Money can't buy me love, but everything else is in this blog.
Enough is enough. It's time to stop buying junk which is costing too much of my limited cash, and start buying quality products and services which will give me back some time, add value to my life and leave a little cash in my wallet at the end of the day.
It turns out I really don't need a fleet of electric toasters in the kitchen. Coffee, I hear, tastes better from china cups and I suspect was never meant to be guzzled by the gallon from cardboard land fillers. Time spent in the kitchen making bland sandwiches which are soggy and ready to perform the cancan around the office by lunch time, is time wasted when so much tasty food is prepared efficiently each day and available fresh at prices less than what I am paid per quarter hour. Less of my time should be spent on maintenance, commuting, and working to pay credit cards or to repair broken toasters with more options than a Mercedes E Class. More of my time should be made available to see other cultures, meet interesting people, and have them carry my suitcases. And I need cash left over to do it all again tomorrow or to put towards a more noble cause, such as my retirement. Being more selective and consuming less means leaving behind more for future generations while simplifying my own life now.
You won't find tips on making your own house hold cleaners on this blog. Life is far too short for that. For the brief moment in the history of the universe that we are alive, we will earn and spend money. The amount of money we could earn in the free world is potentially unlimited. The amount of time we have on this planet to spend it is fixed. This makes time far more precious than money. Spending money the right way will give us back some time for ourselves. The challenge is to spend the least amount possible, while being selective about choosing those things which are going to have the greatest impact on our lives.
As I discover great value, or poor value, in food, travel, shopping or anything, I'll blog about it here. I love food and that's where most of my buying decisions are made on a daily basis. Finding great food for prices that make it hard to justify spending time cooking at home is a passion of mine. Not that I mind creating something special in the kitchen when I have the time. Anything that saves money, and solves a problem, without creating a new bigger problem for the consumer, or for the world is what frugal foo is seeking.
Feel free to comment and please leave tips if you know of any great money and time saving ideas.
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5 comments:
Foo,
Good site but you need more reviews. How do you choose a cafe to visit?
Regards
30 December 2009 10:02 AM
When choosing a place to review there are 3 criteria, PRICE, FOOD QUALITY and DINING EXPERIENCE.
Firstly I apply the $30 per day rule. I ask myself if I had only $30 to spend for a full day of eating out, would I eat there? That generally works out to be $5 for breakfast, $5 for lunch, $15 for dinner and $5 for snacks. Drinks other than tea and coffee are excluded. Of course there is some room for movement on the limit for each meal because not all readers of this blog will have the same eating patterns. For example some people like to eat a big lunch and light dinner or eat a big breakfast and not snack. Also I have reviewed places where I know there is an excellent lunch available for only $3.50 on week days, so to balance out I have reviewed places where other meals are a touch more expensive. But most places I review are within that "5+5+15+5" limit.
Why $30 per day? When I travel I like to stick to a tight budget. That way I can prolong my stay and do more. In my opinion $30 Australian is about the right amount a traveller needs to budget per day for food in Melbourne to provide healthy sustenance each day without resorting to junk food. Also as a city worker I regard $5 for lunch or breakfast to be about the right threshold before I question whether to simply cut my own lunch or make my own coffee and toast at home. Of course each person will value their own labour differently so I will review places with those meals for a little more or less.
The second criterion is food quality. Since we are talking about food we eat everyday, it has to be fresh, healthy, interesting, tasty and satisfying. Anyone can find a burger and chips for $5. And if you eat that daily you'll die early it's as simple as that. (NOTE: Foo is not a nutritionist. Seek professional advice. Foo has learned everything he knows about nutrition from watching Jamie Oliver on TV.)
Finally, Melbourne has a diversity of dining locales and interesting restaurants on offer which I think we take for granted as locals. In Melbourne, even budget diners have access to some spectacular dining settings along the Yarra and in quirky city lane ways, while in other cities around the world you'll pay a premium for the best dining spots even if the food is average. So I consider the overall experience when choosing a cafe to visit too.
Frugal foo would welcome guest reviewers. With the above criteria in mind, if you think you know a place deserving of a few words in this blog, please contact me at foo@frugalfoo.com.
Foo
1 January 2010 3:21 PM
Frugal Foo
Just wondering if you are city focused or do you take in the suburbs as well.
I ask this, because last night my husband and I joined our nephew and family to celebrate his birthday. A fan of lamb, it was decided to go "Greek." And thus to Nikos Traven of Mount Dandenong-rd, Ringwood East we went, to purchase take-away. For six people we ordered chicken, seafood and lamb dinner packs (for 2), which consisted of three dips, meat/seafood, Greek salad and pita bread, plus an extra large chips. We could have substituted the Greek salad for vegies or chips. Foo, there was plenty of lamb and meat available for sale, the seafood was cooked on the spot with the trays having been pre-prepared with salad, for efficient management. The staff was friendly and well-organized, effectively serving one customer after another. The quantity was plentiful, if anything we only needed one serve of the chicken, but my husband has just enjoyed a leftovers lunch.
The food was consumed at the home of our nephew in comfortable surroundings, chairs correct height for the table (very important), plenty of light and natural background noise. The take-away food was complemented with red and white wines, a delicious dessert and coffee or hot chocolate (sorry I'm not a fan of coffee - I know an establishment by their hot chocolate). All in all six hours of great conversation and a very relaxed night, with no noisy fellow patrons or waiting attendants hinting that it was time to leave.
But most of all the food was WELL PRICED.
Foo if you know of any other good value take-away establishments, out Ringwood way, please advise, as we celebrate the birthday of our niece in July.
30 January 2010 2:31 PM
Frugal, great site! Love your style of writing. Just looking to get in touch with you and talk about the possibilty of network. Regards Ben (123eat.com.au)
9 March 2010 5:48 PM
Please contact me at info@123eat.com.au.
9 March 2010 5:50 PM