10 Things Worth Forking Out For

While I am the biggest advocate of not having to pay full price for anything, here is my list of the things I will spend the money on.

(This list is in no particular order) 

Upgraded travel services

My first train trip ride on VIA Rail was really terrible with cramped, worn-down seats, no food, loud passengers who insisted on talking loudly on their phones for 4 hours (both ways), and people who thought that watching videos without headphones was totally acceptable.

Perhaps I would have thought that the train was okay had I not stepped into first class by accident; thought travelling by train was really lovely; then gotten shafted to the economy class.

So the next time I travelled by train, I upgraded to VIA 1 (I had a coupon), which is like the business/first class of VIA RAil, and man, was that nice. I waited in the lounge instead of the huge long lineup to board on the train for the free-for-all, enjoyed a nice newspaper, food and drink throughout the ride, and the joyous silence of patrons who also did not want to be bothered by others. I highly recommend VIA 1, especially if you’re travelling alone.

I also recommend the business class of South African Airways. I got upgraded once. It was swank. 

Swanky hotels - even if it’s just once

Although he says he was paying it off for quite a while, there is a particular hotel in Miami where my husband proposed to me. It was a small luxury boutique hotel with only 9 floors and maybe 30 rooms in total. The butler-like service was the best I’ve ever had in my life, and though he probably got nickel-and-dimed for stuff, I’ve never stayed anywhere as gorgeous. Our suite had TWO bathrooms, with the bathtub in the main bathroom overlooking the ocean.

And that is why we just did it once and have the memories to last us forever.

A hotel as opposed to a Bed and Breakfast

For years and years, my sister and I had this tradition of staying in a different B&B for our annual sisters’ trip.

At the last B&B, we were awoken at 7:18 a.m. on a Saturday (AND Sunday) morning by this woman blasting Il Divo on her stereo system. This nosy/overly chatty woman insisted on having breakfast at 8 a.m. with a dining room table of guests who were forced to make strangers’ small talk. And that was the last of our B&B experiences, because in the past, we’ve put up with:

- too few or shared bathrooms
- the bathroom is next to your room, and you have to listen to (# of guests x 2 in night/morning) showers
- forced conversation with weird hosts and strangers
- dust
- weird decor
- driving around in the dark looking for an unmarked residence
- dictated schedule
- being told that we parked in the wrong spot on the driveway

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had fantastic experiences on these trips, but I think we’re done for B&Bs without recommendations from people we know.

A Mac

I actually bought my iMac out of spite because I had so many problems with my PC laptop in a short span of time. As I recall, I had to reformat the thing twice in 6 weeks since it just went haywire. I still use my laptop, but limit the number of applications on it, and keep its use to a minimum.

Macs seem to be fairly user-friendly, and knock on wood, I haven’t had any problems with mine, and I bought it in September 2008.

Macs never go on sale, but you can get Aeroplan points if you buy through the Aeroplan store.

Heinz Ketchup

Strange, I know. While I think it’s probably the same deal with bottled water as all the same ketchup goes into differently-labelled bottles, I dunno. I tried a generic brand once. It had a weird taste to it, so I switched back to Heinz.

Heated car seats

My friends outside of Canada won’t relate to this, but heated car seats are part of the winterizing packages available here. Even if you don’t turn on the car’s central heat (sometimes I don’t to keep myself awake), toasty buns make the ride much sweeter.

A new toilet - if you need it and can afford it

For all the stuff that home ownership makes you pay for, a new toilet is like a reward. There’s just something glorious about a new toilet that hasn’t been used by anyone but you. (And the plumber, if he was testing it out.)

We have ONE new toilet in this house, and then had to shell out to have the insides of the others replaced. The silence is much preferred to the sound of fairies splashing in the bowl.

A satellite navigation system

It’s just so much easier to know where you’re going with the aid of a sat nav.

Good bed sheets

Higher thread counts sometimes CAN really make a difference. Hubby loves this one particular set that we bought on clearance somewhere. (I had written something else here but I don't remember what it was.)

A personal/digital video recorder (PVR/DVR)

The catch is that once you’ve bought one, you’ll never go back. It totally saves having to look for VHS tapes and blank DVDs. You can set up series recordings and record two things at once.

10 Really Inexpensive Ways to Work Out

Hubby and I recently had life insurance medical exams.  Part of the medical involves you getting weighed, and boy, were we unhappy with what the scale said.  Hubby still refuses to tell me his actual weight, but I can tell he’s put on quite a few pounds since we first started dating.  So have I.

I used to work for a government agency, and we would have pastries and fruit and cake all the time.  Apparently, treats are the way to stifle the pain of having endless meetings all the time.  Anyway, leftover stuff would always find its way to this big cabinet surface behind my cubicle.  Eventually, I wasn’t even walking to the treats, because I would just roll myself over in my office chair with wheels. 

And that is how I gained 15 pounds.

Being newlyweds, I would rather sink my monthly gym membership dues into something like the cable bill or life insurance.  Or food.

So here are some inexpensive ways to work out.  Using methods 1 and 4, I managed to lose enough weight to feel comfortable in my wedding dress.  I would have liked to have had toned arms and less boob fat, but we never get everything we want in life.

Post-wedding, hubby and I are using methods 1, 2 and 3.  We’ll let you know how it goes.  We don’t have a scale here though.  We’ll have to use the ones at our parents’ houses.

Exercising doesn’t have to cost you anything!

1)  Free - Workout videos are a great way to keep your exercise routine fresh.  Here’s how not to have to pay for them:
- search for “fitness” on Google videos.  You can even use duration as a filter to make it easier to find longer segments
- try your local library for DVDs
 - ask friends to borrow theirs or go over and do workouts together
 - check out your On Demand channels to see if there are any worth catching 
- use your DVR or VCR to record workout shows (I really like Caribbean Workout on OLN, weekdays at 7:30 a.m. ET)


2)  Free - Use weights made with household substitutes like water bottles (the larger sizes), juice cans (apple juice/tomato juice), soup cans, and books (dictionaries/manuals).  If you’re doing workout videos, some might ask for weights.


3)  $22.57 - Buy a stability ball, which are apparently great for your abs since you keep them engaged all the time trying not to fall off and hurt yourself. Check out sales at department stores like Sears, but you can generally get one for around $20.  Hubby has a giant Everlast blue ball, and it cost CDN $22.57 at Walmart. By comparison, my purple ball looks like it was made for Baby Bear.  I bought that ball using a gift card so it didn’t cost me anything.



The stability ball will usually come with a DVD with a workout video.  It’s not bad, but not as challenging as some other videos we’ve seen.


4)  Free - Running by yourself can be really boring, so I highly recommend finding a buddy.  If you can find a buddy that has a similar schedule to you and lives about a 20-30 minute walk away, you can alternate who walks to whose house.  OR, if you’re the person who has to lose more weight, walk that buddy home so you get a good decent hour more of exercise.  It’s always easier to walk with a destination in mind.


5)  Free or donation - Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a local community centre or church that provides “free” fitness classes.  If you’re going with the church option, you should probably leave a donation of some sort since it’s part of their community outreach.

If you’re a university or college student, take advantage of the classes that your athletic centres offer.  You’re paying for athletic fees anyway, so you might as well use them!


6)  ~$20 - I still don’t know if my arm toning circles work because I can’t follow the “just 10 minutes a day” thing.  They’re basically like padded hula hoops for your arms.  It’s boring to use them, and they kind of hurt when they bounce on your forearms or smack you in the head by accident.  So I don’t really recommend these.  In theory, I could use them while watching TV, since I do that every day.  Meh.


7) Free - Cycling is always a fast and environmentally-friendly way to get around.  Provided that you have a bike.  (We don’t.)


8) ~$40 at Walmart if you’re not a serious skater - Like swimming, I’m always afraid to go skating by myself in case something happens to me.  Like I fall and break something, or twist something, or come into not-nice contact with a skate blade.  That’s just me.  Hubby used to play hockey, so being on skates is like walking for him.


9) Free - If you have a friend that has a pool, either in their backyard or building, swimming will give you the best overall workout since you have to use all parts of your body.  The friend in the building will probably support your frequent visits since it also means they get the use out of their condo fees.


10) Free - Not that I’m encouraging promiscuity, but sex can count as exercise too.  Apparently, 30 minutes of sex can burn 85+ calories.  So you can earn those few crackers.  When you’re done here, check at WebMD for 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex.



And if you’re really inclined, check out some neat activity-specific calorie-burning calculators if you’re interested.



MSN - How Many Calories Burned

About.com - Calorie Calculator

5 Cheap Date Ideas For Under $5

1.  Movie/Gamer Night
Blockbuster can suck it. 

The library can actually be a great resource for free entertainment.  Borrow a selection of DVDs and make it a Movie Night!  And as I have recently discovered, some libraries stock video games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.  You can also try Gamer Night.  Rock Band is one of those games that will go for hours.

I warn you that this is a you-can’t-plan-ahead type date.  You might have to order the items online through the library catalogue and then wait to have them sent to your nearest library branch.  You might also look like a real cheapskate and have to make up for it with booze.

If you live in a nice part of the United States, you might live close to a Trader Joe’s.  Trader Joe’s is a moderately-priced gourmet food store that sells wine for $1.99 - $3.49 per bottle, depending on the region. 

2.    Go for a REALLY long walk.
Walk around the downtown core for an afternoon.  In Toronto, you can hit Harbourfront, circle around to Chinatown, then UofT before calling it a day.  Carry bottled beverages for the two of you, then buy your hot dog for $2.50 each.

If you’re close to one, long walks on the beach are romantic.  They’re also free, will help tone butt muscles when walking in the sand, and set the mood for great conversation.  When the silences are awkward, just stare at the water longingly, and say things like:
“Wow, it’s so blue …”
“Look at those surfers …”
“Is that a shark?”

If you’re really desperate for topics, it can be fun to play the “What Would You Rather Do?” game.  I like to start off with the question: “Would you rather be sunburnt on your ass or the soles of your feet?”  If you have the actual game, some of the cards might be fun to take along, rather than making them up yourself.


3.    Homecooked brunch at home.

Advocates for cheap dating will highly recommend the homecooked meal to show off your culinary skills.  I’m a big proponent of the brunch date.  And here’s how to do it for under $5.

Bacon: $1.50 per package
Eggs:  $2/dozen
Bread:  $2/bag, even less.  
Milk:  $4/2 L

You’d really only use half the ingredients if it’s for the two of you, so I stand by my headline that you’d spend less than $5.  If you don’t have the cooking skills, IKEA still has that $1 breakfast deal.

4.    Game Show Night – a twist on the old “play a board game” suggestion
Different from Gamer Night, which requires a console, spend an evening with an online gaming site. My personal favourite is www.Shockwave.com where you can sign up for a free 10-day trial.  Dive into two-player games like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, Battleship, Jeopardy ... the list goes on.

If you have the right cable, you can even hook up your computer to your TV screen and play with a huge monitor.

5.    Make a sexy dessert

Chocolate-covered strawberries and bananas are surprisingly inexpensive to make.

If you get it at the right place and time, a decent number of strawberries can go on sale for $2.50/carton, about the size of a small brick.  Bananas are only $0.67-$0.76/pound, and if you time it right, a pineapple can cost just $1-2.

Try a bulk food store for chocolate wafers or chips which can melt down fairly easily, otherwise, a package of chocolate chips can go on sale for as little as $2.  The package is about the size of an external hard drive.

Here are some easy instructions:
a)    Line a large plate or cookie sheet with either wax paper or foil
b)    Prepare the fruit of choice (wash, hull, slice, etc.)
c)    Melt down the chocolate (use a low setting in the microwave with short increments or a heat-safe container over another container of boiling water) (email me for more details or Google “how to melt chocolate”)
d)    Cover fruit with chocolate.
e)    Place chocolate-covered fruit on plate/cookie sheet with ample room in between.
f)    Freeze.

Clean up at a leisurely pace to give the chocolate enough time to harden.  Make small talk, pour some glasses of water, take a short walk (also free), then return to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Perhaps next up: Cheap Date Ideas That Won’t Actually Last More Than a Half Hour (so will end up costing you more than $5 when you choose to do something better.)

My husband is way better than a roommate

So I was all ready to go downstairs and heat up some lunch, when lo and behold, I open up the fridge.  Gasp.  My one soup mug of homemade butternut squash soup (that I was saving for today) is gone.

There is only one other person in this house that could have eaten it.

I’m more miffed because I had about a cup of it when there were 5L that I made.  Butternut squash soup is becoming one of my signature dishes, which is nice, because it’s so time-consuming that not everyone will jump in and make it themselves.  On Friday, I was slaving away on this thing.  I microwaved the squashes, peeled them, chopped them, scooped out the gooey bits, drenched them in oil, roasted them, poked them, then boiled them until they were squishy, added the other ingredients, simmered it for an hour, ladled it in several batches into the blender, blended, poured carefully into jugs to be left in the fridge until the next day’s party.

I don’t blame him.  If it was sitting there, I probably would have done the same thing.

I’ll make it again.

I’m really quite flattered that that the soup goes down so well and everyone seems to love it.  One of my best friends, Syd, was here on Saturday.  I announced that anyone was welcome to take leftovers home, and she jumped at the chance to get some butternut squash soup.  It made me all googly warm inside.  Which is also why I’m not mad about not having soup for lunch today.

But the point I’ll make today is that it’s one of those instances in which I really appreciate living with my husband.  Strange, I know, coming from missing soup “miffage.”

I’ve lived with shitty roommates who eat your expensive ice cream bars, keep you up at all hours of the night, invite unstable male friends to hang out in your space when neither of you are there.  And when you literally have to clean up somebody’s shit when you are neither in love with or related to them, you just want to throw them out.

So .... hubby taking the last of the soup is really not a big deal.

Hubby promises that he’ll help me make it next time to make up for eating my last portion.  I like that he’ll come with me to grocery shop and stand patiently with the cart as I choose the nicest looking squashes.   

I like that there is no strict division of yours or mine in the fridge.  I like that he appreciates what I cook for him, and there’s no question of who owes who what for groceries.  I like that he listens to me when I show him why we do things a certain way (like overwrapping cheese in plastic wrap to keep it fresher and soft).  I like that we buy toilet paper but there’s no squabble over who bought it last.  I like that he now sees my logic in not putting clean laundry on surfaces that are dusty or where we’ve put our feet.

Perhaps it is love, perhaps security, perhaps the expectation that you’re going to try and make this living arrangement work, you know, forever, that make you more open to compromise and problem solving.  I suppose it is also a combination of hubby being relatively easygoing and me being a pretty good person to live with. (I cook good food, keep the house clean and don’t spend too much money. I think that’s a good deal.)

TVOKids.com’s first iPhone app

Wow!  Good for you, TVO Kids.  Never thought you’d spend the money, but here you are, delivering a free preschooler app to the masses.  Now parents all over Ontario can also do the pass-back thing to keep screaming children quiet and mesmerized.  Let’s hope they know how to handle those devices, since I’ve really only seen small children rather aggressively punching their little fingers into the screen.

THE LOOK
The interface seems nice, normal and friendly enough.  Melvin the skunk is fairly cheerful-looking and proportional against a nice park-like background.

GAME PLAY
The purpose of the game is to match words.  Randomized cards appear on the right hand side of the screen.  When selected, they turn over with a word.  A voice reads out the word as it’s tapped, and if you don’t match the words correctly, he says, “Try again!” Once you successfully match two of the cards, there’s a chime, small applause, and the word goes on to the “Word Wall” on the left hand side of the screen.

When you finish the level, he reads the words off the Word Wall.

PURPOSE OF THE GAME
The point of the game is as such:
“Playing Melvin’s Marvellous Words teaches your early learner sight words in a fun card-matching activity.  Melvin’s Marvellous Words is produced by tvokids.com with iPhone programming by zinc Roe design.  Visit tvokids.com for more excellent learning experiences for children.”

For what you pay for (it’s free), I really can’t complain.  There’s no way to take this and monetize it since there isn’t any place to put an ad, or stuff brand names into the matching cards.

What I would like to have seen though is the words matching up to pictures.  Words like “three” and “yellow” could be associated with the word (letters) AND thing, rather than be jumbled into a mixture of words that I have uncovered so far.

this
he
can
two
one
a
are
to
under
the
come
get
is
funny
little
yes
at
go
not
blue
away
it
look
we
said

Okay, the more I play the game, the more I can see the repetitive reuse of technology and programming.  It’s a simple concept and as one progresses through the levels, the number of cards increase from 6 to 10, then down to 8 (?), then stays at a steady 10.  Words progress in difficult, moving up from “at” to “blue” and “away.”

My doable suggestion would be to use the words in a proper sentence on the Word Wall.  It feels a little too random and out of context to bring two and two together for story time.

If the limit is 5 words at a time, you could combine sentences to reinforce how those words are actually used:
“He is my good friend.”
“Look at the little dog.”
“Yes, he can be funny.” -- CUE: Melvin laughs.
“He said to come here.”

But other than that, good for you, TVO Kids and zinc Roe!  Good job, it’s a pretty finished product!

Lost mittens, lost socks, lost earrings

Dear Left Mitten,

I do apologize for abandoning you somewhere in this city.  I must inform you that I tried my best to keep you on my person, using mitten clips. 

Please believe that it was an accident.  I took you off the clip because, unfortunately, you got in the way when I went hunting for produce.  It was annoying to have you drape across the butternut squashes, grazing potentially disgusting and sticky produce that oozed yuckiness.  That is not an excuse, but the reason why we are now separate.  You, perhaps in a Walmart parking lot, and I, at home, wondering where you are.

It is dark now, and my search for you would be fruitless since you would blend in with the asphalt.  Unfortunately you also have no pulse.  So I can’t call anyone but the lady at Wal-Mart who says “(that cashier) says she don’t got nothin’ there.”

Perhaps tomorrow morning, mitten, we will be reunited.

Faithfully yours,
Deb

I’d written something here but now it’s altered because it was boring.

Poopity poop poop.  My whole thing with launching this website early in the year was so that I’d actually be using the web hosting service for which I pay, instead of letting it sit around for half the month.

So it turns out that my web skills aren’t as retarded as I thought.  I started out on a good foot, connecting with the FTP thing, and suddenly this morning, it stopped working.  So half an hour later, the tech support guy says that there’s a problem that needs attention from an administrator, and he’ll call me back in 15 minutes or so.

ANYWAY ... my day is going to be consumed with cleaning my house and pre-cooking for a small get-together tomorrow.  Please don’t feel offended if we didn’t invite you, it’s only because I can’t cook for more than 8 people at a time, and I’m already pushing it at 9 including the two of us.

Hubby is surprisingly easygoing about the amount of entertaining that we do in this house.  Maybe because he knows that every day, his meal is like a practice run for meals that may be repeated for things like potlucks.    He likes the variety of food that he gets in this house because our menu is really dictated by whatever is on sale at the local grocery stores.  I thrive on my frugality, and will often Twitter (@DebChantson) about how much I spent on dinner ingredients.  Last night’s dinner I think was maybe $6 and lasting out until tonight.  The sad thing is that this cabbage seems to be lasting forever.  It’s like a big leafy green bowling ball in our crisper that doesn’t seem to go away.  Hubby has had a break from it for the past two nights, but I think that cabbage has got to resurface or else it’ll go to waste.  And even though it was only CDN $1.50, I still loathe throwing away food.

Once you’re a writer, it seems that it’s hard to get out of that writer/freelancer bubble, which is a good thing since that’s what you were striving to be anyway.  But then you can’t do normal civilian type temp contracts for “a couple of months” because then that takes away from what you actually do that fulfills you and makes you happy.  I’m good at what I do.  The problem is that it’s not as frequent as I’d like it to be at the moment.  I suppose that is why so many writers pay rent and don’t own their houses.

So that is why you will eventually see Google Ads here.  Sorry.  But we all have bills to pay.

5 Ways To Be A Fabulous Wedding Guest

Please note that this article does not apply to informal weddings.  

In these recession-laden days, being invited to a wedding is much more of an honour than it used to be.   Here’s how to live up to that honour.

1) TELL THE COUPLE YOU’RE GOING TO SHOW UP – OR NOT
 
Respond On Time
Weddings are all about numbers.  Depending on the couple, the bride and groom may need to see how much space is left from the A-list before sending out the B-list invitations.  The sooner they know their final head count, the sooner they can order items like place cards, chair covers, and favours, or services like security and babysitting.

Straggling Strangers
If the invitation does not read “and guest”, then the invitation is ONLY for the person to whom it is addressed.

Refrain from asking about bringing extra guests.  The couple is already fighting about numbers and discussing eloping.  

All You Need Is “No” … It’s Easy
If the invitation is obviously out of obligation, there is NO SHAME in declining.  Guests who do not attend a wedding are not obligated to send a gift, though the gesture is always appreciated.  Especially if the gift is cash.  

2) SHOW UP

It’s Half the Battle
Guest places at dinner receptions are prepaid and cannot be refunded. Most wedding vendors require finalized guest numbers one week before the actual wedding, so two weeks before is the latest one can bow out with, “I forgot that was the date of your wedding.”

If unable to attend the wedding less than a week away (i.e. day of), inform the bride/groom with a fantastically good reason*, and send a generous gift as if attending.  “I’m sick but I don’t have to go to the doctor” won’t cut it.


* deaths and fatal emergencies are entirely exempt from this paragraph

Let Your Rugrats Be Rugrats Elsewhere
Weddings are a grown-up event.  Plan to leave uninvited kids with a babysitter. 

3) SIT AND LOOK PRETTY

Look At the Invitation and Follow Suit
Formal attire is always safest, even if an emailed invitation could mean tracksuit.  Invitations with lined envelopes and elegant font warrant suits.  Wearing black is fine, but white (and variations of) is not.

Don’t Be A Sit Disturber
Table seating plans take ages to compile with the bride (and/or groom) choosing a designated place for each guest based on how they think s/he will interact with other guests.  Sit where told.

4) DON’T BE AN ASS

Go With The Flow
Keep the mood positive and upbeat.  This is a day filled with joy, love and happiness.  Ceremonies will start late, traffic will be bad, and there might be unpleasant weather.  It doesn’t matter.   The day belongs to the bride and groom.   

Herding Cats
Family members should be prepared to assemble quickly for group photos.  If a bride should call out twice for a group, that group needs to speed up and not drain her energy or piss her off.

Use The Voice In Your Head
Refrain from making comments about anyone getting “cold feet,” looking anything less than glowingly happy or absolutely gorgeous.  Do not argue about where or when to stand for a photo.

Stay Relatively Sober
No one wants an unruly drunk guest to mar the happiest day of her life.  And because every little girl dreams about hiring security for her wedding.  (That was sarcastic.  They don’t.)

Pipe Down During Important Wedding Moments
Wedding dances are like rites of passage.  Wedding speeches are opportunities to tell funny stories and say meaningful things. Even if it’s boring, pay attention and/or stay quiet.  Competing noise will distract others from listening, and prevent honoured guests from hearing specially directed messages.

5) DON’T BE A TACKY ASS

How Much To Give
The rule of thumb is to generally give a gift equal to the value of one’s place at the wedding. Start with a base of $100-$150 per person, then add or subtract with the following factors:
•    venue (community centre/legion hall = low; golf club/chic restaurant = high)
•    season (November-April = low season + discount)
•    invitation style (professionally crafted = $7)
•    day of week (weekday/Sunday = discount)
•    time (lunch = discount)
•    dress formality (black tie = be generous)
•    alcohol to be consumed (heavy drinkers should be generous)
•    travel
•    how much one can afford

One Love, One Heart, One Guest, One Favour
One guest = one favour.  It’s not a free-for-all.

Thank The Bride/Groom Before Leaving
Say something nice.  Again, being invited to a wedding is a great honour, because there are always people who didn’t make the final cut.

Of course the couple expects that the guests should have a great time, but there’s no need to bring on extra headaches or debt.  It’s an expensive day and newlyweds are completely aware that their savings could have been spent elsewhere.

Wedding magazine The Knot puts the average wedding cost at a low $27,800.  Think way higher for cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. 

But a perfect day costs that much.  So be a perfect guest.