1 – Cream of Broccoli Stump Soup:  The fresh Broccoli that you buy at the store tastes a lot better than the frozen stuff and is much more nutritious to!  But about half of what you buy normally just gets thrown away!  The “stump” of the broccoli isn’t something we normally think of eating yet it’s something we pay for.  Dad got tired of the wasted money and figured out how to make a pretty decent cream soup with these.  I don’t recall the recipe but I know he peeled the stumps and then diced the rest up small and boiled it a while to get it tender.  Makes me think about what other “wasted” food we might look at twice (and NO I don’t recommend Bologna skin soup! ~:?)

2 – Turning the hot water heater off at night . . . I guess there is some debate about how much you save since the heater has to heat up the water again in the morning; but the point here is to think about all of those automatic expenditures of energy and money that we just take for granted.  For instance . . . do we really always HAVE to use the microwave to defrost stuff?  How did they do that before microwaves?  Doesn’t seem like much but over the course of a few months it probably adds up more than we realize.  What about the dryer?  A clothes drying rack costs about 10 dollars new and works just great on socks, underwear and washcloths . . . if you can save running the dryer two or three times a week that’s all money saved.

3 – S.O.S. (i.e. “Stuff” On a Shingle)  for the uninitiated this is hamburger in a white gravy served over toast; real popular back in the day when hamburger was dirt cheap.  It’s actually pretty good if not exactly healthy (ok “not exactly healthy” is a misnomer . . . stuff is a heart attack on a plate!).  You don’t see it much anymore due in large part to the greater health awareness these days and also because it’s definitely not gourmet fare.  But the heart of the matter here is not so much S.O.S. its self but the idea of creating simple, solid, meals from cheap ingredients.  A box of Mac-n-cheese and a half pound of hamburger makes a pretty good meal – maybe even two!

4 – Letting “her” coast in – I recall dad putting the car in neutral when going down a long hill or even turning it off when waiting in traffic. . . and that was back when gas was at the unheard of price  of 40 cents a gallon!  Living in a hilly portion of the country I have to admit that I’ve been known to do the same.  The savings might not be much but over the course of a month I probably save a gallon or two of gas that way and with gas costing 2.50 a gallon that ads up!  Again this underscores a situation awareness of what things are costing you and how you can limit those expenditures.

5 – “This Place is Lit Up Like a Cathedral at Christmas!”  Something similar to what my dad would say whenever he walked into a vacant room with the light on.  It really underscores the whole attitude here.  My dad was CONSTANTLY aware of every watt of energy burned, every wasted morsel of food and every lost ounce of gas; it was a state of constant awareness that we’ve gotten away from as a society. 

As divorced “dudes” many of us are in a pretty vulnerable position as the economy sours and now might just be a great time to learn or re-learn that same state of awareness.  It’s not really about eating broccoli stumps or turning off the water heater – it’s about being AWARE that we are spending money in those small, seemingly unimportant ways.  Hopefully these anecdotes from my childhood have helped spur your thinking along those same lines.

Be Well!

Bill

I suppose I should begin this post with a disclaimer! I am as guilty of the following as just about anybody. But, like with so many other issues of my life and character, I am trying to improve. 

As I walked to the track to start my run today I had to cross an open grassy area. Across that area was strewn many various pieces of game pieces, such as badminton rackets and birdies, volleyballs, soccer balls, etc. All scattered about as they were left the night before! Left overnight unwatched and uncared for.

As I admit, I struggle in the area of self discipline and taking proper care and responsibility of your possessions is part of that. These people that left all these pieces of sporting equipment over this field to either be ruined or stolen were not taking responsibility and care of their property. But I know and have been taught that it is the very thing to do!

We can make the things we already have last much longer if we keep them in proper order. And we will save money due to the fact that we would not need to replace the item if we leave it to be destroyed or stolen!

Take care of your stuff and save your cash!

Russ

Entertainment is important – not as much as food and shelter but if you don’t budget for it you’ll eventually blow that budget on movies, trips or concerts . . . we all need a little R&R in out lives.  Having said that I believe there are some ways to really cut back on the COST without cutting back on the FUN or relaxation; here’s three examples of what I mean:

Get Rid Of The Dish!  Yeah, yeah, yeah – I know ; life will be meaningless without the Cartoon Network or the latest episode of Deadliest Catch . . .or so it seems.  But just look at the bill.  Varies from area to area but most of you are putting out around $30 a month just for the “basic” package.  That adds up over time!   I don’t have either cable or dish and instead use a digital antenna and a DVD/VHS player.  I live about 40 miles as the crow flies from the nearest station and get pretty good reception of about four local channels – enough for news, weather and a few programs.  If nothing is playing I pop in a movie.  The $5 dollar bin at Wal-Mart is my friend and I keep an eye peeled at garage sales for good condition movies as well.  I don’t rent movies because I try to avoid situations where I give someone money and don’t end up with any lasting value from the deal.  for  less than 10 dollars I can buy a movie and watch it whenever I like for years to come.  I figure I come out way ahead financially with this strategy.  And remember – just because you have access to 749 channels doesn’t mean anything good will be on!

Reading!  . . . reading?  really?  I can hear people saying that to themselves as they read this.  But yes, I am a big proponent of reading for entertainment.  I feel it is even more relaxing than T.V. and you actually exercise the mind rather than numb it.  And VERY cheap!  A library card gives you access to thousands of books and most towns have a good used bookstore where you can find books for a buck or less.  And don’t neglect garage sales!  I have a whole library of books I bought out of a box in someone’s yard for 50 cents. When I was working on my undergrad degree I always set aside a few days after finals each semester and buried myself in the latest Tom Clancy.  Good, fun, entertaining fiction and since I bought them at a local used bookstore for $1.50 each they were also very cheap!  But reading isn’t just about fun fiction – no matter where your interests lay you can find books on the subject.  For instance – I have a passion for WWII history; a few years back I set out to build a library of biographies and first person accounts by people who actually took part in those events.  I now have a couple dozen such books that I’ve picked up in used bookstores and Amazon – all for less than $10 and most for under $5.  Lot’s of time spent learning about the events surrounding WWII from original sources, lots of relaxation and all for very little money.

Community Events:  A while back I was visiting Russ and they had a Greek Festival in his town.  I don’t believe it cost much to attend and it was GREAT!!  Great food, great music and great fun watching the dancing and such!  My point is that nearly every community has some sort of event going on at one time or another throughout the year.  Fairs, Rodeos, Circuses, Festivals, free concerts in the park . . . list is endless.  Shoot even a Home Builders show or car show can be fun!  Most of these events are either free to the public or have an admission price less than a movie.  Furthermore the admission price is usually going to a worthy, local cause or group so you can feel good about the fact that what little money you ARE spending is going for something worth while and local and not towards the hot tub in the back of some movie mogul’s limo.  These events also give you a chance to learn about local ethnic groups or interact with local hobbyist with whom you may share an interest.  All in all it’s money very well spent.

So there you have three ways to save on entertainment that gives you either lasting value or education.  All three are either saving you money directly or indirectly and all three provide some high quality R&R with very minimal cash outlay.  Hope this inspires some brainstorming and if anyone has additional money savers in this area please leave a comment or write to us at dudesndivorce@dudesndivorce.com

Thanks much and Be Well!

Bill

Baking Soda:  This is a great one!  For something like 50 cents a box you can replace or enhance several much more expensive cleaners.  For instance baking soda makes a great cleanser . . . just sprinkle a bit on the area needing scoured and rub in with a damp cloth.  Works just as good as most scouring powders on sinks, counters and cooking ware but there is no toxic residue left over.  I use it on my appliances as well.  You can also add a half cup to your laundry and cut your detergent use in half!  I just sprinkle it in right after I add the detergent and let it do it’s magic.  The soda softens the water allowing the detergent to work better at pulling dirt out of your clothing and as an added benefit it helps reduce odors – I always make sure to use it in my towels and bedding for that very reason.  Of course that odor fighting property comes in very handy when you sprinkle a bit in the bottom of your trashcans as well.  I also use it when cleaning the bathroom where I apply it as a cleanser on the sink and tub/shower and then add a bit to the mop water.  You have to use a rinse water when you mop with it as it will make the floor dull otherwise but it does really freshen the room.  In a real pinch, believe it or not, you can even use it as an emergency shampoo!  I read this many years ago in a Mother Earth News article and put it to the test on a camping trip.  Sure enough it did a great job!  You can’t use it all the time as it will dry out your hair and if you happen to color your hair I’d think twice about it since I’m not sure what the result would be.  But I can tell you that if you are out of shampoo that a teaspoon or so of baking soda does a very good job!  Just wet down your hair, make a paste out of the baking soda in your hand and then massage into your scalp . . . rinse and voila!

Vinegar:  Vinegar is another cheap and useful cleaning substitute.  Of course you probably know about it’s ability to clean out coffee makers (just run a couple cups through – but be prepared for some powerful fumes so open the windows and move the pet birds!).  It’s also great at shining metal fixtures, removing tough baked on food and removing lime deposits in the kitchen and bathroom.  It’s also of course a perfect window cleaner along with a couple sheets of newspaper.  The only problem is the harsh odor but this quickly goes away and the money savings are such that it’s well worth it.

Bleach:  Unlike the other two bleach is pretty toxic so you want to make sure that you rinse things very well after you use it – especially if it involves food.  Having said that however we need to remember that bleach is excellent at sanitizing things.  I add a few drops to the baking soda when I scour my counter tops and appliances because it not only kills bacteria it also pulls out any stains.  A half cup or so added to the mop water really makes the floors look much better and about once per month I make a habit out of soaking my utensils in a sink of hot water with a half cup of bleach added.  After they soak for a half hour of so I drain, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry.  It pulls stains out of plastic cooking utensils and sanitizes everything.  Of course I use bleach in the bathroom also to clean and sanitize those surfaces.

Finally Lemon Juice:  Not only is this of course non-toxic it also leaves a nice aroma in the air afterwards.  Lemon juice is fairly acidic and so, like vinegar, it helps remove baked on food.  It’s also effective at removing stains from counter tops and cutting boards.  If you have a pot or pan that has baked on food just cut a lemon in half , sprinkle a teaspoon worth of salt in the item to be cleaned and then use the lemon to scrub it down.  The salt acts as a scouring agent while the acid in the lemon softens and breaks down the baked on food.  It’s good at cleaning stainless steel or porcelain sinks and I like to add just a bit to my washrag when I clean out the fridge as it has some anti-bacterial properties and leaves a nice scent behind. 

These four items, Baking Soda, Vinegar, Bleach and Lemon Juice have the advantage of being cheap, versatile and with the exception of the bleach, non-toxic.  They will substitute for several other more expensive cleaners which means you end up with a house that is just as clean but with more green left in your pocket!

I’d love to hear about any other money saving tips for house cleaning – or anything else.  Just fire off a comment and we’ll be glad to share it with everyone else.

Until next time . . . Be Well!

Bill

We’ll also be encouraging each of you to share practical, money saving, advice as well.  Nearly everyone has a trick or two up their sleeve for saving a buck here or there.  Just respond in the comments section with your tip or idea so that everyone else can benefit.  If you send in an especially good, original idea we may even contact you and ask you to elaborate a bit by doing a guest post for us.  The idea here men is to help each other out a bit as we face these tough times.  Even those of us who have been doing the post-divorce thing for a while appreciate the occasional tip in this area and I know there are a lot of men still very new to it or who are really struggling due to a lack of employment and/or large child support and alimony judgments.  For them every dime they can squeeze out of their income is of huge importance! If you’d like you can leave the comment directly or you can send us an e-mail at divorced-dudes@dudesndivorce.com 

Finally; we’ll work on getting one of these up about every week although we’re going to focus more on quality than on quantity so we may have two on some weeks and none on others.  A lot of that will depend on the amount of input we get from our readers.

I’m excited about this idea and I really believe it has the potential to help all of us make it through these tough economic times in much better shape.

Be well!

Bill

Recently I started a subscription to my local papers Sunday edition.  The reason? I want to trim my expenses, particularly in the area of grocery shopping. To be honest, I do can foresee the distinct possibility of a high rate of inflation in the future and I want to do the best I can to prepare for it. Regardless, it can be a method to help anyone make ends meet, trying times or not!

Clipping Coupons to Save Money

I understand in our society this is often not considered a “manly” thing to do, but if it helps me save some hard earned cash or let me spend it on some thing else or even pay down a debt a little faster, well, I’m all for it!

The local paper is a tried and true means of collecting coupons but recently some internet sites have cropped up that allow you to access coupons and print them at home at your leisure. Personally, I have yet to try these, so this is something I need to look into and follow up on in another post. It would seem convenient though, wouldn’t it?

If anybody has any other ideas or success stories with coupons, please feel free to leave a comment and share it with the rest of our readers!

See ya later!

Russ

As Russ mentioned in his earlier post; he and I got together in Omaha this last weekend and held what we jokingly referred to as DudesCon!  The first ever, global, Dudes N Divorce Convention!  We had a huge turnout this year probably close to TWO people there!! (counting Russ and myself)  WOW!  ~:?)  We did get a lot of work done on the site as you can no doubt see and we’d love to hear your input on the new look; either in the comments section or at divorced-dudes@dudesndivorce.com .

You’ll notice that we’ve added some new categories including some for reviews, household stuff and finances.  We decided to add these new categories because we want to address all of the concerns of divorced or divorcing “dudes”.  Not just emotional or relational stuff.  The reviews will be done not as professional reviewers but simply as men talking to other men about stuff that we think is either worth the time and money or maybe not so much so.  Hopefully that will help our readers stretch their dollars a bit  further by finding good products and services.  Likewise the posts on household management and finances will be focusing on those important portions of men’s lives.  We want this blog to be a source for divorced men to get the information they want about topics that are important to them.  I hope you let us know how we can improve in that effort.  We’re still busy recategorizing some of our older posts so please hang in there

NOW ON TO THE FOOD! – Russ did a great job covering a couple places we went to this weekend and enjoyed some great food.  The third and final establishment we visited was Jim and Jennie’s Greek Village  at 3026 N. 90th St Omaha, Ne.  Now I really enjoy Greek food - probably one of my favorite cuisines – and so when I walk in a Greek Restaurant I have high expectations and Jim and Jennie’s certainly did not disappoint.  The decor is bright, clean and casual without coming across like a cheap diner.  The service was prompt, attentive and friendly without being overbearing (I believe strongly that an overly friendly waitress or waiter can be just as bad as a rude one).  The food was VERY good!  We ordered an appetizer of Saganaki (a fried cheese dish w/ lemon) and I have to say it was one of the best I’ve had.  not over done and the cheese was sharp but not so much so that it overpowered the citrus overtones of the lemon – EXCELLENT!  Next came the house salad which I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in.  The dressing was very good but the salad was purely iceberg lettuce and rather skimpy on the olives and feta.  Our main course came next and was superb!  Portions were hot, generous and very nicely presented,  Russ and I opted for combo platters in order to sample a wide range of foods.  While it was all very good for purposes of space I’d like to focus on what I felt were the best two - First were the Dolmades; these are probably my favorite Greek dish.  Basically it is a mixture of rice, onion, beef and seasonings wrapped in a grape leaf and cooked.  The grape leaf imparts a strong, tart/sour flavor that contrasts very nicely with the savory meat/rice mixture inside.   Jim and Jennie’s does a great job with these!  I almost hated to give one up to Russ so he could try it!   The second dish was Mousaka; this is a casserole Containing eggplant, potatoes, onions, ground beef, oil, cinnamon, and a flour, milk and butter topping. If done poorly the flavors come out bland and flavorless.  But Jim and Jennie seem to know the secret because their’s was excellent, every bite was a pleasure.  All in all a very good dinning experience and one that I highly recommend to anyone who finds themselves in the Omaha area.

And that wraps up this post – again I hope you enjoy the changes we’ve made and find Dudesndivorce.com an even better source of information and community than you did before.

Until next time – Be Well!

Billiopolis