i The Frugal Law Student | Saving

Law School
Frugality
Personal Finance
Productivity
Nutrition

Free Delicious Recipes With CookingSpot

Written by Brett McKay

This is a sponsored post

On of the best ways to save money is to make your own food instead of eating out. However, many people run into the problem of not having enough food ideas. Tuna fish sandwiches can get really old really fast.

Put down that tuna fish sandwich and head over to CookingSpot for thousands of recipes for free. I was impressed with the number and variety of recipes that CookingSpot has to offer. The recipes are well organized by categories, so finding a particular dish isn’t difficult. I’m a big fan of Mexican food, so I checked out what they had to offer. Most recipes sites don’t have recipes for real Mexican food. It’s usually just TexMex stuff. However, I was happy to see some recipes for actual Mexican dishes on CookingSpot.

One neat feature of CookingSpot is that people can submit their own recipes to it. CookingSpot is basically a social cook book. Because of this social aspect of CookingSpot, you’re guaranteed to find something new and fresh every time you check the site.

By far the best feature of CookingSpot is that it’s free. If you want some of the added features like Your Recipe Box or if you want to contribute recipes, you have to sign-up, but that’s free, too.

CookingSpot looks like a great way to expand your cooking choices. Try out some of the recipes and start saving money by eating in.

[tags]CookingSpot, recipes, food, Mexican[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 16 May 07 | Food, Free Stuff, Saving | Comments (0)

Increase Your Buying Pleasure With Tantric Shopping

Written by Brett McKay


If you want to get handle on your debt, you have to curb your spending. Unfortunately, we live in a society that encourages instant gratification.

You see something you want and you want it now! We’ve all experienced it. We wander through the mall with no intention of buying anything and we see a CD or piece of clothing we must have. We know if we buy it, our lives will be cooler, sexier, or more meaningful. So we buy it. Man, that felt good. And it should. Scientific evidence has shown that shopping gives us a small high.

Fast forward a few weeks. That must have CD or shirt doesn’t seem very necessary anymore. In fact, you feel guilty for spending money on stuff you don’t need. Instead of being a fun experience, shopping has become a burden on your psyche.

Revitalize Your Shopping Life

How can you save money and make shopping a fun uplifting experience again? Practice tantric shopping. This idea is based off of the Indian practice of tantric sex. The purpose of tantra is to delay sexual pleasure in order to intensify it. You can do the same thing with your shopping.

If you see something that you think you absolutely must have, hold back from buying it. Put the item on your “I will buy this in one month list.” If after one month you still think buying the item would be worth it, then get it. The waiting time will make acquiring the item much more pleasurable.

In addition to making shopping more enjoyable, tantric shopping will save you money in two ways.

  1. Usually after a month you realize you don’t really need the item, so you don’t spend the money.
  2. After a month, most stuff goes on sell. If you do decide to make the purchase, you’ll be doing so at a reduced price.

Quit the American way of shopping and embrace the Eastern idea of tantra shopping. Your shopping life and bank account will thank you.

If you enjoyed this post, then make sure to subscribe to my RSS Feed.

[tags]frugal, shopping, tantra[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 15 May 07 | Debt, Frugality, Money Management, Personal Finance, Saving, Simplicity | Comments (13)

The Hassle of Too Much “Stuff”

Written by Brett McKay

This is a classic George Carline routine about “stuff.” He makes pointed observations on how ridiculous our society’s quest for “stuff” is. “Stuff” just makes our lives more complicated and more stressful.

Take for example a PDA. You buy a PDA hoping it will make you more productive. However, you have to worry about the battery being fully charged, so you carry around a power adapter. That’s one more thing you have to lug around. What happens if you lose they stylus? So, you have to keep track of that, too. What happens if you lose or damage your PDA? Not only do you have to stress out about keeping tabs on a $300 piece of equipment, you also have to worry about losing the information that’s on it. Life’s so much easier and less stressful with pencil and paper. Plus, you spend less money.
Anyway, I’ll let George Carlin take it away now. (Warning: Adult language)

[tags]simplicity, frugality [/tags]

>If you enjoyed this post, then make sure to subscribe to my RSS Feed.

> Brett McKay | 15 May 07 | Frugality, Saving, Simplicity | Comments (2)

10 Ways to Get More For Your Grocery Dollar

Written by Brett McKay

bag-of-groceries.jpg

Kate and I’s biggest monthly expense is food. We try to spend less than $325 each month. Sometimes we do it, sometimes we don’t. We’re always looking for tips on how to save money on our grocery bill. Here’s a list of simple things you can do to save.

  1. Check unit pricing. What looks like a deal, might really not be based on its unit price. Compare how much each ounce, lb, liter costs and buy the product with the cheapest unit price.
  2. Try store brands and generic products. There’s absolutely no difference. In most cases, the same company that makes the brand name food products also makes the generic brand.
  3. Make tasty meals from leftovers instead of tossing them out. Try planning meal left over friendly meals. Roast beef can be turned into sandwiches or a stew. Spaghetti can be turned into a quick baked pasta dish.
  4. Clip and use coupons wisely. Only use coupons for products you actually use. Don’t buy something just because you have a coupon for it.
  5. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. You’ll buy more then you meant to.
  6. Think small. Buy only what you will use. Throwing out food and unused household products is throwing out money.
  7. Be creative with substitutes. Use powdered milk instead of whole milk and dried peas or beans instead of meat occasionally.
  8. Make a list to prevent impulse buying.
  9. Season your own rice, make your own sauces, bake your own cakes, and steam your own fresh vegetables.
  10. If you have kids, leave them at home whenever you can. They’ll use their kiddy influence (i.e. begging and tantrums) to get you to buy things you don’t need.

What do you do to save on the grocery bill? Drop me a line and let me know.

If you enjoyed this post, then make sure to subscribe to my RSS Feed.

[tags]grocery, frugal, coupons, saving, money[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 14 May 07 | Coupons, Food, Frugality, Saving, Tips | Comments (7)

Interview With Legal Andrew About Managing Law School Debt

Written by Brett McKay

Andrew Flusche is the creator of the excellent blog Legal Andrew. Andrew just recently graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and is preparing for the bar exam. (Boo.) He will be working for the public service group, American Life League, doing something he’s passionate about. Andrew is one the most passionate bloggers I’ve met. He always produces quality posts on legal productivity and improving your blogging. He also has the coolest blog layout I’ve ever seen. Andrew was kind enough to answer some questions on what he is doing to mitigate his crippling law school debt.

1) How much law school debt have your racked up?

My total education debt amounts to a small mortgage. The grand total approaches $140,000. About 9% of that is undergrad; the rest is from law school. I believe that’s a bit above average, even for UVa Law. We encountered some medical expenses in the past three years (such as my spontaneous pneumothorax), so we received some extra loans to help with that.

2) What action or habit do you think saved you the most money while in law school?

Taking the bus to and from school. As you know, sharing one car with your spouse is a great way to save money. My wife and I have had only one car since we got married (right before law school). Our apartment is right on the city bus line. I take a city bus for 15 minutes, then switch to a university bus for another couple of minutes. Everyone affiliated with the university gets to ride all the buses for free. It’s a shame that more people don’t take advantage of it. If you’re looking for a place to live, really think about public transportation options. You just can’t ignore free transportation, especially with gas prices these days. Besides, you’ll help the environment a bit.

3) If you have student loan debt, when would you like to pay it off? How do you plan on reaching your goal?

I’d like to pay it off before I die. I say that laughingly, but the men in my family don’t live too long. A 30-year repayment plan might not reach my “before I die” goal. In reality, I’m extremely lucky. UVa Law has a great loan forgiveness program. Since I’m going to be in public service, the school will pay my law school loans for me. I’ll put my law school loans on a 10-year repayment plan. Assuming I stay in public service for 10 years, the school will keep on paying. I have to contribute some, if my salary is over $35,000. But it’s still a great deal. My undergrad loans will be on a 15-year plan, but I’d like to knock them out in 10 years as well.

4) What other personal financial goals have you set for yourself?

My biggest finance goal right now is to start saving. As soon as I start working full-time, we’re going to setup automatic savings debits, as well as contributions to a retirement account. They might start out at only $20 a month, but it will give us a start. I think that’s important; save regularly, even if it seems like chicken feed. Other than that, we want to buy a small starter home. This might be a year or two away, but it’s definitely a goal.

5) What is your weakness in regards to your personal finances and how do you think you can improve it?

Food. You’d be surprised how much two people could spend on food, between groceries, eating out, coffee, snacks, etc. A “good” month of food expenses for us is about $900. The main problem is dinner. If you can find the perfect way to have affordable, easy, tasty meals, you’d be a rich guy.

6) I know you’re big into GTD. How do you manage your finances? Do you have a system like GTD? Is there a particular software you use to keep track of your money?

I don’t know how closely my financial system resembles GTD. We track everything with Microsoft Money, so we can review spending habits and stay on top of bills. I try to follow the “2 minute rule,” by paying bills as soon as I open them. This keeps them from piling up or accidentally being paid late. Receipts get entered a couple times a week. Paychecks are on direct deposit, so they’re in the bank without effort.

7) What do you think is the biggest money mistake law students make?

This will sound hypocritical, but buying food at school is nuts. I’ve bought my share of soft drinks, but buying lunch there every day could easily amount to $30-40 per week. It’s much cheaper to bring a sandwich or some leftovers from dinner. Heck, even a Stouffer’s frozen dinner would save money.

8)Do you have any suggestions to other law students regarding their personal finances?

Cut back on unnecessary expenses. Do you really need to buy a new car with your summer associate earnings? Do you need the latest and greatest cell phone? Heck, do you need a cell phone at all? I’ve lived without one just fine. What about cable TV? Try Netflix or something instead. And look for casebooks on Amazon or ask to borrow them from a friend. That can save a couple hundred bucks a semester, if you’re lucky.

Thanks, Andrew for taking the time to answer these questions! Stop by Legal Andrew today and look around his site. You’re sure to find something useful and informative.

If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed.

[tags] Legal Andrew, law school, debt, saving, frugal[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 14 May 07 | Debt, Education, Food, Frugality, Interview, Personal Finance, Saving | Comments (3)

Have a Top Rate Kitchen For Less Than $300

Written by Brett McKay


There’s an interesting article in the New York Times about having a minimalist kitchen. Supplying a kitchen can get expensive. Many people think in order to cook quality meals they need the latest doodads and finniest cutlery. The reality is that most chefs just buy their equipment at the local restaurant supply house. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on your kitchen, you can have all the equipment you’ll ever need for less than $300.

The author gives a list of the bare essentials that you need in order to have a well stocked kitchen. The list includes:

  • Eight-inch, plastic-handle stainless alloy chef’s knife- $10
  • Three stainless steel bowls- $
  • Sturdy tongs- $3.50
  • Sturdy sheet pan-$6
  • Plastic cutting board-$6
  • Paring knife-$3
  • Five Pots- $30
  • Medium nonstick cast aluminum pan- $13

You can find these products at these low prices at your local retail store. You can also check out your local restaurant supply house. Finally, there are several online restaurant supply stores like Zesco and My Restaurant Supply House.

[tags]kitchen, frugal, New York Times[/tags]

> Brett McKay | 09 May 07 | Food, Frugality, Saving | Comments (5)
« Previous Posts
Next Posts »

Subscribe

There are currently 1434 Subscribers

Resources

Private Student Loans - A private student loan can help you cover the additional costs of a law degree. Tuition, books and living expenses all covered with a check sent directly to you.

Sponsors

Most Popular Articles

Blog Networks

Top Commentators

    Recent Comments

    • Nikhil Thomas: Good morning. I was wondering whether you have had the chance to look at my previous mails. We are...

    • Archives

    Categories

    © The Frugal Law Student | RSS Feed
    Inspired by Nate at Average Joe Blogger who based his design on the Internet Center 1.0 Design by Luka Cvrk | Wordpressed by Ericulous