and a super nice guy) gets banned from my inbox along with thousands of cheap Viagra offerings.

I have nothing against Viagra ads. Every month I spend a whack of time sifting through dubious drug company prices in the hopes I’ll find the golden email that got away.

In Hallam’s case, I found three. THREE REAL EMAILS! That’s like a million spams to one Andrew Hallam. The odds were against him.

Now, you wouldn’t think that Hallam, a high school English teacher, would take a lot of stock in playing the odds. It’s the math teachers, after all, who spend their days calculating Calculus formulas, integrating integer ratios, studying statistics, and perhaps dabbling in a little bit of probability theory.

But Hallam isn’t your average 40-something English teacher. He’s a millionaire. And he became a member of this elusive club by being a bit of a numbers guy.

“I didn’t take exceptional risks with my money and I didn’t inherit a penny from anyone,” he writes in his book. “When I went to college, I paid the entire bill myself. How did I pay for my own schooling and amass more than a million debt-free dollars before my fortieth birthday?”

Hallam poses good questions. After reading Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School I now know the answers.

Raise your hand for a little money help.

Money is a taboo subject, and schools haven’t done much to untabooify (new financial word) the wacky world of personal finance. Heck, many high school teachers wouldn’t know where to start! That’s why a bunch of them banded together and asked Hallam for money help. The teachers wanted to know how best to save, invest, and prosper like the millionaire English teacher.

Hallam, being a generous kind of guy, started clubs and taught his fellow teachers his money ways. Being a finalist in the National Publishing Awards for financial writing, he is known for his penny-wise prowess.

It was within these clubs Hallam learned first hand how the majority of money books fail to connect with real people — you know, human beings. Written by economists and other super-smart people, too many investing tomes use jargon and financial language that barely skims the minds of well-meaning folks.

So with the help of over 100 colleagues and friends, Andrew Hallam went on a mission to bring his money lessons and rules to the masses. Jargon-free, fun to read, and easy to follow, Millionaire Teacher is the tome that could take you to the head of the class and add a few zeros to your portfolio.

The ‘Nine Rules’ you didn’t learn in school. Sorry.

Andrew Hallam lays out his nine rules of wealth in under 180 pages. I don’t know how he packed so much good stuff into so few digestible sheets of paper. Others agree — Millionaire Teacher has graced the Top 10 and Top 100 lists on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com for months. Yeah, MONTHS!

You won’t find any ‘get rich quick’ schemes here. Hallam is a practical fellow who believes in hard work. He advocates a sensible savings strategy, steers clear of the financial service industry (many advisers charge hidden fees), and invests in low cost index funds to grow his modest income into unimaginable wealth. He shows you how to do it.

The ruling lessons I love

I won’t review every single rule in Millionaire Teacher — I don’t think I could do each chapter justice. But the rules that resonate strongest with me are as follows:

Rule 1: Spend like You Want To Grow Rich

Readers of Squawkfox will love the first chapter, since Hallam outlines how to be frugal without becoming a miserable miser. Hallam has a witty sense of humor about choosing to live on less, and shows you how to live life to the fullest while not spending buckets of money.

Rule 5: Build Mountains of Money with a Responsible Portfolio

I’ve always been great at saving money. But after paying off my student debt, I had little clue how to invest. Enter chapter five, where both newbie and intermediate investors can benefit from Hallam’s down-to-earth explanations of stocks, bonds, and those newsworthy market movements.

He shows how you can build wealth over time by investing in low cost index funds and building a ‘Couch Potato Portfolio’. And yes, most everyone can do this.

Rule 6: Sample a ‘Round-the-World’ Ticket to Indexing

Rule six makes this book worthy of the international audience who reads this blog. Whether you live in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or Singapore — or any other English-speaking country — you’ll find huge value in this chapter since Hallam outlines possible funds to invest in.

Read this chapter at least five times. You’ll learn investing lessons from the American section even if you are a Canadian. If you hail from Australia, the Canuck section is eye-opening. Even the personal stories Hallam shares throughout the Singaporean indexing part are enlightening to an international readership. Really!

Who should read Millionaire Teacher?

I needed to read Millionaire Teacher. Even though I already invest in a ‘Couch Potato Portfolio’ of index funds and I’m great at saving moolah, I learned a lot from Andrew Hallam’s nine money rules.

I love Hallam’s style. Not only is he fun to read, but he explains challenging financial concepts (well, challenging for me) in an understandable way that’s rare in personal finance books.

Where to buy the book:

• Millionaire Teacher (Amazon)
• Millionaire Teacher (Amazon Canada)

Whether you’re a newbie saver or an advanced investor, this is a great investment book for all levels, ages, and incomes. No wonder Millionaire Teacher is topping the Amazon charts around the world. It’s that good. Heck, I may just send a few copies to those spammers who fill my inbox with marketing drivel — saving smartly and investing wisely are by far the best ways to make it to a million.

Happy investing!
Love, Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

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If you have no idea what I’m squawking about, I’ll briefly bring back the magic. Basically, you take your Shrinky Dink character, color it with a marker, and then oven bake it for like two minutes. The magic happens when that Dink shrinks to one-third their original size and becomes nine times thicker. Cool, eh! Kids could then turn Shrinky Dinks into shoelace charms or necklaces. So much awesome fun in a teeny tiny package.

Anyhoo, as an adult my fascination with teeny tiny things hasn’t waned. I often bake miniature morsels and I’m a little obsessed with compact packages. In my world (yeah, it’s a nice place to visit) small things can bring a lot of big fun.

But my wondrous world of the teeny tiny came to an end the other day when Carl brought home the groceries. Turns out his favorite brand of peanut butter turned into the dinks of shrinks by packing 25% less product into each jar. Yeah, the store discontinued the larger 1kg size in favor of this 750g shrunken micro mini — a decrease of 250g, or 25% per jar.

HONEY, they shrunk the peanut butter!

After unsticking my tongue from the roof of my mouth in disgust, I did a little mathy math to figure out the cost of a humble peanut butter sandwich. I went through my grocery receipts and found the prices.

The gobsmacking results surprised me, and we’re not talkin’ peanuts here, people.

Over time we’ve purchased both the 1kg and 750g jars for $3.99 each. At $3.99 per jar, there’s a jump in unit price from $0.40/100g to $0.53/100g — an increase of $0.13/100g.

Bottom Line: The lip smacking mathy math does not lie — a 25% decrease in product size at $3.99 per jar results in a 33% increase in peanut butter price!

What you can do about ‘Shrinky Dink’ products

Price inflation with product deflation is a strange, and expensive phenomenon. There’s no doubt that mindlessly buying your usual grocery products without paying attention to unit prices, sizes, and old receipts can cost you. Yeppers, those marketers are sneaky sneakers and often repackage and rebrand shrunken products JUST to charge you more.

As a smart consumer, there are a few tactics you can employ to combat the dreaded Shrinky Dink product and save yourself a little dough.

Tactics for combating Shrinky Dink products:

1. Buy the larger size. If the former regularly sized product becomes a cute micro mini, compare the unit price of the larger size, if available — it may be a better deal.
2. Compare prices at another store. When your usual supermarket becomes super at shrinking, do a price check experiment at another chain to compare prices. My Price Check Experiment at Costco shows you how to do it, and reveals super savings on certain products.
3. Make it at home. If you’re fed up with paying bigger prices for smaller grocery items, then roll up your sleeves and get friendly with the word HOMEMADE. Carl hasn’t bought peanut butter in months since he now roasts and grinds organic nuts at home for less.

   Here’s the recipe: Homemade Peanut Butter: A Visual Guide and Cost Analysis.

Lastly, calling up customer service and registering a complaint about micronized products might be worth a shot too.

Question for you guys: Have you ever noticed a shrunken product with the same price? What do you do about it?

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

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• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
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• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness

It worked.

After four years of blogging about money, Squawkfox.com has grown to over 31,000 readers and is now one of the bigger personal finance blogs on the internet. This is kinda scary, but mostly cool. Scary ’cause it’s just me over here writing, and cool ’cause so many people care about frugal living. Kudos.

To celebrate both the New Year and Squawkfox’s four-year blog anniversary (or blogiversary), I’ve rounded up the top posts you liked best. Based on comments, traffic, and emails received, here are your Top 10 Squawks from 2011!

1. The cost of collecting

Who knew that discombobulated Barbie doll heads, rustic farm barns, and a big old stack of denim could wreak so much havoc on my inbox. Some of you spewed coffee onto your keyboards (sorry), while others chuckled over my eating crow. Go on, jump into the comments and share — What do you collect? The responses are hilarious. The cost of collecting is easily your favorite post of 2011.

• The cost of collecting

2. Make a Starbucks Frappuccino for $0.32

My server squawked from the traffic load after posting this frugal food hack. With a million pageviews in 2011, this viral post shares the secret ingredient in a Starbucks Frappuccino. Big major thanks to Lifehacker, The Consumerist, and Pinterest for sending my $0.32 copy-cat frapp recipe to front pages around the world. I’m still buzzing from the caffeine hit.

• Make a Starbucks Frappuccino for $0.32

3. How to get married for $239.00

You either loved or loathed my wedding story. Regardless of your stance, getting hitched for A LOT less hit a deep emotional nerve, got you talkin’ across social media, and even became one of the most read stories on The Globe and Mail‘s website. I should have made Carl wear the white dress.

• How to get married for $239.00

4. Price Check Experiment: Is Costco really worth it?

I went undercover and did a price check experiment at Costco to see if shopping at a wholesale club is worth it, even after paying membership fees and enduring long lineups with reams of toilet paper. The comments say it all — you really loved this post.

• Price Check Experiment: Is Costco really worth it?

5. Breaking up with a cable company is hard to do

Deciding to quit cable was easy. Getting the cable company to sever my service was hard. A must read if you’re trying to break up with any service provider. They want your money and will do anything to keep you as a client.

• Breaking up with a cable company is hard to do

6. Should couples keep joint or separate accounts?

I don’t merge my money with my spouse, but it’s OK if you do. I went through the positives and negatives of different banking setups for couples, and pi$$ed off a few June Cleaver fans too. However you feel about The Beaver, it’s always a good idea to talk about money with your mate.

• Should couples keep joint or separate accounts?

7. 5 Investing fees that devour your savings

Do yourself a serious solid in 2012 by adding up all your investing fees. You could save tens of thousands of dollars by getting in the know and making less costly investing decisions. I shared a personal investing story and surprised many of you with newly found savings.

• 5 Investing fees that devour your savings

8. 1 Organic Chicken, 22 Healthy Meals, $49 Bucks

I stretched a single organic chicken into 22 healthy meals for just $49 bucks, and you loved it. This 8-part series took forever to write, and it shows. Brimming with several chicken recipes and boasting endless clucky ideas, it just goes to show ya how much money can be saved with a simple plan, a few frugal ingredients, and a slow cooker or a crock pot. This post has so many media mentions I’ve lost count.

• 1 Organic Chicken, 22 Healthy Meals, $49 Bucks

9. How to pack a suitcase

I did a magic trick by packing ten days of travel clothing into a single carry-on suitcase, and this post got forwarded to probably everyone who owns luggage. With airlines charging big fees for checked and extra baggage, it pays to travel light. What’s in your suitcase?

• How to pack a suitcase

10. Make healthier Lunchables for 32% less

I sliced turkey, counted crackers, weighed cheese, and added up the total cost for a less expensive lunch box friendly snack. With front page mentions on Lifehacker and mommy blogs around the world, I can’t complete this list without a frugal snack attack. Crunch into some healthy savings, kiddies!

• Make healthier Lunchables for 32% less

BONUS: The Wealthy Barber Returns

It’s not every day a humble blog gets a big mention in a financial guru’s book. I’m still a little shocked (and slightly horrified) whenever a new reader lands on my site by way of David Chilton’s new book, The Wealthy Barber Returns. I don’t recommend books often, but add this hilarious gem to your (virtual) bookshelf in 2012 and you could increase your bottom line while laughing out loud.

• The Wealthy Barber Returns

There you have it! The top ten Squawkfox posts from 2011. Happy New Year, you guys.

Love love love,
Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

Top Squawks

• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
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• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year
• Credit Card Calculator
• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness

Now, I normally have all my holiday gift shopping planned and done by early fall thanks to my handy Holiday Expense Tracking Spreadsheet and a little thoughtful pre-planning. But after getting married, packing my suitcase, and heading off to Europe on a honeymoon (with Carl), I’m seriously behind this year.

Maybe you are too. So I’m going through my holiday archives and sharing the most popular posts for those facing a last minute dash to get to the holiday finish line. Don’t let a little holiday stress cost you.

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

These are silly, helpful, mostly useful, and fun.

• 10 Ridiculous gadgets worth the money. Maybe.

Yes, you can do a little holiday giving for a buck or two.

• 50 Gift Ideas from the Dollar Store

The S’mores in a Jar are my personal favorite.

• 8 Homemade Gifts in a Jar

Stocking stuffers, gifts for friends, gifts for teachers, and family gifts don’t have to cost a lot.

• 12 Gift Ideas for Under $15

Sneaky Santas can turn Christmas into a holiday hunt.

• 12 Gift ideas disguised as Christmas ornaments

Tiny tarts make the perfect hostess gift!

• How to make Pie in a Jar

Christmas Decorations

Skip the costly kitsch and decorate your table with the stuff you already own.

• 5 Ways to Decorate Your Holiday Table on a Budget

Making homemade crackers is a snap with these step-by-step instructions.

• How to make your own Christmas Crackers

Spruce up your home without the pine needles.

• How to make a Softie Christmas Tree (includes a free printable sewing pattern)

It’s a Wrap!

You don’t need to spend a cent on wrapping paper.

• 11 Ways to Wrap Gifts without Wrapping Paper

Top your gift with a cheerful homemade gift tag. Add a little paint, use a colorful marker, or get the kids to crayon outside the lines.

• 6 Printable Holiday Gift Tags, Christmas Cards, Thank You Notes, and Greeting Cards

Finally, don’t stress over any of this holiday stuff. Your family (probably) still loves you. And it’s OK if the cat topples the tree (again) this year — it’s only a dang tree. Love, Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

Top Squawks

• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
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• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year
• Credit Card Calculator
• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness

Going incognito with this year’s gifts could also save you from spending extra moolah on Christmas ornaments, and disguising gifts as tree decorations is a fun way to throw some frugal presents into the mix.

Sure, you can spend big Santa bucks on small presents too, but the idea here is to turn a few inexpensive, creative, and unique gift ideas into a fun holiday hunt.

These 12 gift ideas are admittedly a little unusual, a tad weird, and perhaps too wacky for families in need of a sense of humor. I understand, but maybe this year you’ll branch out and see that the holiday spirit can indeed grow on trees.

1. Panties in a knot

Getting underwear for Christmas is always bummer. I mean, no one wants to unwrap a stack of knickers when they’re hoping for something way cooler. So rather then present your kids with a pile of wrapped panties, why not just hang them in the tree?

Just grab some funky underwear, roll them into a tube (kinda like packing a suitcase), and stick them in a dollar store sachet baggy. Finish the ornament with a little ribbon and some decorations left over from last year. Voila! You’ve just put your knickers in a twist! So much better than a lump of coal.

My parents did this for the family growing up, and I turned out TOTALLY NORMAL.

2. You light up my life

Hang some real lights along side your Christmas tree lights this year. Pocket flashlights, handy head lamps, and tiny LED keychain micro-lights are great gifts for helping anyone out of the dark.

Pocket flashlights are great little gifts for men, women, and lost teenagers.

3. Reindeer noses

Santa’s reindeer sure are nosy. Can your kid figure out which cute little reindeer nose belongs to Rudolph?

This is an easy homemade ornament for those rushed for ideas and time. Just stick a few M&Ms or Whoppers into a tiny Ziploc bag, add a ribbon, and hang from the tree.

4. Dinosaurs can decorate

Dinosaurs once ruled the world, so why can’t they decorate your tree?

Go ahead and turn your tree into a little Jurassic Park by sticking a few dollar store dinosaurs into a fillable ball ornament — a fun reusable craft for kids.

Perfect for entertaining future archaeologists, this ornament craft can be done with other pocket-sized toys too.

Dinosaurs make every holiday better, right?

5. Kittens found their mittens

My family used to call those dangly bits hanging from kids mittens idiot strings. This doesn’t say a lot for my intelligence as a child. It also didn’t say much for my ability to keep my mittens out of the lost and found.

Anylittlekitten, if your cute kiddlet lost their mittens (give them a hug) and make ‘em find them in the tree. Idiot stings or not, these strands make ornamental hanging a breeze.

6. Tea in the tree

Make a tiny gift a great present by sticking it in a mini 4 oz canning jar. This ornament idea is perfect for those with a taste for tea.

Buy some loose tea, put a lid on it, and wrap it for hanging.

Over the years I’ve stuffed a lot of cute gifts in jars. Check them all out here:

• Hostess gifts: Tiny Tarts: How to make Pie in a Jar
• Food gifts: 8 Homemade Gifts in a Jar (with printable gift tags)
• Toy gifts: 12 Gift Ideas for Under $15

Oh, and send your tea lover these recipes: 5 Gourmet Herbal Tea Infusions for Your French Press.

7. Nailed it

Growing up in a house filled with teenage girls can be a nail-biting experience. When the teens have you down to the quick, gift them a cute nail polish kit hanging from the tree.

Your local dollar store has all the goodies for this homemade gift set. Colorful emery boards, nail polish and remover, tiny decorative stickers, and yummy candy.

Bundle everything together in a sachet bag and finish with some pretty ribbon. Yeah, you nailed this gift idea.

8. You cracker me up

If Christmas crackers are good enough to decorate your holiday table, then they’re perfect for ornamenting your tree.

Making your own perfect little packages and hiding tiny gifts within is a snap with my DIY post, How to make your own Christmas Crackers.

9. Game’s on!

Used games can be bought for cheap on Craigslist or eBay, and hiding this gift in your Christmas tree is the prefect way to get your gamer into the playful spirit. This gift idea works for new games too, but current unplayed titles often cost more.

I’m hoping for Little Big Planet 2 this year. Hint hint.

10. Lip smacking good

Lip balms, sticks, and glosses were great stocking stuffers as a kid. Well, as a girl kid. Smooch.

Tiny toiletries are awesome gifts for frequent travelers too.

11. Chocolate in a Santa sack

Food gifts are far tastier than traditional Christmas ornaments. Don’t believe me? Just ask my cat.

Eons ago the family kitty would climb our tree and knock it down EVERY YEAR without fail. Hairloom (typo, it stays) and expensive ornaments would break under our cat’s climbing prowess.

Perhaps the real reason we started making homemade ornaments was to keep the dang cat from breaking the pretty glass bulbs. Anyways, if your cat is on a tear, eat some chocolate … or get a dog.

12. Smile for dental hygiene

Your teeth are priceless and dentists are expensive. So after crunching on candy canes and dining on decadent chocolate, tell your loved ones that it’s time to get those pearly whites clean.

Give the gift of good dental hygiene and your family will smile, ’cause you’re a fun kind of weird.

Love,
Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

Top Squawks

• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
• How to write a resume (series with downloads)
• Frugalicious Recipes
• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year
• Credit Card Calculator
• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness

I can fit…PLEASE don’t go without me!
 

I should know. After traveling through Germany, The Netherlands, and France for ten straight days with a single piece of 19″ carry-on luggage, I managed to escape paying a single luggage fee, and jaunted around major European cities care-free with a very light load to carry.

How did I do it? With a little planning and a few frugal air travel packing tips you too can take flight without the extra cost and luggage weight.

Here’s how to pack a suitcase in ten simple steps:

1. Check the weather.

Living on the farm for the last few years, I’ve grown to appreciate the insanity farmers have for weather reports — Carl included. I call it ‘Weather P0rn’ ’cause the delight my man gets from barometric pressures, dew points, and capping inversions gives me cause for climatic disturbance.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you glue yourself to The Weather Channel (like Farmer Carl) before your business, holiday, weekend, or family trip. But being inclined to glance at a few weather forecasts will make it easier for you to pack for any kind of getaway. Check out Weather.com or WunderGround.com for meteorological updates at your destination.

I traveled to Europe in the fall, so I needed a good mix of warm and cold weather clothing. Yes, I packed it all in one carry-on suitcase.

2. Plan your destination events.

Visiting relatives, partying at swanky soirees, hiking up glaciers, or sunning your bum on the beach all require different attire. So pack only the clothing you need for your planned events — nothing extra! If you suddenly need a string bikini on a beach in Brazil then *cough* think twice about it, and buy it there.

My biggest events for Berlin, France, and Amsterdam included excursions to the Bodemuseum, Gemäldegalerie, Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Centre Georges Pompidou, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and numerous national and war monuments. So basically I needed a pair of very comfortable shoes for viewing thousands of priceless paintings. I guesstimate I walked a minimum of 10km a day! Carl was thrilled.

3. Limit footwear, embrace double-duty items.

Ladies sure love to pack shoes. Get over yourself! You only need two, maybe three pairs: walking shoes, ballerina flats, and perhaps a pair of sandals. Those kitten heels sure look cute, but fashion footwear isn’t comfortable to walk in and takes up a lot of space.

What’s a double-duty item? Cardigans, pashimina scarves, a neutral trench coat — anything can be dressed UP or down. I wore my basic Banana Republic trench coat nearly every day on my trip and I fit right in with the fashionable locals in Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam.

4. Create a packing list.

I fully admit that I’m a list person. If you’re going away for ANY length of time I’d highly recommend you embrace the packing list — it will help you get organized and take inventory of the stuff you actually need.

Years ago I created this Printable Travel Checklist and Packing List for weary travelers.

Today I pack very little. Here’s my pared down packing list for Europe. Yeah, it looks like a lot but it all fits in one 19″ carry-on suitcase, minus the stuff I’d wear on the plane.

Clothing:

• 2 pairs shoes (comfy walking, sturdy ballet flats)
• 1 light nylon jacket
• 1 beige trench coat
• 3 pairs pants (blue jeans, nylon khakis, black slacks)
• 1 skirt (knee-length, black)
• 3 long sleeve shirts
• 2 short sleeve shirts
• 5 3/4 sleeve shirts
• 2 cardigan sweaters
• 1 thick sweater
• 1 black dress
• 2 tank tops, with built-in bras
• 2 scarves (1 dressy, 1 wool buff)
• 1 pair of PJs
• 6 pairs underwear, 1 bra, 3 pairs socks
• 1 pair black tights
• 1 bathing suit, goggles, swim cap
• 1 sling pack day bag

Toiletries, Odds and Ends:

• 1 Travel plug adaptor
• 1 iPod Touch
• 1 Canon PowerShot ELPH digital camera
• 3 GoToobs: shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, lip balm, sunscreen
• Travel makeup brush set, and travel-sized makeup
• 1 Diva Cup
• 1 Microfiber travel towel, 1 Salux skin towel
• 4 Ziploc bags, 2 laundry bags
• 10 Clif Bars
• 1 Europe Travel Guide with map!

Note: With the exception of my bathing suit, I used and wore EVERYTHING.

5. Pack neutral colors, light washable fabrics.

Pack a neutral color palette (brown, blue, gray, tan) to keep your wardrobe flexible and interchangeable. Opting for light and quick drying fabrics like merino wool and nylon over heavy cotton makes it easy to wash and wear your clothing quickly while keeping your suitcase light.

Peeking into my suitcase you’ll notice I’m a HUGE fan of Icebreaker merino wool clothing. These garments can be worn for days without any smell, plus they wash and dry quickly. Icebreaker is high quality stuff, and it ain’t cheap.

6. Pack outside your bag.

Dump your planned travel gear onto the floor and ruthlessly edit the nice to have items. Now do it again. And again.

Don’t pack directly into your suitcase — you’ll be tempted to cram in a few extra items and add volume. Seriously, you will.

7. Bundle, roll, shove, layer, tame.

I use a myriad of packing techniques to fit everything into my trusted carry-on. Here’s how to pack a suitcase in five easy steps:

Step One: Bundle.

The first step is to layer (or bundle) like garments together. Bundling can help reduce wrinkles while organizing all your similar clothing in an easy to access stack.

Step Two: Roll.

Roll each layered bundle into a tidy tube. Rolling a small bundle of clothing can save space in your suitcase and prevent your clothes from creasing. Because rolling doesn’t reduce the weight of your stuff, you’ll still need to be aware of how much junk you’re shoving in your trunk.

Since I wear a lot of merino wool and nylon fabrics, I never walk around wearing wrinkled clothing.

Step Three: Stuff.

Packing a second pair of shoes? Go ahead and stuff your socks, bras, and underwear into each foot bed. Shoes take up a lot of space, so be sure to use your soles and all surface areas. I like to stuff each shoe into a Ziploc bag to keep my suitcase clean and tidy.

Step Four: Layer.

Most carry-on suitcases have wheels and an extendable handle. While these are great features for hauling a$$ through big airports, they can make for uneven packing spaces. So embrace those awkward areas by layering your shoes and nesting your clothing rolls between these spots.

I always start by layering my shoes and pants into the bottom of my suitcase, between the handle slots.

I then take each clothing roll and layer them between gaps and spaces.

But what about my dress, nylon jacket, PJs, wool buff, travel book, energy bars, laundry bags, and swim gear?

Easy. I roll my dress, jacket, and wool buff and shove them in any available space. I like to roll and layer my PJs on top with my travel book for easy access when I arrive at my destination at night. Laundry bags, energy bars, and swim gear go into the top flap of my suitcase.

Step Five: Tame toiletries, organize electronics.

After boarding eight flights in Europe, I’ve come to the conclusion that airport security sucks when you’re carrying too many liquids and a clutter of electronics. The solution is to carry only the liquid essentials and stick your electronic gadgets in an easy to view Ziploc bag. Both the liquids bag and electronics Ziploc were accessible in my sling pack purse for quick security checks.

To save maximum space, consider buying some of your toiletries at your destination.

If a flight was super strict about boarding with one bag, I still had plenty of room to stuff my sling purse into my carry-on.

8. Wash and wear.

Do a little laundry for five minutes each night in your hotel room bathroom sink. A dollop of shampoo can do wonders to clean socks, wash underwear, and launder shirts. Use your shower to hang your gear to dry overnight. If you’re staying with family or have access to machines, go ahead and use your laundry bags to keep things organized.

9. Invest in travel-sized bottles, brushes, towels.

Leave your full-sized shampoo and cream moisturizer at home. Do yourself (and airport security) a solid by investing in quality travel-sized reusable bottles that won’t leak. I love my super handy GoToob travel containers since they’re leak-proof, fun to use, and gorgeous.

Go ahead and downsize your hair brush, toothbrush, and makeup brushes too. This inexpensive travel makeup brush set was a huge space saver (and skin fixer) in airports and anywhere else I needed to powder my nose.

Most hotels in Europe offer towels to travelers. In Paris I was somewhat shocked (but mostly horrified) to find a single tiny towel hanging for both Carl’s and my use. Thank goodness for my microfiber travel towel — it got me dry fast without adding a lot of suitcase weight.

10. Wear your heaviest shoes, sweater, and jacket.

If you wear it on the plane, you won’t have to pack it in your suitcase.

My travel wear consisted of a trench coat (fashionable around the world), blue jeans, tank top (with shelf bra), thin wool shirt, light wool sweater, and a blue scarf. Summer travelers won’t need as many layers, but I was thankful for my clothing choices on long-haul flights and short jaunts. Some flights were freezing, others were hot stuff.

Your Turn: How do you pack your suitcase? What’s the biggest excess baggage fee you’ve been charged?

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But hear me out for a second, ’cause most days I’ll only purchase products with proven value, need, and quality. But sometimes the most absurd gadgets can actually be kinda awesome.

I’ll probably be laughed off the cost-conscious, frugal-minded, and penny-pinching zones of the internet for admitting to these ridiculous spends, and that’s OK. I bet you’ve got a few gimmicky gadgets in your kitchen, bathroom, or closet that make your life awesome too.

Welcome to my list of ten ridiculous gadgets mostly worth the money (or gift ideas for that special someone who has everything. )

1. Egg Cooker

Which came first: The single-purpose kitchen appliance or the blogger with egg on her face?

Go into any kitchen essentials store and you’ll find a dozen different gadgets devoted to cooking eggs. EGGS? Seriously! I’ve laughed at all of them until now. After visiting Carl’s family in Berlin (yeah, Germany) I’ve come to appreciate the perfection possible by steaming a good egg with a ridiculous gadget — the Egg Cooker. Europeans (well, Carl’s family) are serious about soft boiled eggs. They are delicious when they’re not toooo hard and not toooo soft. Yes, I am now the Goldilocks of eggs.

Sure, I could boil some water (free) and use a timer (got one on my iPod) to cook a soft boiled, medium boiled, or hard boiled egg, but I’d rather use my egg cooker to get it right every dang time.

I’m not egging you on, I really did buy this silly kitchen gadget, and I’m eggstatic over it’s awesomeness. Basically, you prick the egg, measure a bit of water, start the unit, and in minutes you’ll have a good egg.

My biggest mistake is I cheaped out and got the EggGenie. I should have spent a few more bucks on the Krups Egg Cooker.

Yes, I will be laughed off the interwebs for owning this gadget. Bite me.

2. GoToob Travel Bottles

I boarded eight freaking planes in October. EIGHT! Each flight had airline liquid restrictions, plastic baggy requirements, and picky security people interested in confiscating cosmetic leaks. Me (and all of my liquids) made it through every security check without fail thanks to my super awesome, and somewhat ridiculous, $19 GoToob Travel Bottles.

These airplane carry-on approved squeezable bottles boast a ‘no drip’ valve that keeps the cap clean. The cap also has an ID dial to mark the liquid type. They are food safe and 100% BPA-free. They are also super fun (and cute) to use. I LOVE THESE THINGS.

Carl bought himself a set before our trip and I had buy one too to contain my moisturizer, conditioner, and shampoo. A great gift for travelers, campers, and those who hate big bottles cluttering their bathroom space.

3. Milk Frother

I told the internets how to Make a Starbucks Frappuccino for $0.32, and that crazy post went viral. So now I’ll share my secret for turning a regular coffee into something special. It’s called a milk frother, and it, well, turns milk (or soy) into a delicious frothy foam.

It’s easy. Just heat some milk, and use the milk frother to froth up some foam. The only downside is you’ll need some batteries. But you’ll save some cash on cappuccinos, lattes, coffee frapps, and anything else in dire need of foam. FOAM. I dunno. Guests love it, too.

The Aerolatte Milk Frother has the best foaming reviews in town. I should have bought that one.

4. Vinturi Wine Aerator

Close your eyes, ears, and tastebuds if you’re a wine connoisseur with a palette that’s only pleased with a $100 bottle of something I’d never buy. This gadget ain’t for you.

OK, everyone else pay close attention. You know when you buy that cheap box of wine (gasp) or you pop the plastic cork and the vino tastes less than satisfactory after a good breathing? Relax. There’s a cure.

It’s called a Vinturi wine aerator, and this awesome gadget “conveniently enhances the flavor, bouquet, and finish of any wine”. I’m sold.

Basically, this unnecessary gadget is entirely necessary in my home — all my guests agree! Just hold the Vinturi over your glass of wine and let the vino flow. Apparently, the Venturi mixes the proper amount of air into your drink to make it taste delicious. This thing makes a bit of a rude sound, but after a bad box of wine everyone will think it’s hilarious.

There’s a special Vinturi set for red and white wine lovers. You’re welcome.

5. Ear Thermometer

Regular under the tongue or up the bum (sorry) thermometers are cheap, like ten bucks. But once you stick that temperature gauge in someone’s ear you’re paying around $30 for the awesome convenience.

I mean, what sick little kid wants to sit there holding a thermometer in their mouth? More importantly, what parent wants to stand over their sick child (who’s probably flailing around due to being sick) and convince them to keep that thermometer under their tiny tongue?

Kate, my sister-in-law, loves her ear thermometer. With a five month old baby and a 3-year-old toddler ruling the roost, she uses this gadget frequently to “just check” and make sure that every running nose needs a tissue, not a doctor.

The Braun Thermoscan Ear Thermometer has some absurd feature called “ExacTemp Technology” and parents (or wives) with sick and squirmy young children (or husbands) say it’s awesome.

6. USB Charger

Why blow $30 on an Apple USB Power Adaptor when spending just $15 on a regular USB charger recharges your iPod, iPhone, iPad, cell phone, or MP3 player for 50% less.

Enter the long worded but super awesome Belkin AC Charger with Swivel Plug & Charge Sync Cable for iPod and iPhone.

You won’t need to plug your iThing into your computer ever again. Great for travelers and families with multiple devices in need of a recharge. I love mine.

7. The Epilator

It’s not easy being a female mammal. Enter the epilator — a machine that rips the hair out from under your skin with dozens of cruel tweezing pincher things. It’s hurts like hell, and it works. The money I’ve saved on razors, waxing, and other hair removal methods is astounding. I listen to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer whenever I use it though, ’cause it doesn’t exactly tickle.

I own an old school Epilady. For a few bucks more you too can enjoy a hair-free existence with the highly rated Emjoi AP-18 Emagine Dual Opposed 72 Tweezer Head Epilator. Awesome and ridiculous at the same time, non?

Warning for the fellas: DO NOT buy this as a gift for your wife or girl friend. Re-read that last sentence. Women don’t want men to imply that they are hairy mammals. Even though WE’RE ALL MAMMALS (hopefully) it’s not a super sentiment to send. “Here honey, go epilator that over the holidays.” Yeah, not awesome.

8. Diva Cup

I get sooooo much email about this bell-shaped thing. I’ve easily saved hundreds of dollars with this absurdly awesome gadget. Women love it, men hate reading about it. I’ll spare everyone the details.

The curious can read this insanely popular post: 10 Reasons the Diva Cup Can Change Your Life for more info.

9. ScanGauge

I slapped my forehead and produced an epic stink eye when Carl declared he needed a ScanGauge for his car. Carl, an undisputed technology geek and lover of everything with wheels decided that measuring his fuel consumption could save us money.

I’m not going to argue with the man. His words: Yeah, it’s a toy. It gives you instant feedback when your driving is burning through more or less fuel. Many times I’ve thought, ‘$hit, better ease off on the gas.’

Personally, I’m all for slower speeds and better fuel consumption.

10. Canon 5D Mark II

Buyer’s remorse lasted only minutes after I went and bought myself this very pricey DSLR camera. I saved up for over a year with the intention of buying a super nice camera that would last me many years, so when this baby went on sale I pulled the trigger and took a shot. This camera is an obscenely major upgrade from my old beginner digital camera, and that’s OK. This was a planned, and budgeted for, spend.

The sensible in me says the Canon EOS Rebel T3 (or even the T3i), and perhaps the gorgeous Canon EOS 60D would have more than met my need for thousands less. But no, I went balls out and spent $2,800 on the sexy Canon 5D Mark II ’cause that’s where my want blew past my need. Since I take A LOT of photos for business and pleasure, I’m thrilled with this insanely awesome ‘gadget’.

Oh, and I paid for this baby with cash in hand!

Your Thoughts: OK, be honest! What ridiculous gadgets do you love?

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• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
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Dollars, pies, dried beans, weddings, or Diva Cups?

None of the above.

How about 30,000 regular readers, ’cause that’s what my counter tool thingy registered this week.

Somehow, for whatever reason, over 30,000 people have signed up to receive my frugal living Squawks via email or through an RSS reader. Sure, hundreds of thousands more visit my site every month through social media and search engines. But any personal blog with over 30,000 regular readers is pretty astounding — and I don’t astound easily.

These types of numbers are usually reserved for media blogs, celebrity gossip blogs, or shopping blogs. Not blogs about frugal living.

This warms my heart.

So I want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has shared or emailed one of my Squawks to a friend, family member, or dog. Thank you.

Without you reading out there, I’d be pretty lonely over here.

Love,
Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

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• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
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• Frugalicious Recipes
• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year
• Credit Card Calculator
• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness

Last day I covered our wedding costs for the flowers, invitations, venue, guests and of course my second-hand wedding dress. Find out our total costs and final wedding tab right here.

6. Cut the cake.

Flour, sugar, eggs, and icing are cheap to buy. But as soon as you mix the lot together and call it a ‘Wedding Cake’ you’re on the hook for hundreds of bucks. I priced a few wedding cakes only to be shocked that bakeries charge a staggering $5, $15, and more per slice! Depending on your caterer or venue, you may have to pay a cutting fee to serve the dessert too.

Personally, I’m not a wedding cake person. I’ve never dreamed of sugary tiers of frosting with marzipan topping my wedding day. No, never, nope.

I wanted cupcakes.

Big tasty chocolate cupcakes topped with teal icing. Now that’s fun. I ordered the gluten-free variety since I can’t eat wheat, so even these mini cakes were a tad bit on the expensive side.

Total cost for cupcakes: $30.00

Bottom Line: Cut the costly wedding cake and choose another dessert option to save huge marital money. Mini cakes, dessert bars, fruit, and other treats can be purchased (or made) for hundreds less.

7. Food and booze.

Our marriage meal was a potluck lunch. We contributed salads, a fruit platter, and a cheese platter all bought at Costco. We dined on organic salmon caught fresh by the family men. ‘The Boss’ (that’s my father-in-law) insisted on supplying the wine, and he wouldn’t tell me the cost. He only would say that “We didn’t drink enough.”

The amazing Kate (that’s my sister-in-law) put together the delicious menu and brought a few homemade salads and side dishes.

Our total cost for lunch: $45.83

We had a lot of leftovers, for days.

Bottom Line: Opt for a tasty lunch over a hearty dinner to save big wedding dollars. Getting the whole family to pitch in for a potluck meal could save you hundreds (perhaps thousands) on food and liquor alone.

8. Your friends, the photographers.

I asked Kate about her wedding pictures. She doesn’t have any. Her mind blowing comment on the whole wedding photography issue is: “You only need one photo.”

She’s right.

So I asked my friends to earn their dinners. Reread this cost-cutting request from my Facebook wedding invitation.

Everyone MUST bring a camera though. We don’t have a photographer. I’d take photos but I’ll probably be busy, getting married or something.

My friends took amazing photos. I’m beyond thrilled.

Bottom Line: Lend out your camera gear and ask everyone to snap a few photos. They won’t be professional quality, but you’ll see yourself through the eyes of your family and friends.

9. Don’t get odd over the loose ends.

The odds and ends happen to everyone. Hair, makeup, vases, ribbon, gratuities, and tax all cost money, but don’t always fit into a tidy budget category since these purchases can appear sporadically. Do yourself a favour and keep all your receipts.

• Flower Vases: 3 X $5.99 (dollar store)
• Teal Ribbon: $7.69 (Costco)
• Shoe Polish: $6.95
• Music: $0 — Guests brought personal playlists on their iPods.
• Hair and Makeup: $0 — I did this myself.

Total Cost: $32.61

Bottom Line: Arrange your own flowers in dollar store vases, apply your own makeup, do your own hair, and ask your friends to create special music playlists to really keep your wedding day on budget.

10. Setup and Take Down.

Setting tables, arranging flowers, and packing the party up yourself could save you big moolah too. My friend Derek thought it was funny when the bride (that’s me) and groom (that’s Carl) hauled tables around the ranch. Our guests carried their chairs back into the kitchen too.

This is how it’s done on the farm, people.

Bottom Line: Do the work yourself and bank those precious bucks.

Wedding Budget Total

Carl and I got hitched for less. Here’s where the money went:

• Marriage Licence: $100.00
• Commissioner: $139.00
• Wedding Invitations: $0
• Venue — Farm: $0
• Flowers: $51.96
• Wedding Photographer: $0
• Wedding Attire: $191.72
• Hair and Makeup: $0
• Lunch: $45.83
• Liquor: $0 (Thanks to ‘The Boss’)
• Dessert: $30.00
• Odds and Ends: $32.61

Wedding Total: $591.12

Tip: Download my Free Wedding Budget Planner Spreadsheet to keep a close eye on your wedding costs.

Considering it only costs $239.00 to get married (in British Columbia), I guess we went $352.12 over our wedding budget.

Love,
Kerry

Love the blog? Get the book: 397 Ways to Save Money

Top Squawks

• How to make a budget (series with downloads)
• How to write a resume (series with downloads)
• Frugalicious Recipes
• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year
• Credit Card Calculator
• Download your free 92-page eBook: The Insider’s Guide To Frugal Food & Fitness