Dating on a budget

13. August 2012 · 10 comments · Categories: Cheap activities, Dating, Dining out · Tags: , , ,

Yes, it is possible. And no, it doesn’t make you a cheapskate. If you’re worried someone won’t want to date you if you don’t take them out for a 3 course meal and a Broadway show, then you probably don’t want to date them at all.  While economic stability is nice in a mate,  it’s not fair to expect someone to break the bank just to take you out.

For a first date – keep it casual and not too long.  A full dinner and drinks afterwards at the bar can really add up. And it can often be so noisy that you can’t really here what the other person is saying.   Something like a casual coffee, or a nice stroll by the lake (weather permitting) can be a great first date.  In the nicer weather, a lot of cities offer free outdoor activities – movies, concerts, and plays. If you really feel you need to *go* to something –try cheap night at the movies, or at least skip dinner – just do a movie, and then for something light afterwards.   Mr. Canuck Buck’s and I first date was at the cheapie theatre. :)

For special occasions – going out is nice, but why not a home cooked meal? I’ve yet to meet a soul who said “So and so cooked me this amazing meal instead of going out – how dare they”. Trust me – both genders are a sucker for a good cook.  You can still get dressed up and go “the whole nine yards” – you just get to do it on your schedule in the peace and quiet of your own home.

Once you’ve been dating a while – hopefully, if you’re growing together as a couple, you’re in synch financially.  One of you doesn’t want to hit McDonalds all the time, while the other wants caviar and champagne.  If you really like to go out a lot, try something like the Entertainment Book or a group discount site such as Wagjag to get discounts on restaurants. If you’re more homebodies, like Mr. Canuck Buck and I are, a date can be as simple as picking up subs and putting on a movie.

If you really want to go all out – watch for special events in your town. In Toronto, there Summerlicious and Winterlicious, which offer 3 course “prix fixe” (add link) meals for a good deal – usually for 15-25 dollars, depending on the menu and whether you go for lunch or dinner.

What’s your best cheap date idea?

What buying your lunch every day is really costing you

16. July 2012 · 12 comments · Categories: Dining out, Food · Tags: ,

I recently read an article about a survey done by Visa Canada about how often Canadians buy their lunch out and what it costs them. Here are some of the highlights:

  •  60 per cent of Canadians eat out once or more a week
  • The national average cost of buying your lunch is $8.80.
  •  Sixty-one per cent spend between $7 and $13, while nine per cent sometimes go as high as $25.
  • Ontarians eat out the most (I can certainly attest to the fact it’s very common in Toronto!), whereas the virtuous folks in Quebec, Alberta, and B.C, brown bag it more.
  • Those meals add up over time. After tax, eating out three times a week at $8.80 each time can add up to about $20,000 after 10 years.

20,000 dollars? That’s crazy!! I have a co-worker who buys his breakfast and lunch every day (although he tries to spend no more than 4 dollars on lunch). That still really adds up though.

There’s also the nutritional impact – a lot of what’s out there is deep fried, greasy, or covered in sugar laden sauces.

I’ll freely admit that when I first started working downtown, after being out in the “boonies” for almost 10  years, I bought lunch almost every day. Being me though, I wanted to be cheap – so it was often McDonalds, or a bagel with peanut butter and jam.  It didn’t do my wallet or my waistline any favours! It took a move out of town, and a big increase in my transportation budget to make me realize I had to cut back somewhere, and lunch was one place I could do it. I still do buy my lunch sometimes (like the day I got a filling, so I had to find something very soft to eat!), but I try to make it a once a week thing, or a special occasion thing.

If you’d like to start bringing your lunch more, but just don’t seem to be able to do it, here are some tips:

  • Pack up leftovers immediately into lunch sized containers
  • Make something up (like sandwiches) on the weekend and put them in the freezer. Take one out each morning.
  • Buy stuff to eat at work – cans of soups, crackers, peanut butter etc.
  • If you’re lucky like me, you have a grocery store nearby – I would buy lunch meat and cheese for the week, then a fresh roll each day, and make a sandwich!

Do you buy lunch a lot or know people who do? Are you surprised by how much buying your lunch out can cost you?

How “prix fixe” meals can end up costing you more than expected

11. June 2012 · 5 comments · Categories: Dining out, Extra costs · Tags: , , , ,

For those of you not familiar with the concept, prix fixe meals (basically, it’s means fixed price – it just sounds fancier in French) are meals with a set cost and a set menu. You can pick from 1 or more appetizers, main courses, and desserts. No matter what you pick from the list, you should end up with the same total cost for the meal.

For example – I went with some coworkers to a new Italian restaurant that had a prix fixe lunch for 12.00. That’s actually quite reasonable for a prix fixe lunch (at least in my part of the world). I had fresh bread with awesome cheese (no, I can’t spell the kind of cheese I had), spaghetti with meatballs (the sauce was made on site – I hope so anyways , otherwise the tomato chunks were misleading) and cannelloni. It was great – and very filling.

However, when the bill came, on top of the charge for each bill, we had a charge for 10 dollars, for 2 bottles of water. We hadn’t expressly asked for bottled water – just “still” when asked if we wanted still or sparkling.  The same thing happened when we all went to a different place for a prix fixe lunch last year.  I think it’s the restaurant’s way of getting you to spend more than you intended, assuming that you won’t kick up a fuss, since you figure you got a deal on the meal anyways.

While we may have been able to dispute the charge, we’d all enjoyed our meals, and decided for the extra 2 dollars a person, it wasn’t worth kicking up a fuss. While this restaurant didn’t do so, the other prix fixe place also suggested additional food items or upgrades to the set menu options, in order to try to get us to spend more.

I’m not advocating against prix fixe meals – I think on occasion, they can be a great treat, and generally make splitting the bill easier :) (although it still took us at least 10 minute to do it!). Lunch is always a better option than dinner – you usually get the same food, it just costs less. And you may want to discuss up front what to do about things like water – are you all okay with tap water, or does everyone want to pay out extra for “still or sparkling”.

Have you ever had a prix fixe meal? Did you think it was worth it? Did you end up with any unexpected charges?

 

 

Crazy edibles you can spend money on

17. April 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Dining out, Food · Tags: ,

I read an interesting article on the world’s most expensive delicacies, and it made me truly amazed on what people will spend money on. Some of the items included are:

  • Panda poop tea. Yup, people will spend money on tea that grew in panda poo. Not to be confused with “cat poop” coffee. Ah, refreshing..
  • Beluga caviar. Comes from beluga sturgeon, not the super cute big white belugas who always look like they’re smiling. I am not a fish person anyways, so I can’t imagine liking fish eggs at all.
  • Cured Spanish ham. Sort of like high end prosciutto.  I have eaten prosciutto, so there is a possibility I’d eat this – if someone else would pay for it.
  • High end balsamic vinegar. I’m happy with the regular stuff, but if you like yours aged, like wine, you can pay $60 an ounce for the privilege.
  • Kobe beef. I’ve heard of this, but never tried it.  Apparently the cows get daily massages.  I guess that keeps them tender? How do you even get the job of cow masseuse?
  • Glass eels. Tiny and transparent.  I’m just thinking gross on this one, but I guess someone must like them.
  • Bird’s nest soup.  Doesn’t seem to necessarily involve eating the birds itself – but the bird’s home. Guess you could try this one yourself, if you have any birds living in your area.

This list may explain why I don’t do much in the way of fine dining. I do appreciate a good meal, but I’ve concluded in my world, that delicacy equals disgusting. Perhaps I’m just not a very opened minded eater.

I’m trying to remember the most expensive meal I’ve ever eaten. Probably a filet mignon dinner here and there, but nothing that was ridiculously over priced. I’m not a wine person, so I don’t have any outrageous stories there either.

What’s the most expensive or outlandish thing you’ve ever eaten? Was it worth it?

 

Cheap and easy work breakfasts

30. March 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Dining out, Food · Tags: , ,

As I walk through the food court on my way to work, I’m amazed at the number of people I see buying breakfast. The line up at McDonald’s is always long, and takes forever to get through.  I can understand going out for an occasional treat, but every day? As far as I can tell, it doesn’t seem to save you time to buy breakfast, and it definitely doesn’t save you money. Depending on what you get, you can spend at least 3 to 5 dollars a day on breakfast. That can add up to 25 bucks a week, and that’s 100 a month! That’s 1200 bucks a year, which can get you a nice week somewhere warm on a beach!

Mr. Canuck Buck used to buy a tea biscuit every day. I was always on him to change his ways because the biscuit had no protein and just ended up leaving him hungry.  I started making breakfast sandwiches for both of us and he got hooked. :)

Here are some great breakfast you can either prepare at work, or make ahead at home and bring in.

1) Bagel or toast with peanut butter or cream cheese. Total cost should be less than 5 bucks a week.

2) Instant oatmeal.  Just bring a box in and you’re set! Total cost – 3 to 4 dollars a week.  I’ve also cooked up “Scottish” oatmeal, divided it up into portions, and then reheated it at work.

3. Hard boiled eggs. Just boil them all up on Sunday night and you’re good for the week.  Should be no more than 2-3 dollars a week.

4. Cereal with milk. Just leave a box at work, and some milk in the fridge. If you’re really cheap, you can use the milk work supplies for coffee, but I suggest you bring your own. :)   I’ve often done cereal and milk at work, and just bring in fresh fruit every day to put on top of it.

5. Make ahead breakfast sandwiches.  Take some bread, or those “thin” bagels, lunch meat, and cheese, and make up sandwiches for the week. Bag them and put them in the freezer. They’ll thaw on the way to work, and you just heat them when you get there!

What kind of breakfast do you have at work? Do you have any ideas I’ve missed here?

 

How a cancelled social engagement saved me money

15. March 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Dining out · Tags: ,

I was supposed to meet a group of people for lunch today. After showing up and waiting for 10 minutes (and feeling extremely awkward of sitting alone at a table for 8!), I gave up and bought a sandwich and returned to the office. They had cancelled the lunch, but having rushed there straight from a meeting, I missed the notice. And apparently the restaurant didn’t remember to cancel the reservation.

So – while this was extremely annoying, I figure there is an upside.If I’d gotten food at the restaurant, it’d have cost me at least 12 bucks.  The sandwich cost me 6 bucks. So – 6 bucks saved!

Moral of the story – every cloud has a silver lining. And some money saved. :) So, next time something gets cancelled (on short notice!), try not to think of it as a bad thing. Think of it as an opportunity to save money!

Ever had anything cancelled that, while disappointing, at least save you a few bucks?

 

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