The first of many recession-inspired shopping tips: Whole Paycheck (I mean Foods, lol)

Being unemployed in our recessionary economy has turned me into a bargain hunter and penny pincher like I've never had to be before. When I was employed I didn't have the time to search out bargains and find new ways to save money. Now it's become almost a religion. In my travels I have discovered many money saving shopping tips that I've realized would help others who are searching for similar ways to stretch a buck. The wisdom I've gained is valuable and I hope to be able to pass it along to help others in a similar situation. There are many budget advice givers online but I know that I have discovered many strategies that have never been written about before. Here's hoping you get something out of them!

OK, for my first tip, I'd like to remind everyone that bargains often hide themselves right in front of us or in places we'd least expect to find them. Scouring the sale flyers of the supermarkets every week is a given, but did you know that some legendary high priced markets offer perpetual "loss leaders"? Take for example Whole Foods. Their "house brand" butter and milk are cheaper than in many supermarkets. Plus their chopped garlic is much cheaper than anywhere else, including Trader Joe's. In addition, when they have a sale, it's often better than the supermarkets, too. I picked up crushed San Marzano tomatoes for $2.00 a can a few months ago on a blow-out sale.

My advice is not to avoid what we all affectionately call "Whole Paycheck", but to use some simple strategies to prevent falling into their price traps. One is to make sure you look online at their sale flyer before you go there. To be forewarned is to be forearmed! Make note of what you want in the sale flyer and zero in on those things to the exclusion of other things. Of course, don't buy it if it's not a true bargain. Also, keep a mental note of the things that often go on sale there and check them out. Graze by the meat, poultry and fish counter to see what's on special. Keep in mind that their products are often of better quality than you can find in most other markets and that when it goes on sale it's often at a really fantastic price. And of course, don't forget the "loss leaders".

Here's another tip: Put down those tongs and step away from the prepared food counter! It's one of Whole Foods' biggest traps! The prepared foods at Whole Foods are way overpriced and if you are on a tight budget it's likely out of your price range. Don't be seduced by it no matter how much you want that piece of cheesecake! If you absolutely need something at the salad bar or food counter, make sure it's something that will actually SAVE you money in the long run. For example, if you only need a few leaves of lettuce to complete a dish, by all means, go for them instead of buying a huge head of lettuce that you don't need. Use your judgment here and exercise restraint. Remember that you're paying by the pound and that just because something is heavier doesn't mean it should cost more than something that's lighter.

While I can't take credit for this next Whole Foods tip as just about every budget guide you read will tell you this, I will advise you not to forget the bulk bins, because you can often save money there. Even if the bulk bin price is not a huge bargain or is more per pound than in a prepackaged item, it's often more of a bargain to you if you only need a small amount of the stuff. Take for example a recipe that I did a few months ago that called for half a cup of dried apricots. If I had bought a package of dried apricots in any store it would have had more than I needed in it and cost me more than twice what I paid for them out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods. And how often would I ever need dried apricots again? The excess would probably sit in my cabinet forever until they spoiled. So the lesson is that even if the per-pound price is higher at Whole Foods, if you only need a small amount of it and don't foresee needing it again in the near future, it's still more of a bargain to you if you buy them from the bulk bins.

Indian Inspired Curry Chicken Salad

After experimenting with a chicken masala recipe that I found online I ended up looking for other ways to use the ingredients since they are so delicious and can be combined in many tasty ways. Here are the ingredients for a delicious Indian inspired chicken salad that I made just today:

In a bowl, mix together the following:

Boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast meat chunks

chopped celery

chopped scallion or onion

very small amount of garlic/ginger paste (or just a clove or two of chopped or grated garlic plus a small amount of grated ginger)

chopped cilantro

light mayonnaise plus an equal amount of either plain yogurt, sour cream or fromage blanc

squirt of lemon juice

curry powder to taste

chicken masala or garam masala powder to taste

Indian chili powder to taste (you control the heat)



Serve on your favorite bread and enjoy!

My First Ever Blog Post.....

I know this is going to be somewhat lame because it's my first blog post ever, but wow, finally, here I am! I've put off starting a blog long enough. I admit that I didn't want to start one for a long time. I procrastinated and told myself that since everyone was doing it, I was just going to be yet another lost voice in the ever increasingly immense blogosphere. No one would read it and I would end up with nothing but my self indulgent rantings. I didn't want to be one of those people. I wanted to have something to say that might help other people to think and reflect upon their lives.

So many blogs out there are started by well meaning people who really don't have much of value to say to anyone. Why should I care that their cat had fur balls on the carpet yet again? And when they have opinions or give advice, that's often even worse. Who died and left them the experts on everything anyway? Would I end up one of those people who do what amounts to nothing more than online navel gazing or worse yet, axe grinding? (don't answer that question, lol). I truly shudder at the thought. I don't want to be one of those narcissistic people who writes just to hear my own voice (at least I hope I won't, lol). I want to try to have something of significance to say, or at least something that will get people thinking and commenting.

I have so many topics in mind to write about that it was hard to decide what to name this blog. I requested what felt like dozens of link names but most of them were taken. I wanted a catchy phrase that touched on my global thinking ability. I'm an intuitive and a generalist. Yes, that means I make broad and sweeping generalizations. I know that this annoys a lot of people, so I would suggest that the more empirical or "here and now" folks either tune out or try not take everything I say as written in stone or holding true in every case.

Mostly, I will be posting my impressions and unique perspectives on what is going on in my own world today. Right now my head is full of thoughts on the recession, fashion, social and societal issues, as well as generational issues. I am a 51 year old woman in the Northeastern United States. I was born in Manhattan, grew up in the Bronx and have lived in Connecticut for almost 20 years. I have witnessed a lot of changes in the half century of my life and have amassed quite a laundry list of things that either exasperate me, flummox me or that I have learned through many years of experience. I am a uniquely sensitive person who sees things from a perspective that perhaps not many people will relate to. Or maybe they will. We have yet to find out.

My mother always told me I should write. She, in fact, was quite a writer. A brilliant woman, she was a product of an age and a social milieu that did not value that in her and so she put off her ambitions for many years. After years of raising me and taking care of my dad, she had to go back to work full time to help support the family. This only further delayed her ambitions. She finally got her bachelor's degree in her 40s and then went on to City College in NY where she got a master's in Creative Writing in the late 1970s. This was no easy task for a woman with a husband and family working a full time job in lower Manhattan.

My mom met some great writers at City College, including Donald Barthelme and Manuel Puig. Unfortunately for her, she became increasingly ill and was unable to follow through on her writing ambitions. However, she would often stay up late at night writing notes that no one would ever see. That is, until I recently found them hidden away 8 years after her death in 2001. Imagine what might have happened if she'd have had a blog in which to write! My mother loved computers and knew a lot about how they worked, but she did not get into the internet despite the fact that she was online even before I was. Her illnesses prevented her from appreciating the outlet for her expression that it could have given her. So therefore, I have a mission in creating this blog, and that's to honor my mother and her memory, and most of all, her hopes and ambitions for me. This blog's for you, mom.

I hope to entertain you, make you think, provoke opinions (pro and con) and expand your horizons. I figure that even if people think I'm way off on something I'd have at least given them food for thought. OK, that's it for now. See you later!