Eating Healthy without the Cost

Eating healthy is the one life-improving step that everyone can take, regardless of budget, schedule, or even tastes. If the body is thought of as a car, healthy foods are premium, high-octane fuel that helps you get through a busy day with less stress, less irritability and way more energy than fast food can deliver.

 
If you wince at the price of organic produce in the supermarket, however, you're definitely not alone: at first glance, eating healthy looks to be a very expensive proposition! Properly armed with a few shortcuts, though, you'll be able to save money and chow down without "stomaching" a hit to your bank account.

Think Outside the Grocery Store

When you're trying to spruce up your diet a little, fruits and vegetables are the first logical go-to. The problem is that they can really add up when you're grabbing from bins and baskets at the store. You've probably heard of fruit-of-the-month clubs before—they're a popular holiday present—but have you ever heard of CSAs?

Short for "Community Supported Agriculture," they're a local version of those often-pricey of-the-month boxes with a much lower price tag, and they're filled with locally-grown produce, many with robust organic options. Not only is joining one a great way to help farmers in your region make a living, it's also an excellent way to expand your culinary comfort zone. CSAs that use a "random" style subscription will introduce you to unique new produce as the mix changes every month, and will often include recipes or tips for the more unusual items like sunchokes.

Think Inside Your Pantry

The best way to save money is to not spend any. A great idea for those times that you are staring into your pantry or refrigerator and seeing pieces of a meal puzzle that don’t quite come together, is to put what you already have into an internet search. Have artichokes? Look up artichoke recipes. Have rice and beans? Look for creative ways to jazz up that staple dish.

Apps and websites like SuperCook will let you enter all of your ingredients (for example: chicken, onions, olive oil, vegetable broth, carrots) and generate possible recipes for you, and let you know if you are missing any of the ingredients!

Sales + Kitchen Appliances = Success

When the growing season arrives, fruits and vegetables are available in abundance from local producers, driving the wholesale cost down and triggering more produce sales so that you can shop smart. Thinking ahead about future expenses can be one of the best ways to make money by actively saving money.

This doesn't mean that you need to pay more to indulge in those amazing flavors once the temperature drops. Take advantage of farmer's markets, sales at your local stores, and even pick-your-own farms to get all of your favorites at the peak of ripeness. Then, take a few hours or even a day to process your bounty for use throughout the winter.

For berries, wash and dry very well, remove any stems or leaves, freeze on sheet pans, then pop the whole frozen berries into airtight zip-top bags for use in smoothies, baking and more. For vegetables like tomatoes, consider making a puree or sauce and either freezing or canning the result in mason jars—just leave a little room for expansion when freezing. Pickling, stewing and dehydrating are other methods that can help preserve flavors and nutrition to keep your diet healthy and affordable in colder weather.

Try Out a By-Mail Meal Kit 

Getting takeout every night is a cost that really adds up—both health-wise and wallet-wise. For some individuals, meal kits—special subscription plans that mail you a chilled box of ingredients and recipes for several meals—can be a wiser way to spend that hard-earned money.

If you'd like some menu-planning and cooking guidance along with a healthy dining option, these kits are an excellent way to broaden your tastes and pick up a few new kitchen skills in the process. The best part is that the ingredients are carefully proportioned to prevent waste—which is more than can be said for those "fallen produce soldiers" in the crisper drawer that prompt questions like, "When the heck did I last buy okra?"

Your health doesn't need to come at the expense of your budget or your taste buds if you shop smart and keep an eye out for deals. From the "scratch and dent" produce section of your local market to farm share subscription boxes, a little savvy shopping and careful meal planning will keep food bills low and your nutrition balanced—all without breaking a sweat.

Booking the Hottest and Best Night In Town: A How To

Let’s assume that if you’re running a night of music in your home town and you are in charge of music, you have at least some idea of what kind of musical acts you enjoy and think others would enjoy, and so you know whom to book and whom to pass on. Please let’s hope that’s true. Good, glad we got that out of the way. You have a roster of special singers and songwriters ready to further their careers and win the hearts and fandom of the area hipsters. But how do you get people to your night? You can’t just rely on the performers bringing their friends – this is an outdated way for clubs to run, because in this day and age, people don’t want to leave the house for just anything. You have to get people out and you have to do it in a way that works. Here’s how.

1. Make It Seem Cooler Than it Is

The least successful way to get people to come to your night of music is to beg them. The second least successful way is to guilt trip them. So don’t say things like Please Come out tonight and see some awesome music. That’s begging. And definitely don’t say Support Local Music because that’s focusing the onus of the music scene’s success on the listener, not the performer, as if it’s the listener’s fault for not coming because they’re not being supportive. No – you have to make your night of music seem incredibly cool, so cool that folks would be foolish to pass up on this seemingly once in a lifetime opportunity. There are many ways to make it look cool, like with external decorations or pop up display banners that can be had for cheap at thedisplayoutlet.com. Plus the one time cost will be insignificant if spread over the night’s many nights of shows. Be cool and others will think you’re cool.

2. Drinks for Free

You can’t really give everyone free drinks because you need them to pay for drinks in order for the bar to want you to come back. But you also can give some sort of drink specials. Performers, for example, should definitely get at least 2 and preferably three free drinks. They are artists who deserve the respect of a few free cold ones. But maybe there’s a drink special where your first drink is 50c or something like that – get a ticket at the door and your first drink is cheap. Who can really get away with just having one drink? Most people won’t, and it’s well known that after two drinks, people often are irresponsibly ordering third and fourth drinks, even on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

3. Be Professional

The worst thing in the world for your night of music at an area club or café is for it to be amateur hour. We’ve already determined that you have a good roster of actually talented musicians playing the music so we have that covered. (If not, please go to our other article: why you shouldn’t book bad bands). But if you have a makeshift or terrible sound system, it doesn’t matter if Sir Paul McCartney himself comes to play your show, it’s going to sound bad and people will focus on that. Give them the opportunity, and people will call attention to the negative. Don’t let them. Please get a decent sound system that will allow the performer to sound their best.

Why keeping up with the Jones’ could leave you broke?

Today's society places a lot of value on material possessions and many people feel they cannot achieve true happiness unless they have the latest gadgets. However, despite a mountain of the newest technology and a bulging wardrobe, some people continue to be tormented by others who seem to have more.

Having a houseful of expensive goods is no longer a sign of wealth as an increasing number of people are willing to get themselves into debt in order to keep up with the latest trends.

Even those with a low credit score and little personal funds are able to continue to accumulate belongings with the assistance of credit cards.

But while it can be fun to splash out every now and again, being caught in a spiral of debt just to keep up with the neighbors can be wearisome, let alone costly.

So how can it be possible to escape the inner desire to stay one step ahead of the Joneses?

Experts suggest taking a long hard look at the people you most envy. Appearances can be deceiving and while some people can appear to have everything, behind closed doors it can be a different matter. Those who always have the latest designer clothes, the flashiest autos and the most exotic vacations may be financing it all with borrowed money and maybe even a bad credit credit card.

Having the knowledge that in order to have the best possessions, it is necessary to sink into a pit of unmanageable debt can be very liberating.

The same neighbor that has the best of everything may not be particularly savvy when it comes to saving money and could end up spending their retirement scratching to make ends meet while you enjoy cruises away on your pension.

The recession has done Americans a backhanded favor in some ways by leveling the playing field so that nearly every household has to economize and make concessions, even if it isn't always obvious.

With the exposure that debt is getting on the news every day, people are becoming far more honest about having to pay for things with credit, even admitting to owning bad credit credit cards rather than continuing the facade of having deep pockets.

However, it is human to hanker after what we don't have and what we can see around us but there are tips that can help to put things into perspective.

Most people tend to look towards those who have more than them and compare themselves unfavorably. A good alternative to try is to compare yourself to where you used to be and to people who have less than you and you will see how much you have achieved.

It is also important that while making savings and not overspending a priority, that you let yourself have a little fun and splurge on something you really want sometimes. Feeling hard done-by and deprived will only make you feel disgruntled.

If all else fails, a simple but effective method to fall back on is to ask yourself, does it really matter?

Sometimes, acknowledging that, sure, your neighbor's new auto is great but really, in the long run do possessions really matter that much? Is the stress of having unmanageable debts worth a lump of metal sitting on the drive?

It may sound patronizing but there are some things that are more valuable than money, such as time with your family, health and peace of mind and anyone who has those things is rich in the way that matters the most.

Three Best Money-Saving Tips for Buying a Car

When you're trying to buy a car, many small details go into it. You need to be able to inspect the vehicle or have a knowledgeable person inspect it for you. You will need some haggling skills and have to understand a few important terms about car prices. Most importantly, you’re going to need patience.

Inspect the Car Carefully
When you're looking for cars, you need to inspect it. Pop the hood and look at the insides. Are there any liquids leaking? These are likely bad. How does the car sound? Listen for any loud clunks, rattles, or, really, anything out of the ordinary. Turn it on and try everything: the horn, the stereo, the AC, the heating, the windshield wipers, everything. Are the tires flat? Look over all the major systems of the car and make sure everything works well. If anything isn't working right, you should be able to point it out to the salesperson and use this knowledge as a bargaining chip to get him or her to drop the price down. Or, you might not want to get the car; in this case, you just saved yourself days and nights of headaches dealing with a broken down car you just spent a bundle on! This is why you should look everything over once, twice, and maybe three times.

Understand Pricing
When it comes to pricing, there is always the sticker price. This is the listed price, usually located on the car, which is almost always marked up considerably. However, there is also the invoice price, which is what the dealer paid for the car. You will want to nudge the agreed on price down to the invoice price. Then, there are the Kelley Blue Book and the Edmund's True Market Value indexes. These will tell you what the car is worth based on a combination of factors: age, condition, and market conditions. These are generally based on how much the car is going for on the open market. You will want to point out these prices to the car salesperson if they are charging far more than these suggested prices. If, on the other hand, they are asking less, then you might want to keep this bit of knowledge to yourself--at least if you'd like to save yourself a bit of money.
Don't overlook insurance pricing either. Get a quote to make sure you can find affordable auto insurance before you make a purchase decision. Sticker shock on the car is bad enough. Don't let the insurance shock you too.

Wait It Out
The best tip you can get is to wait. Be patient. Most salespeople try to rush you into saying yes as quickly as possible. Why? Because they don't want you to think about it and end up buying another car. If you thought and really thought about all the different factors, you might not choose their car. So, many car salespeople will try to pressure you into saying yes or signing a piece of paper. Wait! Don't sign anything. Wait at least one day. Think it through and talk about your different options with a trusted friend or family member. Imagine all the different angles associated with this car; how will it work, does it have enough space, and so on. This well-spent time will work to make sure you don't suffer from sales pressure or make a foolish mistake.

CureAutoInsurance.com offers New Jersey and Pennsylvania car insurance. The company helps consumers by waiving the credit check and pricing your policy based on your driving record, not your credit history.