tips

Sorry Starbucks (and you too, Tim Hortons) but now that I know I have the secret ingredient to making my own Starbucks Frappachino™ in my cupboard right now, you are not getting my nickels this summer.

If you're up for the challenge, you can find a lot of greens in your back yard or on the boulevards that are edible and can add some welcome diversity to your plate and diet. Plus, there's the zero mile/locavore angle, too!

Weather, fuel costs, and other issues are finally catching up this year and economists are warning of steep increases in food prices. What can you do to insulate yourself from the rising costs?

If you're frugal through the rest of the year, Thanksgiving shouldn't be a reason to deviate, but sometimes the added pressure of extended family can make it tempting. Here's a few tips to help you make it through without breaking the bank.

Once again, I find myself overwhelmed with green tomatoes at the end of the season. Not wanting to be wasteful, I went in search of ways to use them. Last year I pickled most of them but we've yet to use all of those so I wanted to make something else. Here's some ideas I found:

Last week I put the question to you, the readers, what's your best tip for new or expecting parents?
The most frequent response was, not surprisingly, to buy used! UsedVictoria.com was singled out as the best place to get lots of clothes. If you are buying furniture or equipment, I'd urge you to check the Consumer Product Safety section of Health Canada first for safety recalls.

Whether you've got kids in school or you're a starving student or just want some variety in your own lunches, consider some of these options for frugal lunches:
1. Don't buy the "lunchbox packs" -- single servings of cookies, crackers, raisins, applesauce or whatever -- they cost more and add needless packaging. Instead, buy a bigger bag/box/jar and portion them out into re-usable containers.
2. Better yet, make your own. Whether it's cookies, bars, trail mix or even pudding, chances are you can make more for less than the package and you'll know exactly what's in it. (see recipe links below)
3. Get a decent insulated food jar (e.g. wide mouth Thermos Food Jar) and send soup, pasta or leftovers (our daughter loves almost any casserole) -- we heat the food in the morning and it stays warm until lunch.
4. Speaking of leftovers, cold pizza goes a long way. Whenever we make a batch we make enough for lunches, too.
5. Invest in a Tiffin or Bento Box (or six -- they're addictive) and start building little meals one bite at a time. Check out Flickr for bento-style lunch inspiration -- groups like Bento Lunch Box Recipes are packed with ideas!

Almost every mall now has a “dollar store” or similar discount store whether it is a large chain like Dollar Giant or the Great Canadian Dollar Store or something quirkier like the Mini-Price store at Colwood Corners.
The value you get for your dollar varies, however. After a couple of decades of discount shopping, here’s my pick for the best and worst products you can find in a typical discount store.

The cheapest way to beat the heat is to not let it in your home in the first place. 

1. Use blinds and/or curtains to block out the sun wherever possible, especially in south or west facing windows. Assuming you have window coverings already, cost of this is $0. If you miss the sunbeams, go outside!
2. Install retractable awnings. We put one over our front, west-facing window and it has made an enormous difference. If you're willing to do the installation yourself, you can pick up manual retractable awnings at Home Depot or Rona for around $200-$300.
3. For about $150 you can get an energy audit and find out where you can save more -- often you can adjust the insulation in your attic or roof to find savings year-round.
4. Don't use the oven to cook meals -- use a bbq outside, or a smaller appliance like an electric frying pan in the kitchen or just eat cold foods.
5. Similarly, turn off home electronics that kick out heat especially computers, televisions, DVD players, PVRs and game systems.

 I was asked by an out-of-town reader for suggestions of frugal places to eat downtown. I put out the question to my other readers and decided it needed to be a section on the site. I've divided the suggestions by meal-type, basically:
For breakfast: