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Cheap Is Chic Again
There was a time when I lived and breathed to make sure no one ever thought I was cheap. I went to great lengths to prove it, too. Boy, did that get me into a lot of trouble. It's not cheap to make sure others think you have a lot of money.
You …Read more.
Where To Find Discounts for Universal Studios
Dear Mary: We are hoping to take a short vacation in May. Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., would be great if I could find cheap or free tickets. Do you have any ideas? — Linda, e-mail
Dear Linda: Head over to MouseSavers.com, a wonderful …Read more.
Paying Yourself To Get Creative
Usually, it is cheaper to repair than to replace. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. Repairing things, it seems, brings out the inner clever person in all of us. Don't believe it? Check out these clever readers:
UNDERWATER …Read more.
How To Live Below Your Means
I wouldn't call it a radical new idea, although a popular women's magazine declared recently that living below your means, or LBYM, is the hot new trend.
It is a simple concept: to spend less than you earn. Still, LBYM is seen by many as a life …Read more.
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The BYOB Club's Newest Member
For years, I've had a love-hate relationship with baking bread. It's a domestic skill I never could master, and that bothered me. When I tried, 4 in 5 loaves flopped. Then, in an act of mercy by the yeast gods, I'd turn out a specimen fit for judging at the Iowa State Fair. Eventually, the outrageous price of store-bought bread led me to a book with an intriguing title — "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." Sure. As if anyone in her right mind would believe that. Five minutes a day? If this book touted some prepackaged mix or pricey piece of equipment, I wouldn't be interested. Now the verdict is in. It's true. Authors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois have taken the home-baking world by storm. They have created a method that takes out all the variables of baking yeast breads — the time, the hassle, the waiting and the worrying. I stand before you a changed woman and a consistent home baker of artisan bread. It's the rustic, beautiful kind of bread you see in European bakeries. It's the kind of bread that is made once a day, consumed by the family and then replaced the following day. Every day. I am as busy as ever, and even I have five minutes a day to bake bread. I have not purchased bread for months. I've joined the BYOB movement (bake your own bread), and my goal is to hold out for an entire year. On Saturdays, I take about 10 minutes to make up the master recipe. When I want to bake a loaf, I open the box, grab a wad of dough, dust it with a little flour, shape it and set it on a wooden peel. There it sits for 40 minutes to an hour as the oven preheats and I do other things. I pop it into the oven on a baking stone, and 30 minutes later, we have fresh, European bakery-style bread. Did I say no kneading? None! Since becoming a BYOBer, I've used the master dough to make breadsticks, soft pretzels, pizza and dinner rolls. Here's the best part: A decent loaf of bread at my store is almost $4. A loaf of my homemade artisan bread costs 40 cents, one-tenth the cost and 10 times better. There's something more that comes with baking bread: It's soul-soothing. I love knowing that I have yeast in the freezer and flour in the pantry. It makes me feel self-reliant. I like that. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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