Adjustments

Of the many ways to save money, one of the most overlooked is frequent budget review.  During a  recent reassessment of our budget, I discovered troubling developments with a few utilities and services, partly due to altered usage and partly due to spiralling rates.  After placing several calls, changing a couple services, combining others, eliminating one, and acquiring some new equipment, the net results will save us upwards of $260 the first year (more in subsequent years.)  We now have better quality equipment, broader coverage and faster access to certain services.

There was definitely research involved.  First, I made enquiries about the various service packages each provider offers, noting rates and details for only those plans and packages suited to our needs.  I spoke with service representatives about possible add-on costs we might incur when making the changeover, such as contract pay-outs, new equipment costs (if any) and the accessibility of suppliers and installers.  Once the pertinent data was organized on a simple table, it was easy to see which plans offered us greatest value.

Our decisions made, I contacted current service providers to ascertain the end of billing periods.  By doing this, we were able to use up service already paid for, without incurring charges for a new billing cycle.  Many utilities today can be switched on or off simply by calling customer service  a day or two before service ends.  Others require up to thirty days notice.  Check your contract or call a service representative to be certain of your responsibility, to avoid added or pro-rata fees on your final bill.

If deciding to cancel a service, don’t burn bridges.  You may not need or want their service now, but at some point in the future there could be no other choice.  If you feel it necessary to voice your discontent, be concise not contentious.  We’ve received some very good offers after calmly explaining reasons for terminating a service, so be open to unexpected opportunities and,  if you’re willing to barter, have your comparison sheet at-hand.

Paying bills and balancing household accounts are relentless routines few people enjoy.  But, there are tremendous benefits to frequent budget analysis.  This is especially true during changes in life – like a new job, an addition to the family, or shifting travel requirements – when customary monthly expenditures can change dramatically.  By staying atop these variances, you can decide, in a timely manner, which are short-term fluctuations requiring endurance only, and which are permanent trends requiring adjustment(s).  Pricing and researching the many options may be time-consuming, but efforts pay off.  More than money is saved when paying for better-suited services, equipment, and/or plans.

Enlist the Kernel

Hi, my name is Gail and I’m a salt-aholic.  Or, I was until my doctor groused about my high blood pressure.  During the two years since that diagnosis, I’ve had to rethink and revise eating habits.  Cutting sodium was the highest priority, but saturated fats were also high on the no-no list.  Most of our cooking and food preparation is done from scratch so, with a few minor substitutions, it was easy to reduce these elements from our meals.  What I really  missed was my favourite crunchy treats – potato and tortilla chips.  Unable to renounce all salty delights, I turned to popcorn and its benefits have proven to be much greater than anticipated!

The first gain realized was in our grocery budget.  For less than the price of two family-sized bags of chips, we bought a 3.6 kg carton of brand-name popcorn kernels.  That carton produces a few dozen large bowls of popcorn.  The savings from that singular dietary switch are huge!  Even considering the added cost of oil and salt, we’re still saving several dollars each month.

Little did I know there were even greater health benefits than low-sodium and low-fat.  According to a press release by the American Chemical Society, popcorn is higher in antioxidants than fruits and vegetables.  Apparently, this is due to the concentration of polyphenols in popcorn as opposed to more diluted amounts in fresh produce.  And it’s not just the puffy white centres that are loaded with these antioxidants.  Turns out, those annoying little hulls that get stuck in the teeth do more than just add fibre.  They contain the greatest concentration of polyphenols.  The study does NOT suggest popcorn should replace fruits and vegetables in a wholesome diet, but it’s very clear this simple food can be a very healthy snack.

The method of cooking and the flavourings added will, of course, affect its nutritional values.  Of the various cooking methods for popcorn, our favourite is in oil.  Hot-air is much too flavourless and we don’t use a microwave.  I once would’ve doused hot-air popcorn in butter, but since we’re reducing saturated fats, another method had to be found.  That’s when I saw the cooking show ‘Good Eats’ hosted by Alton Brown.  Usually, salt is added after the popcorn is popped, and this often requires a teaspoon (or more) to properly season an 8-10 cup batch.  Brown’s method uses only ½ teaspoon of salt, added with the kernels, and its dispersal during cooking is much more even.  (Sometimes I substitute my own seasoned salt for an even lower sodium content.)  Also, by using peanut oil, there is a pleasing taste with none of the saturated fat of butter, and this oil easily tolerates the high-heat required for popping.

Hot Oil popping method:  Heat 1/3 cup peanut oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat.  Add 3 kernels of popcorn and wait until these pop before adding ½ cup of kernels and ½ teaspoon sea salt.  Shake pot to keep kernels from sticking, and remove from heat when the popping slows. 

Plain popcorn can get boring, though.  Fortunately, this mild-flavoured whole grain is easily jazzed up without negating its healthful benefits.  Hubby and I have developed a few spice, herb, and powdered milk blends that we use occasionally and sparingly.  Our favourite variations are Nacho- or Ranch-flavoured popcorn.

Nacho seasoning:  1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.  Just sprinkle on the hot, freshly-made popcorn, toss until well-coated, and then add ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

Ranch seasoning:  1 cup skim-milk powder, ½ teaspoon each – dried chives, parsley and dill weed, ¼ teaspoon each – garlic and onion powders,  1/8 teaspoon each – salt and pepper.  Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely powdered.  Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of powder over fresh, hot popcorn while tossing to coat.

The only doctor who doesn’t like popcorn is my dentist.  While this snack has its obvious dietary benefits, it can also crack teeth or get stuck under the gums and cause abscess.  For this reason, some caution should be taken when eating popcorn.  Avoid the small, not fully opened kernels, and be sure to floss after noshing.

If, like me, you’re reducing your sodium intake but are hopelessly addicted to salty, crunchy snacks, you may want to enlist the kernel into your dietary regimen.  Popcorn will also increase your fibre intake, provide a treat rich in antioxidants, and spare your grocery budget.  Now that’s a powerhouse, whole grain munchie!

Until We Meet Again

With this post, Thriving On Thrift (TOT) marks its third anniversary.  Three YEARS!  It’s absolutely mindboggling how fast the time has flown.

During these last years, it’s been fun sharing our choices and routines.  Recently, though, it’s become apparent our most prominent “savers” have been covered.  While there are surely other topics for this blog, I don’t (yet) have the personal experience to cover those subjects effectively.  In fact, brainstorming fresh ideas has become difficult and not just on a creative level.  While the day-to-day practices we’ve developed over time are easy habits and actually relieve stress, my recent (intense) concentration on matters of saving has produced stress.  Rather than a sense of thriving, this increased focus has created feelings of lack.

I thought of ending the blog, but would be saddened to leave a project about which I still feel very passionate.  TOT has become such a familiar presence, yet sustaining its bi-weekly posting schedule is definitely feeling forced.  It’s when the blog feels most strained that my other writing projects (mainly fiction) chime in for attention.  (But, they’ve long been jealous of the hours I spend with the “other project.”)  Still, in those moments of doubt, I’ve been tempted to lay aside the exertions and create space in my  writing life for new challenges.  Then, just when I feel my mind’s tumblers sliding into place, I’m infused with the deep satisfaction felt while writing TOT, the enjoyment of friendships it’s prompted, and the warm glow of kind comments and emails I’ve received from readers.

The mental to-ing and fro-ing has been exhaustive…and exhausting.  Yet, the fact remains that subject matter is becoming leaner and the pleasure this blog once provided me is slowly eroding to panic as I scramble to plan future posts.  Then, the truth of the matter slapped me:  this extra time and energy, this fretting over lack, are all antitheses to this blog’s tenets.  I don’t mean that continuing would be a waste of time and energy, but persistent worry and struggle would be.  No, there’s no thrift in that course.

So, after much thought, I’ve decided to cut back the posting schedule to bi-monthly, from this point on.  This change will enable me to continue with a much-loved project but the reduced frequency will allow more time to develop and research new ideas.  As always, I remain open to topical proposals and look forward to exploring your suggestions.  Please leave a comment or send an email if you wish to see a subject covered. 

Until we meet again – on the second Thursday in April – I wish you and yours thriving days.

Soup’s On!

When the mercury plummets into sub-zero regions – as it has done here these last few weeks – there are no two words more tempting than the simple culinary refrain, “Soup’s on!”  With our furnace chugging constantly, barely completing one cycle before igniting the next, our only relief has been batches of tasty, hot, homemade soup.

Of all winter meals, I think soups (and stews) generate real, lasting, body heat.  Of course, digesting any meal raises the body’s temperature, but only hot soup will actually cause me to remove a layer or two of sweaters and socks.  Though I enjoy cooking, frigid fingers can make chopping and peeling vegetables difficult and that’s another reason soups are so great during cold snaps; with only one day’s meal prep, a couple/few meals are created (depending on quantities made.)

Along with snow, wind, and freezing rain, viruses have also been making their usual rounds.  Whether a cold or the flu, my appetite wanes.  Soup is the only food my stomach accepts (without complaint) when ill.  It’s easy to swallow, comforting to the stomach, and helps thaw “the chills.”

Though commercial soups are as easy as opening a can, or rehydrating a powder, their nutritive values are compromised by the processes they undergo.  Cream-based or homemade stock (whether vegetarian, vegan, or protein) coupled with fresh vegetables and/or whole grains (and meat, if desired) produces soups which offer much better nourishment.  For the  patient, weakened by nausea, a substantial meat or mushroom broth is not only easily digested, its wonderfully nurturing.  In fact, recent scientific studies have proven the cold-relieving effects of chicken soup – though Mom’s everywhere have intuited this for decades.

 

Home-made, cream of broccoli soup

Another great thing about soup is kitchen clean-up.  No, swabbing of floors is not involved.  What I mean is the ability to clean out the refrigerator and pantry’s hodgepodge of leftovers and aging vegetables.  Soup has long been our favourite way to use up these dribbles and drams:  a yummy way to avoid waste, while also providing a few more meals.  They are also a great way to utilize large quantities of sale-priced items, as we did with some fabulous broccoli found on sale this week.  

Soup might not be the most glamorous way of saving money and time, but it’s definitely one of the most warming.  During summer, when our soup-making ebbs due to heat, we actually miss them so, as soon as autumn rolls around, it’s quickly restored to the menu.  And, when the weather turns really foul, making soup is one of our favourite ways warm up and revive.