Voted Off the Island

Frugalista Friday: IKEA Chic

Yes, it's a dress, made from a .59 IKEA bag. It appeared on one of my favorite blogs, IKEA Hacker.  What a thrifty and fashionable way to recycle the growing pile of blue IKEA bags accumulating in my utility closet. Or maybe the next Project Runway challenge!

 

The creator of this dress says:

"I fashioned the top of the bag and one handle as the neckline and halter for the top of the dress. Then I cut open the seams of the rest of the bag to make a backless, A-Line outfit. I sewed darts in the front and back to be shapely for my bust and back. I cut the long handles off of two more bags to create ties for the back of the dress. Waterproof and ready to tote!

I deeply love IKEA bags for shlepping purposes. My blue IKEA bags have gone to Tanglewood carrying picnic fare, and once carried a sleeping baby on the way back to the car!  I love my IKEA bags at the beach where they carry blankets, water, food and sunscreen.  They are big enough to hold several yoga mats. Great for lugging laundry to the laundromat while on vacation. And scrunchable enough to fold down to nothing. They're simply brilliant and utilitarian, whether you wear them or not. 

IKEA set an ambitious goal of reducing its U.S. stores’ plastic bag consumption by 50 percent; from 70 million to 35 million plastic bags in the first year. A year after the program began, more than 92 percent of Ikea’s customers have stopped buying plastic bags.  Ikea then took the bold step of no longer offer plastic bags, or even paper bags at all. It's a rare and gutsy example of a corporate retailer truly putting its money where its mouth is, and in the process, changing consumer behavior.

Directions here for this clever IKEA Hack using the iconic blue bag.

Frugalista Friday: Turning Off the Air Conditioner

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

The NY Times had a neat story yesterday about people choosing to live without air conditioning in the summer.  Some were even southerners who deliberately decided to lead "the unchilled life."  And it's not just about saving money.  It's about living with the seasons and resetting the human thermostat.

Admittedly this has not been as brutal a summer as others, or maybe, going into my 7th year in Atlanta, I'm getting used to the heat.  Whatever.  But I find that if I turn the AC on when I get home and run it for a few hours until bedtime and shut it down, I'm really quite comfortable.  The ceiling fan above the bed is a big part of my cool down strategy, and so is the water cooler in the kitchen. Hydration is crucial in the heat.  I also think that living in a small bungalow with plaster walls and a big tree shading half the house helps alot.

My BFF's ex husband, a cardiac surgeon, liked his house as cold as an ER.  My ex, a major shvitzer, also insisted on continual coolth at home. As for me, even in my post-meno years, I find myself getting cold wherever I go, from the office to the supermarket. I keep a cashmere shawl in the office and wrap myself when it gets too chily.

I really don't know how much money I'm saving by shutting down the AC, but as I said, that's not the point.  Listen to what this Nashville family said about shutting down the AC:

“We spent an entire summer getting to know our kids by sitting outside trying to keep our electricity bill down,” said Ms. Holmes, who estimated that the family saved $2,100 last summer; they are repeating the experience this year. “It was very therapeutic and we got closer. We also got thinner — all of our diets changed because we were eating a lot of grilled food. And by the time fall came around, with the change in the economy, we had learned to live off less. So when everyone started talking about how hard things are, we felt like we had already experienced the worst of the worst. It prepared us for the whole year.”  

Frugalista Friday: Dry Cleaning at Home

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

You know things are bad when you get a phonecall from your dry cleaner saying, "We haven't seen you in awhile."

It's true.  I have a new job and a new route to work, so I don't drop off at the old dry cleaner anymore.  My new dry cleaner is crazy expensive, but they do good work and are located in a spot with easy parking and drive-up window.  I use them judiciously.  Everyone knows that the dryer is "the poor-man's dry cleaner," great for unwrinkling garments and freshening them up.  So I'm also thinking about trying Dryel which lets you freshen up your clothes in the dryer. It also has a stain remover.

Anybody tried it?  Whaddya think?

Frugalista Friday: Macque Choux

 Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

Macque Choux?  Say what? 

It's pronounced Mock SHOE, and presumably has American Indian origins.  I never heard of this Cajun dish until Fabio made it on Top Chef (Season 5) for the New Orleans semi-final episode.  It's a fancy name for cajun smothered corn and it's a classic frugalista side dish made the "holy trinity" of New Orleans cooking -- onions, peppers and celery.  Macque Choux also works as a main course if you add some protein.  Fabio dolled his dish up with sausage and rabbit and served it over grits.  They say it must be made with fresh corn.

Here's a recipe:

"Maque Choux"

Ingredients:

• 8 ears of fresh corn
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 chopped green bell pepper
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 chopped green onion
• 1 cup of cubed salt meat (you could use smoked turkey or turkey bacon)
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions:

• Scrape the corn to remove the kernels
• In a pot over medium heat, cook the onions and meat with the oil until they are lightly brown.
• Add the celery and bell peppers to saute them.
• Add the tomatoes and corn. Cover and let them simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
• Add the green onions and the seasoning and let simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes.
• Add some Cajun seasoning to taste.

Frugalista Friday: A Frugalista Passover

   
Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

It's just me at home this year for Passover.  No seders to make.  No kids to feed.  No matzah pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner. I gave my Passover dishes, and Passover pots and pans away last year.  Pathetic, I know.

But the truth is, over the years I've gotten my Passover shopping down to a frugalista level, not just because Passover foods are an outrageous rip-off, but because eating fresh, real, unprocessed, whole food is truly the best way to celebrate this challenging and beautiful holiday, and also the best antidote to matzah tummy.

Which is not to say that I didn't spend an insane amount of money on Passover food. I will be bringing things to other people's seders and baking chocolate macaroons.  This year's bare bones shopping expedition still weighed in at $60+. What'd I buy?

• 5 lbs. of potatoes
• 2 dozen eggs
• 3 boxes of matzah
• 1 frozen salmon gefilte fish roll
• 1 jar of horseradish
• 1 canister of matzah meal
• 2 packages of KLP chocolate chips
• 3 bags of KLP flaked coconut
• 1 package KLP margarine
• soft, spreadable butter
• 1 canister of matzah farfel

That's it folks.  No KLP candy, no spices, no duck sauce, no KLP ketchup, none of that junk.  The rest of the week's vittles will be cottage cheese, yogurt, chicken, fish, fresh salads and veggies, whatever leftovers I am sent home with from my seder hosts, and at least one helping of my lox,scallions and cream cheese matzah brei that is to die for.  Recipe upon request. 

A zissen (sweet) one, y'all.

Frugalista Friday: LaidOffCamp

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

Misery not only loves but needs company.  Now the growing army of laid off folks can find each other thanks to Laid Off Camp. 

Want somebody to go to the movies with you on a Wednesday afternoon? You'll find other out of work pals and plenty of support here. LaidOffCamp was founded in January 2009 by Chris Hutchins. It is an ad-hoc gathering of unemployed and nontraditionally employed people (including freelancers, entrepreneurs and startups) who want to share ideas and learn from each other. At LaidOffCamp, attendees will discuss topics in sessions that may include: living on an extreme budget, building your personal brand, how to be a freelance consultant and more. The first LaidOffCamp occured on March 3rd, 2009 in San Francisco, CA.

And it's coming to a city near you:

• Los Angeles - April 13, 2009
• San Luis Obispo - June 10, 2009
• New York - April/May, 2009
• Miami - Date TBD
• San Diego - Date TBD
• Detroit - Date TBD
• Colorado - Date TBD
  • Denver - Date TBD
  • Fort Collins - Date TBD
  • Boulder - Date TBD
  • Colorado Springs - DateTBD
• Chicago - Date TBD
• Seattle - Date TBD
• Washington, DC - Date TBD
• Atlanta - Date TBD
• Phoenix - Date TBD
• Toronto - Date TBD
• North Carolina Research Triangle - Date TBD
• Charlotesville - Date TBD
• Indianapolis - Date TBD
• Pittsburgh - Date TBD
• Ottawa - Date TBD
• United Kingdom - Date TBD
• San Francisco 2 - Date TBD
• Dallas 2 - Date TBD
• Want to host a LaidOffCamp in your city? Read about organizing a LaidOffCamp.

Frugalista Friday: Sex in the City Girls Go Frugalista

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

Yeah, it's hard times.  Which is why the Sex in the City Girls have another sequel coming up . . . what's a girl to do when the credit card's been maxed out and the $25,000 nursery school tuition is due but sign on for a million dollar movie gig.

The Daily Beast's Lee Siegel imagines what life might be like for New York's fabulous fashionistas to live on a recessionista budget. 

The girls meet up in the cafeteria in Hong-Tsu’s $10 Store—formerly Bergdorf Goodman—to fill each other in. Their lives are as rivetingly complicated as always. Carrie describes her comical efforts to have shoes included in her extended COBRA benefits. Charlotte is excited about her and Harry’s move from Manhattan to a three-bedroom garden apartment in Teaneck, New Jersey. Samantha, who now works for a federally funded agency that offers oral sex to unemployed bankers, tells some revealing stories. There is a moment of tension when Miranda wonders aloud whether she and Steve might be able to buy Charlotte’s old condominium at a foreclosure sale, but the two old friends kiss and make up when Miranda adds $2 to the tip for their waitress, who just happens to be Charlotte’s second adopted Chinese daughter, a 42-year-old former train dispatcher named Iris, now supporting her parents by working double shifts at Hong-Tsu’s.

Read the rest here.

Frugalista Friday: Buy a Hyundai

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

Here's a strategy for hard times.  Not sure you can really afford that new car? Buy a Hyundai. 

Hyundai's latest tv campaign makes this offer:  If you buy a new Hyundai and lose your job within a year, you can give it back.  Yes, just walk away from your car loan.

"In this uncertain economy, we are looking for ways to reassure shoppers that Hyundai still represents the best value in the auto industry," said John Krafcik, president and chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, the U.S. arm of the South Korea-based automaker, in a company statement.

"If you find that you cannot make your payment because of a covered life changing event, we'll allow you to return your vehicle and walk away from your loan obligation - and in most cases we will cover most, if not all of the difference," the carmaker's Web site says.

With no extra charge to the sticker price, the program pays the difference between the car's trade-in value at the time the owner files a claim and any remaining balance on the loan up to a maximum of $7,500.

I hardly know whether to laugh or cry.  The financing deal is managed by a company called Walkaway USA.

Frugalista Friday: Ironing

Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

I haven't ironed in 6 years.  In fact, I didn't even find the iron until I moved in May. But I had a big old blotch of melted wax on my dining room carpet and according to a Google search, the way to get wax off a carpet is with an iron and a piece of brown paper bag.  It's a solution right out of Heloise and it works like a charm. So the wax was gone and the iron was still warm -- why not iron the wrinkly cloth napkins sitting in the laundry basket?

Ironing board?  Don't even know if I have one anymore...might be out in the garage and I'm not going in there today, it's 20 degrees. I put a towel on the dining room table and spent the next 20 minutes ironing napkins.  It was oddly satisfying and certainly saved me  at least $12 that the dry cleaner would have charged.

Frugalista Friday: Meatloaf

  Fru-ga-LEE-sta. noun.  “A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.”

I've finally got my meatloaf mojo down. A really good meatloaf must not only taste good, but trick please the eye.  Here's how to turn two packages of ground turkey, the tofu of meat, into something delicious and worthy and also low-fat. Leftovers make great sandwiches and can also be smushed and added to red sauce (jarred is fine) for a fabulous ziti and meat sauce dinner.

Meatloaf Mojo
2 packages ground turkey
1 raw onion
2 eggs
generous handful of baby carrots
generous handful of fresh parsley (you need something green in this recipe...fresh spinach would be fine too)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (or oatmeal)
serious "glug" of ketchup
serious "glug" of Worcestershire sauce
1 package of meatloaf seasoning mix (you won't need salt if you use this)

Chop onion, parsley and carrots in food processor with steel blade
Add to ground turkey
Add eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire, breadcrumbs and seasoning mix
Combine all ingredients thoroughly
Dump onto a Pyrex baking dish and form into a loaf
"Ice" the loaf (like a cake) with ketchup
Bake at 350 for 1 hour