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The Snobbish Wine Guest Switcheroo and Other Cheapskate Wine Tips

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:48:00 EST

As you might have heard, it's a controversial element the NCPP ("National Cheapskate Profiling Program"). Many, but not all, cheapskates like me love box wine.

In fact, I'm fond of "recanting"—as opposed to "decanting"—the wine I serve our dinner guests. "Recanting: Secretly funneling inexpensive box wines into empty, premium brand bottles kept on hand for the express purpose of impressing guests who care about such superficial stuff."

I've done this for years, and no one has ever questioned the authenticity of the wine I serve. Not even wine snobs have enough confidence in their taste buds to question what the label on the fancy bottle is telling them. If you don't believe me, this study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the California Institute of Technology essentially proved the same thing.

Not only is box wine a terrific value when it comes to saving money, but there's more and more research showing that—compared to most bottled wines—it's saving Mother Nature, too. According to the American Association of Wine Economists and other industry sources, boxed wine (a.k.a. "bag-in-box" packaging) decreases landfill waste by roughly 85 percent and is more than 50 percent more carbon efficient when compared to wine packaged in traditional glass bottles.

5 Frugal Fall Gardening Tips

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:23:00 EST

Sure, everybody's green thumb seems to blossom with the first warmish day of spring, just about the same day the green blades of the daffodils pop up in the flowerbed. But by autumn, most fair weather gardeners have long ago hung up their hoes for the season and planted their butts firmly in front of the TV to watch football.

That's a shame, because in most parts of the country the Fall is the best time of year for all kinds of garden activities, including planting and transplanting my types of plants. It's also the time of year when you can save a bushel of cash on gardening equipment and nursery stock, and save even more by properly tucking in your garden and equipment for its long winter's nap. Here's how:

Great deals on end of season nursery stock:
In most climate zones, Fall is actually a better time of year than even spring to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, and many other perennial plants. The soil tends to be warmer which promotes root growth, and — unlike with spring planting — there's not the potential of a long, hot, dry summer facing the young upstarts. And, even though I'm an anti-lawnite, if you're going to put down sod, Fall is also generally the best – and cheapest – time to do it. Many nurseries dramatically discount their remaining container-grown plants and other nursery stock, both to avoid over-wintering them and to make room for the soon-to-arrive Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees. I've found it's a great time to negotiate an even better deal by simply asking for an additional reduction on already discounted nursery stock.

Saving Money, Amish Style

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:57:00 EST

I've always been fascinated with the Amish

To Repair or Replace? That is the Question.

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:29:00 EST

Follow the 50% rule and these four other rules for determining when it pays to repair an item, rather than replace it.

17 Creative Things to Do with Phone Books

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:26:00 EST

Is it just my imagination, or are they sending out updated editions of the phone book and Yellow Pages a lot more often than they used to?

When I was growing up, it seemed like we had the same phone book the whole time. I remember it, because my Uncle George — who fancied himself the Human Hulk — said he knew a trick whereby he could tear an entire phone book in half with his bare hands. It didn't quite work out that way, although he did thoroughly mangle the A-G listings.

And the Yellow Pages; I don't ever remember getting an updated version. Our copy was sort of our family Bible, not only a source of information but a record of our lives. Especially the page with the phone listing for our family doctor, which was crammed with frantically written margin notes in my mom's handwriting, instructions from the good doctor's office for treating her two accident-prone young sons. Things like: "Induce vomiting immediately!", "Not contagious...as far as the doctor knows," and (multiple entries) "Should pass in his stool within 48-hours."

Okay, so maybe it is just my imagination, but certainly the phone company is distributing a heck of a lot more phone books than they need to in this era when so many of us retrieve the phone numbers we need on the Internet instead. More than half a BILLION phone books are printed and distributed every year in the U.S., which is nearly two books for every American. That consumes about 19 million trees. Here's how to help curb this waste of paper and make the best use of outdated phone books you have on hand:

Opt Out: Go to www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org and register to be taken off the distribution list for white and yellow page phone books.
Recycle: Less than 10% of all phone books printed are recycled, even though they can be recycled into everything from ceiling tiles to cereal boxes. Go to earth911.com to find your nearest phone book recycling center.
Repurpose: As they say, "One man's trash is a Green Cheapskate's treasure." Here are some creative reuses for old phone books and Yellow Pages.
Child Booster Seats: Cover them in fabric remnants.
Press Autumn Leaves/Plants: Better yet, have the kids sit on them at the same time.
Flip Books: Here's a fun art project!
Window Wipes: Perfect for cleaning windows with a simple mixture of vinegar and water.
Phone Book Step Aerobics: Duct tape them together to use in stair-stepping exercises.
Fire Starters: Perfect for the fireplace, grill or woodstove.
Garden Mulch: Shred 'em (a few pages at a time, Uncle George), they're great biodegradable weed blockers.
Origami: Recreate the Tale of 10,000 Yellow Swans with a single book of Yellow Pages!

8 Perennial Vegetables Anyone Can Grow

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:33:00 EST

I've confessed before that my enthusiasm for gardening usually dies on the vine long before the first cucumbers of summer are ready to harvest. I'm always looking for easy ways to satisfy my green thumb and, of course, ways to get the most broccolis for my gardening buck. That's why I'm a big fan of growing perennial vegetables in my garden–plant them once, and enjoy the fruits (well, actually, vegetables) of your labors for years to come.

I'll always remember when the UPS man delivered a mysterious, rather dirty looking box to our new home the first spring we lived here. The box was carefully packed with damp sphagnum moss, the packaging material of choice for shipping the sacred Yeager Roots, a housewarming gift from my parent.

Other families pass down jewelry or antique furniture, but for the Yeager clan, the holy triumvirates of family heirlooms are root starts of asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb. They are the direct descendants of the original Yeager Roots, dating back at least to my great-grandparents, and–family legend has it–much, much further. After all, my great-great-grandmother was a Lungfish (that was her maiden name, not her species, mind you). But I digress.

Although–unlike fruits–there aren't too many vegetables that are perennials, many of the ones that do exist grow in a wide range of climates and, once established, are low-maintenance enough even for a lazy gardener like me. They're also among the healthiest veggies for you, and they're generally inexpensive to purchase, if you don't come from a family with its own royal roots line. Here are my personal eight great perennial vegetables:

* Asparagus
Grows best in full sun and non-soggy, somewhat sandy soil. I like it cut into one-inch pieces and stir fried raw with sesame oil and a little sliced ginger (top with toasted sesame seeds). Or, brush with olive oil and crushed garlic and grill whole spears on the bar-b.

* Bamboo Shoots
We have a good sized stand of bamboo that was on the property when we moved here, so I guess bamboo will be my contribution to the lineage of Yeager Roots. Not all varieties of bamboo shoots are edible (or tasty), so do your homework first. We boil ours to remove the bitterness, then sauté them in butter and a little sherry or sweet vermouth for flavor. Also, be advised that many varieties of bamboo are highly invasive and can be toxic if eaten in large amounts.

How Many Recycled Cans Does It Take to Make an Airplane?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:54:00 EST

February is the month I finally force myself to clean out and organize my office for the new year. It's an annual ritual worthy of a season-long special of Hoarders, a head-on collision between my weakness for made-to-be-broken New Year's resolutions and my deculttering phobia.

The good news is that my yearly office cleaning gives me a chance to sort out the hundreds of press releases and news clippings I've saved during the year for my annual Top Ten Shocking Eco-Facts blog post. Remember, being the Green Cheapskate, that's "eco" as in ecological as well as economical. Here are the top ten factoids that emerged from my desk top this time around:

We waste enough Sporks to circle the Earth, and then some.
Talk about a big table setting. According to the Clean Air Council, enough plastic eating utensils are thrown away every year to circle the equator 300 times. That's about 40 billion pounds of plastic knives, forks, and spoons, the vast majority of which end up in landfills where scientists say they'll take 500 years – give or take a couple centuries – to decompose.

Airlines waste enough soda cans to build dozens of planes.
Coffee, tea... or a new plane? The U.S. airline industry has been encountering some turbulence over its reluctance to institute recycling programs for trash generated onboard. But here's a fact from the Natural Resource Defense Council that should grab the industry by its profit-centers and force it to take action: U.S. airlines throw away enough aluminum cans every year to build 57 new 747s.

10 Painless Ways to Save for Vacation

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:00:00 EST

The average American family plans to spend about $1,650 on summer vacation, according to a study by Visa. That's more than chump-change, particularly in these hard economic times.

Here are some simple ways to pump up your piggy bank so that your vacation is paid for before you ever leave home.

Make mine a water
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of us spend nearly 45% of our food budget on meals prepared outside the home. Cooking more meals at home can save you about 80% compared to restaurant meals, but -- even if you still want to eat out -- just by ordering tap water instead of overpriced beverages with your restaurant meals the average family of four can save about $800 a year ... nearly half of your vacation budget. I'll drink to that.

And speaking of water
Heating domestic hot water -- the water you use to bathe, wash dishes, etc. -- accounts for about 15% of total home heating costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It's easy to cut that expense in half and save hundreds of dollars a year by turning down your hot water heater to 110 degrees and/or turning it off completely overnight, installing inexpensive low-flow shower heads and putting an insulating blanket around your hot water heater, and washing clothes in cold water only. When you're lying on the beach on vacation, surrounded by warm ocean waters and breezes, you'll be glad you did.

Call your insurance agent
It pays to call your insurance agent once a year and ask him or her to help you lower your premiums. Often times there are special discounts you may now be eligible to receive (e.g. a "good drivers discount") or your coverage can be updated and adjusted to possibly lower premiums (e.g. reducing or even eliminating collision coverage on an aged vehicle). And "bundling" your policies -- for example placing your auto and home policies with the same company -- can many times save you 10% or more off the total premium.

Find some money
Check the websites www.unclaimed.org and www.MissingMoney.com for unclaimed funds and other property that might be due you. These sites allow you to search for unclaimed property (free of charge) and are sponsored by the nonprofit organization The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This could include monies due you or your family members from sources like forgotten bank accounts and inheritances, to utility bill refunds, security deposits, etc. NAUPA says that about one out of every eight Americans is entitled to unclaimed assets, with claims averaging about $1,000.

6 Ways to Go Green and Save Money in 2011

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:53:00 EST

These New Year's resolutions from the Green Cheapskate show you how to build wealth by going green.

10 Handy Alternative Uses of Charcoal

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:51:00 EST

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, Don't Throw That Away!]

Remember when you were a kid and the biggest fear you faced was the prospect of waking up on Christmas morning to find a lump of coal in your stocking, Santa's ultimate up-your-chimney gift for kiddies more naughty than nice?

Well, when I put away our outdoor grill a couple of weeks ago for the winter and stood pondering what to do with a partial bag of leftover charcoal, it got me thinking. After some research, I've concluded that a lump of coal -- or rather charcoal* -- may not be such a bad gift after all. Here are some creative repurposing ideas for last summer's leftover charcoal:

* 1. Rust-free tool and tackle boxes: Charcoal absorbs moisture, so stick a couple of lumps in your toolbox and fishing tackle box to keep your hammers and hooks from rusting. I also put a few pieces in a garbage bag and wrap the business ends of my gardening tools in it for a rust-free winter's nap.

* 2. Compost it: Charcoal can be added to the compost pile -- in moderation -- and will increase the carbon content of the resulting humus. Of course there are plenty of other unusual things you can compost as well.

* 3. Natural air freshener: Charcoal keeps air smelling fresh by absorbing moisture that can cause mold and mildew. Put a few pieces in an old pair of pantyhose and hang it in the basement or other damp room, or put some in drawers, closets, or even in the fridge instead of baking soda.

* 4. Moisture-free salt and sand: Replacing the bag of summertime charcoal in the garage with sacks of rock salt and sand to handle winter de-icing? Mix a couple of pieces of charcoal in with the salt and sand; it will absorb moisture and keep them from clumping.

9 Great Free and Ultra-Cheap Christmas Gifts

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Given that Christmas has grown to be a nearly $400 billion spending spree here in the U.S., I sometimes think that Ebenezer Scrooge should have stuck to his guns and ignored those three spirits who visited him on Christmas Eve.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, this holiday season, the average American adult expects to spend about $700 on gifts alone. At the very least, with the economy still tipsy from too many eggnogs, a little temperance seems to be in order this gift-giving season. Who knows, a simpler, less materialistic holiday might just be a more memorable and enjoyable one, too.

So how do you have that potentially awkward conversation with family and friends? You know, the one where you broach the subject of maybe cutting back on gift giving, or even entirely forgoing a gift exchange this year?

The important thing is to have the talk --- don't be shy. With friends and family you don't see that often, a thoughtful letter or even an email suggesting that maybe it's time to take a different approach to gift giving is perfectly acceptable, according to Peggy Post. She's the great-granddaughter-in-law of etiquette queen Emily Post and a director at the Emily Post Institute.

"As long as you do it politely, directly, and sincerely, many times others will thank you for starting the conversation," Post says.

Many families cap holiday gift giving by setting -- and sticking to -- a maximum amount per gift, and/or giving gifts only to children under a certain age. In addition to a strict $20 spending cap, in our family nieces and nephews no longer receive gifts once they reach age 18, but they then become part of the Secret Santa plan for adults. That's where we all draw names ahead of time and buy a gift for one other adult family member, so we all have something to open on Christmas.

25 A-peeling Uses for Fruit and Veggie Scraps

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:11:00 EST

Got watermelon rinds or onion skins? Save money around the house with these creative food waste recycling tips.

Carving a Jack-o-Lantern this Weekend? Here's How to Cook the Pumpkin Goop!

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:06:00 EST

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, Don't Throw That Away!]

"Jeff, can't we at least celebrate the holiday before you eat the decorations?" I've heard that more than once from my long-suffering wife during our 26-year marriage.

You see, cheapskates like to celebrate Halloween and other holidays just like everyone else. But we grimace at wasteful rituals like throwing away a perfectly good pumpkin after using it for only a few days as a decoration. Americans buy more than one billion pounds of pumpkins at Halloween, and the vast majority of those end up in the trash. But at the Green Cheapskate's house, we eat our jack-o-lantern, every last bit of it.

While some particularly meaty varieties of pumpkins are specifically grown to be eaten (including Sweet Jack-be-Littles, Cheese Pumpkins, Sugar Pumpkins and some delicious heirloom varieties), any commonly available pumpkin is perfectly edible. Best of all, at Halloween (and immediately after Halloween) you can usually buy pumpkins for less than half a buck a pound. At that price, why not pick up a couple extra just to eat?

Pumpkins are a true American vegetable, a favorite of the Aztec, Inca and Mayan people before becoming a staple of early European explorers and settlers in the New World. Pumpkins belong to the same family (Cucurbitacae) as gourds, melons and cucumbers. And, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, pumpkins are packed with beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that fights cancer.

If you're buying a pumpkin specifically for eating, the smaller ones are usually the best. If you're going to use it as a jack-o'-lantern as well, you can eat or freeze some of the pumpkin when you carve it, and then pickle the remaining rind when Halloween is over, provided that it's still in good shape. So, here's how to eat your jack-o-lantern:

Seeds First

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack filled with zinc, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and protein. They're also great in salads, muffins, bread, and in other recipes as a nut substitute.

Remove the seeds, rinse them in water to get rid of the stringy inner membrane, and dry them out a little on a towel. Flavor with coarse salt for a traditional taste, or let your imagination and spice rack run wild. Some options for flavoring designer seeds include: pumpkin pie spice; Cajun seasonings; ginger powder; garlic salt; curry powder; Tabasco; cinnamon; vinegar and salt. Once seasoned, bake the seeds on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (single layer thick) in a 250-degree oven for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Or, my preferred method is to cook them in a spray-oiled skillet over medium heat on the stove top, stirring and shaking (the skillet, not your booty) constantly. On the stove top, they'll be toasted nicely brown in only about five minutes. Store in air-tight containers.

Inspector Bob's Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:04:00 EST

Incense, grape Kool-Aid, and a roll of dollar bills: The makings of a kinky bachelorette party? No, sorry, guess again. Those are on the shortlist of things you'll need to do a quick home checkup this fall that's likely to save you a roomful of money, not to mention make your home safer and more energy efficient.

Bob Sisson is a friend, fellow cheapskate, and licensed home inspector here in Maryland. I like Bob because he's laid back and has a good sense of both humor and frugality when it comes to his work. He also has a really cool haircut. "It's all corporate from the front," he says about his rather unique cut, which looks button-down professional from head on. "But when you get around back, there's a little surprise," he says, flipping his six-inch ponytail out from under his collar where he sometimes keeps it hidden, depending on the audience.

It occurs to me that Bob's hair styling is a little like a house: You can easily be fooled by what you "think" you see. It's what you don't see that can surprise you. And with a house, those surprises are likely to be unpleasant.

Here are some nifty DIY tips from Inspector Bob for giving your home a quick once-over this fall, before the winter weather sets in:

* Try inserting a dollar bill in the gaps around your windows and doors. "If you can do it," Bob says, "then you know exactly where you're money is going - out the window, due to energy loss." Simple do-it-yourself repairs can include caulking or installing a variety of inexpensive door/window insulating strips or plastic sheeting. (You can even get help from Uncle Sam on these items, but only until the end of this year.)

* Check for dampness in the basement. You can tell if moisture is coming in from the outside by duct-taping a garbage bag on the basement floor for 24-hours; if you can see the outline of the bag when you remove it, then you have moisture coming through the concrete. "Wet basements are often the result of something changing," Bob says. "Many times it's that the gutters have filled up or the downspouts are sending water where it doesn't belong. Now is the time to clean them out and consider installing downspout extensions, which are inexpensive and easy.

The Cheapskate's Trash Can Autopsy Can Save You Cash

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:57:00 EST

Archeologists say that digging through a civilization's garbage can reveal more about peoples' lifestyles than just about anything else. Take a minute to look through your trash -- items you're recycling as well as sending to the landfill -- and learn how you can save money and the Earth's resources at the same time.

Dryer Lint
Dryer lint represents the life of your expensive clothing being beaten and cooked out of them by an electric dryer. Save hundreds of dollars a year by drying your clothes on a clothesline instead; they'll last much longer, and you'll save on electricity and appliance costs, too.

Packaging
Too much packaging in your trash can be a sign that you need a smart-shopping intervention. Afterall, packaging costs money, which consumers pay for in the end. Buying in bulk and larger sizes is usually cheaper and saves resources. Sometimes shopping at "big box" stores can even be a greener choice.