makinrentblog

We have Shasta at Home!

During my childhoof, I recall my mother treating my younger sister and I to a trip to McDonald's. We always ordered the standard hamburger, small fry and we split an apple pie between the two of us.
Both my sister and I knew better than to order a drink because, that would cause my mother to bark the following statement:

"Girls, you can't order a soda. We have Shasta (at that time 20 cents a can) at home!"

Years later, I can see the financial wisdom in her statement. In this age of combo meal deals, I don't see the value in ordering a soda from the drive-thru if I already have it at home.

Stir-Fry Salad

I just tried a new recipe this evening. I boiled a cup of stir-fry, drained it and mixed it in with romaine lettuce, extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper. It was so-so. In the future, I will use soy sauce instead of extra virgin olive oil.

Stir-Fry veggies - $1.69
Romaine Lettuce -$1.60
Extra virgin olive oil - $4.50
Cracked pepper mill- $12.50 (it's a great investment, I swear!)

Measuring

I have discovered a great way to save money on decorating...

Measure before you buy.

It seems so simple and yet how many of use guesstimate and end up paying the high price of not being able to use our newly acquire treasure?

Poor Kid Fashion Sense

I grew up on the poor side of the rich part of town. Since my parents were divorced, my mother struggled to make ends meet on amodest (more like meager) elementary school teacher's salary. For all practical purposes, my sister and I were considered middle-class by the Federal government's standards. However, at school is was an entirely different matter. We were considered almost poverty-stricken by our much wealthier classmates whose two parent incomes were enabled them to live a more lavish existence.

In order to even get a pass into the "A-list" crowd, you had to wear authentic designer clothes. The "A-list" powers that be, could spot a fake ten miles away. Still that didn't stop those desperate to fit in from trying to pull a switcheroo.
One of the advantages of being considered a "poor kid" was that no one really expected you to be able to afford the big named designers. Alas, I was somewhat spared from the daily designer inspections. Of course, that didn't stop the more aggressive fashion divas from taunting my non-designer duds.

But, I always knew that high school was not a permanent existence and that my thrift store bargains and discount outlet wear would eventually become fashionable. Back in 1991, I sashayed around in the long suede coats of the 1970's, wore buttoned-down butterfly collars and velvet pants like it wasn't no thang. At the time, my ten-dollar 1970's ensembles were the subject of scornful whispers and some non-discreet finger-pointing. But, I felt vindicated by the mid-nineties when I returned from college and found that the 1970's silhouette had caught on in my hometown.
Fashion forwardness comes from necessity. I highly doubt that the "designer inspectors" from my junior high and high school days have ever done anything remotely fashion foward. Probably because, they always just had tons of cash to spend on designer clothing.

I am not hatin' on them, but it's something to keep in mind, whenever someone disses you for not dropping wads of cash on trendy designer items that will be considered "out" in a few months.
Unless you're wardrobe is a big part of your livelihood, save the expensive fashion purchases for the celebrity jetset crowd.

Finishing Touches on a Studio Apartment

I am decorating my large studio apartment one section at a time.
During the holidays, I turned a utility room into a mini-sanctuary by doing the following:

1. I purchased a vanity bench ($39.99) But, truth be told I could have saved about $20.00 with a chair purchased at a thrift store. However, I have always wanted to have a bench for my vanity area.

2. I placed a piece of decorative fabric on top of a glass top shelf (a donation from a close friend) and that became my table. Again, you could slap a piece of material over a wooden tv tray (they usually cost under $15.00) and get the same effect.

3. I used a folding screen (another donation) and draped colorful scarves from Thailand over the top of it. A small scenic painting from a discount department store is a great substitute (they usually run under $20.00) or a wicker basket could give you a touch of ambience (another great buy under $20.00).

4. I put up a curtain to divide my sanctuary from the rest of the apartment. (Curtain - $11.99 and tension rod- $4.99)

Converting the utility room into a "sanctuary" has given my apartment a more personalized feel.

Decorating an Office on a Budget

Four months ago, I moved from a cubicle into an office.
Once the inital excitment wore off, I started planning my decorating scheme.

Below are the items that I used to decorate my office:

1. 3 coffee table art books
Estimated cost: $22

2. 2 bookends
Estimated cost: $9

3. 2006 calendar of Tuscany
Esimated cost: $9

4. Maroon accent Rug
Estimated cost: $15

5. Mesh Inbox
Estimated cost: $14

6. Mesh pen cup
Estimated cost: $2

Decorative Vase Substitutes

Yesterday, I aimlessly wandered the aisles of a discount department store searching for the perfect black vase under fifteen bucks. I realize in hindsight that it was a next to impossible goal. Since it was for my office at work, I didn't want to spend too much time or energy on this particular quest.
Still, I needed some type of decorative item for on top of the five drawer cabinet.
On the back wall of my office is a painting that contains the following colors: gauzy rose, berry and maroon. The picture is surrounded by a black wooden frame.

I chose to use a large photo box with complimentary rose and berry tones. It looks great and the best part about it is that I got it for under 12 bucks!

Here are some other low-cost decorative vase substitutes:

1. Wine tubes- These generally run from $3 to $6. They are also great for storing loose change.
2. Book ends- Place a few coffee table books in between and good to go.
3. Lamps- Check out the discount department stores for great deals on lamps under $20.