2009 was a good year on the cheapness front. I rarely get breakfast out, and I managed to move into a new, much nicer apartment with the same rent as the old hovel. I've discovered bulk foods (OK, not quite discovered, but found sources that are not as inconvenient as Sahadi's) and a new way of making canned tomatoes into amazing pasta sauce (hint: lots of red pepper flakes and garlic). I've found one shade of nail polish I like, thus eliminating Duane Reade impulse purchases.
But there's always room for improvement, and on that note, in order of most to least realistic:
-Less Uniqlo. Not no Uniqlo, which would be futile, but when the new +J line comes out later this month, I will look, but not feel the compulsion to buy, particularly because I'm not in the market for a pastel-colored puffy vest.
-One cheese at a time, two at most. More simply does not get finished. (The cheddar, Parmesan, and Stilton currently in the fridge are, believe it or not, an improvement. Sometimes I'll count and realize I've reached seven.)
-No more monthly Metrocards once the snowy season ends - an hour-long walk to school is still quite doable, and through the less-obnoxious streets of Tribeca and SoHo, preferably combined with an NPR or Slate podcast, a painless form of exercise.
-No coffee beverages purchased outside. (Why do I even pretend? However much coffee I have at home, I'll want more later, and there are currently at least four good coffee options near campus. A thermos... makes sense, but between library books and teaching materials would go where exactly? And I'm not getting the $3-plus drinks anyway, so guilting myself out of this would be a tough one.)
-Make my own pastries. (Here, the time-is-money issue arises, as does my recent rediscovery of a patisserie oh so conveniently located between a subway I can take and my office. Since I will be taking the subway.)
Friday, January 1, 2010
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3 comments:
I don't know if it would work for you or not (a lot depends on what your office/work space is like) but I managed to save a fair amount of money on coffee (probably at least $20/week, maybe as much as $30) by taking a french press, electric kettle, and ground coffee with me to work and making my own. Even easier is one of those pour-through cone deals, though I liked the french press. If you don't have somewhere you can leave it, though, it might not work well. (The hot water dispenser from a water cooler can take the place of the electric kettle, though to my mind it doesn't get quite hot enough to be fully happy.) As the coffee I made was better than what was closest to my office (starbucks) it was not only cheaper but an improvement in quality, too.
A good approach, but I share a very small basement office with three other people, and so tend to do work at the library or at home. The better approach is perhaps just working at home - means cheaper coffee, and a cheaper lunch as well.
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