What I Loved on My Summer Vacation, by GG

Dear Blogging World,

As you know, this summer, I went on a long weekend to California, after saving up and budgeting $1000, a little here and a little there. On my trip, we stayed at a swanky hotel, ate some fabulous food and toured San Francisco, Sausalito, Napa, Sonoma and the Muir Woods.

It was really nice to get away from work, especially right after my one-year anniversary, but I’ll admit I came back more tired than I left, in some ways!

Here are the things that I loved the most:

Delica @ The Ferry Building: First night we got there, we were hot and tired and starving! Our hotel concierge recommended we head out to the Ferry building because of its variety and location on the water. The very first thing I ever ate in California, it turned out, would be at Delica, this supercool Japanese delicatessen. I didn’t even know what a croquette was before this trip, but the sweet corn/potato/onion one I had at Delica was AMAZING.

Muir Woods marked the biggest change on this trip–a decrease in temperatures. It went from 114 degrees in Sonoma to 64 in the Muir Woods National Monument. Shocking to my system but pretty cool (no pun intended). These woods are seriously gorgeous, filled with huge cliffs, amazing lookout points and so much natural beauty. This is where I first saw the Golden Gate Bridge, while standing on an oceanfront cliff. Incredible. Later that day, we drove up to the more wooded area farther north, and our car whipped around curves where I could see thousands of feet below me. I’ll be honest–I totally hyperventilated, both sobbing and laughing hysterically, my hands clammy and my breath short. Surprise: I am a little afraid of heights, especially when there are no railings! Totally worth it, nonetheless.

I thought Sausalito was fantastic, filled with gorgeous waterfront homes built into the mountain, a quaint downtown and ocean breezes. On our way in, we noticed an Italian restaurant, Cacciucco, in the residential area, where there was al fresco dining and no line. After we parked in the downtown, it probably took 25 minutes to walk back over, but it was delicious. The salad I had–spinach, pears, walnuts, honey and pecorino cheese–was perfection.

2 Quick, Easy Recipes from the Blogging World

At the end of the day, I’m a pretty simple girl. I like food to taste good, and I like it to be easy–whether that means I’m making it quickly or someone else is making it for me. (Remember, pizza is still the meal I love best.)

And lately, I’ve really taken to finding one particular type of recipe: the kind that doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store (in other words: the kind with simple ingredients or, at the very least, the forgiving kind with ingredients that can be substituted). So here, I present to you two quick and easy recipes, brought to you by fellow bloggers:

1) A New Kind of Grilled Cheese, Nutella-Style (pictured above, as shown at kalofagas): The other day, I Stumbled Upon a blog carnival with Nutella-based recipes. Definitely bookmarked a few of those for later because, though I like cooking to be fast and easy, I think baking is a fair exception. This particular find, actually originally made with Merenda, which is the Greek version of Nutella, was something I made right away. Its instructions couldn’t be simpler: butter two slices of bread, coat the insides with Nutella, slap together and grill. Go take a look, and make your own version. It was delicious.

2) Homemade Granola Bars: L @ Spilling Buckets really inspired me with this one, a quick and easy recipe for granola bars. What really interested me was her substitutions: she changed the original recipe by using things already in the house. I followed suit, substituting almost all the honey for molasses (only a tsp of honey was left in the house), using chocolate chips instead of raisins (yum!) and taking out the nuts altogether. While the molasses was noticeable and not my fav and while my bars turned out to be more like squares than rectangles, all in all, I was very pleased. Cheap (no extra shopping!), easy (20 minutes prep time, tops) and tasty.

I’m on the hunt for more easy, fast, frugal recipes like these. Anybody have a suggestion? Do tell!

(This post is part of a Thursday series on frugal food. Go here to see more from the series!)

Sometimes I Really Feel Like a Girl

I am learning that, at least when it comes to my car, I am all emotion.

A few hours ago, sitting outside a random Culver’s, watching my VW Jetta from a safe 50 feet away, it was all I could do to not start crying in public. While I had been driving home in insanely bad traffic, my car again put out a burning smell. This time, though, there was smoke. I turned on my emergency lights, moved to the right lane and pulled into the nearest parking lot, Culver’s. One phone call to Dad, and I was assured everything would be fine. While I waited, though, a few thoughts went through my mind, thoughts like, Maybe I deserve a milkshake.

I am also learning that, at least when it comes to bad days, I want sugar.

My dad was leaving the house to meet me, so we could caravan to the dealership, hoping, hoping to prove finally that my car really is possessed by some serious problem. So while waiting I wandered into Culver’s, my emotional voice saying, Yes, you should get a milkshake! You’ve had a bad day! It’s only a few dollars! and my rational, PF-brain voice saying, No, no, you cannot have a milkshake! You spent $18 ($18!!!!) dollars on a terrible lunch you ordered out with coworkers, one of whom just turned down the promotion she’d already accepted last week. You blew, what–like 30% of your restaurant budget?–on one bad meal. No, you can’t have a milkshake now!

And I am also learning, at least when it comes to money and life and relationships and work and time management and family, very little is easy.

My Weekend Wallet

I’ll start with a confession: I almost never have cash on me, unless someone has paid me back for something. Even then, just give me a few days and I’ll spend it on something, probably food. My former co-worker tells me this is terrible, that everyone should carry cash, everyday. I know, I know, I tell her. But I won’t. I just never do. If I have it, I spend it, and I probably won’t remember on what. Credit/debt works for me because I can track it.

Besides, where don’t they take Visa nowadays?

Anyway, now that that’s out there, here’s a record of my credit card’s action this weekend, just because I find it entertaining. I did stop and get $20 from the bank (shocking to me), but only because I was anticipating the only-cash-unless-over-$10 policy at the Greek place. Turns out we didn’t go there, but my cash is now gone, of course:

Friday (half day!!):
Movie with friend at budget theatre: $4
Cake with friend (I paid since he paid for lunch): $8.50
Shopping (when did it stop being fun?), buying nothing: $0

Saturday:
Cupcakes with friends: $4
Greek pita at my favorite place for Greek pitas in the city:
Pizza at my favorite pizza place: $15
Grocery store: Sunday paper for my parents and two pints of gelato: $10.95

Sunday:
Treated to lunch at Wendy’s: $0

Total spending: approximately $42

OK, Boss, Just Pay What You Feel

What would Friday’s paycheck look like if your boss got to pay you what he thought you earned this week? What if she were able to add/deduct at will, with no constraints upon a predetermined value for your time? Does it make you a little nervous, or are you excited about the possibilities?

That’s the strategy Radiohead made famous with their pay-what-you-want CD offerings. And while it hasn’t extended to workplaces yet, it is growing.

Now, restaurants in places like Seattle, Salt Lake City and Australia are doing the same thing: come on in, eat on us and leave what you feel is fair. It’ll all work out.

According to this recent article from Budget Travel, pay-what-you-like restaurants are changing the expectations of typical eat-out experiences. Rather than telling you what to pay, you tell them.

Imagine! That distgusting cup of coffee you got at the corner bakery? $.10. But that burger from In-N-Out that you raved about? Well, does $6 sound fair?

What I like about this is the innovative, new feel. I like shaking things up and trying different methods. But what I don’t like is the relativity of it all. I do very much want to get paid what I think I’m worth, not what you do. And if I owned a restaurant, I’d want to be paid what I felt the food was worth, not what you’d name the price at.

What do you think?

The Best Chicago Bakeries

I can’t say this post is especially frugal, but it is food, and it is some of the most delicious food: in Chicagoland: the bakeries.

Whether you’re from the city or visiting, you need to make time for some of the amazing bakeries around here. Seriously. Can you think of anything more fun than a nicely packaged box of cupcakes or cookies? I can’t. And in Chicagoland, here are my top four favorites:

1. Swirlz, 705 W Belden Ave, Lincoln Park, Chicago: The best frosting anywhere and gorgeous presentation.

2. Sweet Mandy B’s, 1208 W Webster Ave, Lincoln Park, Chicago: Literally, get anything. I dare you to be disappointed.

3. Bleeding Heart, 1955 W Belmont Ave, Roscoe Village, Chicago: Best Earl Grey cookies I’ve ever had. Extra bonus: all organic!

4. Bennison’s, 1000 Davis St, Evanston: They get points for the supercool vintage storefront and the window view into the actual bakery. I love, love the petit fours, and the prices are very reasonable.

Bad Day => I Need Cookies

Some days, I think everyone has them, nothing is more comforting than a fresh-baked, hot-out-of-the-oven cookie. Lately, I become a big fan of Martha (can’t believe I’m saying this), and I’ve enjoyed the following:

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Oh, delicious. I. love.

Have a favorite cookie recipe or even a recipe source? Post it here!

My Spending, Lately

Thanks to the wonderful PF blogosphere, I’ve been spending less lately. This past weekend, I spent $15 for lunch Sunday. Like, that was ALL I spent, all weekend.

Other little victories:

1. Haven’t bought myself new clothes since February 5 (over a month ago!) when I bought about $50 in stuff from H & M.

2. Haven’t eaten out during the work day since February 21–OK, OK, I did spend $4 on Tuesday when we all went for fast food. Turned out, though, when they reimbursed me for the meal after I picked it up, they’d paid for my $4 meal, too. I guess just rounding up their dollars worked in my favor, and they wouldn’t take a penny back.

We’ve all resolved no more ordering until April 1.

How I Shop & Eat for Free

Do you know what I love? Getting things I would be willing to pay for completely free. It’s awesome.

The other night, I sat down and looked at the reward points I’ve accumulated, partially through my Visa debit/credit card and partially through MyPoints (reading e-mails*).

The result? $25 at Target and $10 at Starbucks.

*Do you know MyPoints? Essentially, you click on e-mail ads, and they give you points. After you’ve earned a certain number of points, you’re able to redeem them for gift cards! If you’d like a referral, e-mail me!

How to Save When Dining Out

I was telling a friend at work that my dad’s birthday dinner (last fall) seemed to cost an arm and a leg. For all four of my family members to dine, my brother and I split an almost-$100 bill.

“That’s not so bad for four people,” she responded. “My family’s lucky if we can keep it under $200 [for six].”

She has a good point, turns out. I’ve done a little asking around, and most people seem to spend upwards of $20 each (even for lunch?) when enjoying restaurant fare. That’s high for me, but it’s normal, I’m told.

What about you? What’s your average?

In my frugal self, I cringe at spending more than $10 for lunch or $15 for dinner, per person. For anyone looking to lower the bill, consider these spend-less tips for the savvy diner:

1) Split an entree with someone.
Even though I love food, I can seldom pack away the whole portion of a restaurant meal. When possible, I like to split something. This means a lower bill and a smaller portion–both pluses for me.

2) Split an entree with yourself.
When I can’t share with someone, I often take leftovers home with me. I love when I can get two great meals out of an order. True, I’m still spending full price, but I consider it a deal when I’m getting another day’s dining out of it.

3) Drink tap water.
I don’t drink alcohol and rarely drink soft drinks, so water’s the way for me. Usually I ask for a slice of lemon, and I go through three or four glasses. It costs nothing and is good for me!

4) Don’t get appetizers.
Same goes for desserts, though I’ll admit I seldom resist. When trying to save, it’s a wise plan to just get one course at the restaurant. Maybe go out just for dessert or just for appetizers, if your friends are game.

5) Order like a child.
This is so tacky, but I still love ordering from kids’ menus, when I can. Obviously this wouldn’t work at a four-star establishment, but at weekly stops like a Steak N’ Shake or something, I happily order the child’s portion. Delicious and much lower prices.

Have an idea I missed? Share it here! I’ve heard a lot about the restaurant.com certificates and coupon books… anyone a fan?