the ingredients you have on hand and see what turns up. The next timeyouhaveavarietyofingredientshangingaroundyourkitchen,
stretchyourmindandtryamixedmealtosavesomeseriouscash.
HowtoSoakandCookDriedBeans
Soakingandcookingdriedbeansisafrugalwaytogetaprotein-packed
meal filled with heart-healthy nutrients for less than the cost of meat.
Beansaredeliciousinmanydishesandareagoodsourceoffolicacid,
magnesium and fibre. But beware—beans can also give you a healthy dose of gas if they’re not prepared correctly. If you don’t want to be firing on all cylinders, then I strongly suggest you soak your beans to help break down all the complex sugars, like the indigestible
oligosaccharides, to prevent gastrointestinal gusts. If you’re the very breezytype,thenconsidersoakingyourbeansevenlongertomaximize
theamountofsugarsdissolved.
Driedandcannedbeanequivalents. Buyingdriedbeansisextremely cheap.You canget significantlymore beans byforgoing the canned varietybecausedriedbeansexpandwhensoaked,soyouendupwith
evenmorebeansperdollar.
A pound of dried beans (about 2 cups/500 mL) yields 5 to 6 cups (1.25to1.5L)ofcookedbeans.
One19-ounce(540mL)canofbeansyieldsabout2cups(500mL)of cookedbeans.
Soaking. Therearetwomethodsforsoakingdriedbeans:thelongsoak and the quick soak. In general, the larger the bean (for example, chickpeasandkidneybeans),thelongertheyneedtosoaktosoften
andexpandtofullsize.Thelongsoakmethodwillgiveyouthebest
results, but if you’re in a hurry and don’t mind risking a few burst beanskins,thenusethequicksoakmethod.
LONGSOAK:Rinsethebeansanddiscardanyabnormal-lookingonesand debris, then place them in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.Drain.
QUICKSOAK:Rinseandpickoverthebeans,thenplacetheminalarge potwithenoughcoldwatertocoverthemby2inches.Bringtoaboil.
Boilfor2minutes.Cover,removefromtheheatandletstandfor1
hour.Drain.
(Some small beans and legumes, like lentils and split peas, cook so quicklythattheydon’tneedtobesoakedatall.)
Cooking. Cookingsoakedbeansiseasy.Ifyou’regoingtobearoundthe home,thenusetheconventionalstovetopmethod.Ifyou’reoutand
aboutandhavehourstoletyourbeansboil,thenusetheslowcooker
method.
STOVETOP: Place the drained soaked beans in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimmingoffanyfoamthatrisestothesurface.Reducetheheatto
low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about1to2hours.
SLOW COOKER: Place the drained soaked beans in a slow cooker and
pourin5cups(1.25L)ofboilingwater.Coverandcookonhighuntil
tender,about2to4hours.
CHAPTER9
LivingRoomandDiningRoom
Living and dining rooms were once rarely used places, set aside for formalsocialoccasions.Theywerewherewekeptourmostexpensive
furnitureandatefromourfinechina.Today,modernhomesandmodern
lifestyleshaveturnedlivinganddiningroomsintodens,familyrooms
andeat-inkitchens,butnomatterwhatyoucallthem,thespaceswhere
you entertain your family and friends can be expensive. Between furnishingtheminafunctionalandappealingwaythatmakesyouproud
toopenthemtoguests,andjustkeepingyourselfcozyandentertained,
there are lots of ways to save in your living and dining room—you simply need to be creative and learn from what you see around you (becauseentertaininganddecoratingarethebestareastoborrowthrifty ideasfromotherpeople).
YearsagowhenIboughtmyfirstsofa,itwasawingbackfour-seater
coveredinbrightbluemicrofibrefabric.Inthestore,thebigbluesofa seemedlikeafunandbrilliantidea,butgettingithomewasanything
but fun. I hadn’t done my homework and nearly had to send the sofa backbecauseitwouldn’tevenfitthroughmyfrontdoor.Withinmonths
I felt overwhelmed by the piece and how the blue luminescence
dominatedthespace,limitingmyabilitytochangethelookofmyliving room. A neutral-coloured sofa in beige, brown or white would have givenmegreaterflexibilityindecoratingoptionsandlastedforyears.
WheneverIthinkofentertaininganddecorating,Ialwaysthinkback
tothebigbluesofabecauseIlearnedsomuchfromit:thatplanningfor thelongtermisbetterthanimpulse-buyingasingle,high-impactpiece; youhavetodoyourhomeworktomakesuresomethingisgoingtofitin
your space (both physically and decor-wise); you have to be able to thinkcreativelytoworkwithwhatyou’vegot(nomatterhowbigand
blueitmightbe);andintheend,entertainingisn’tabouttheglamouror hueofyoursofa.NowIthinkbackfondlyofmysofabecauseofallof
thegreatpartiesithosted,thevisitswithfriendsitaccommodatedand the times it gave beloved guests (well, and me!) a place to crash.
Entertainingisallaboutkeepingpeoplehappy,whichmakesiteasyto
do on a dime. Here are some of my best suggestions for fun, frugal decoratingandentertaining.
FurnitureandDecorating
Goshoppinginyourbasement. Thenexttimeyouneedafreshlook foryourlivingroomorasettingforyourdiningroomtable,takeatip from the design blog Apartment Therapy (apartmenttherapy.com) and go shopping in your own home. If you look around before hitting the shops,chancesarethatallthethingsyouneedtoentertainforlessare already just sitting in closets or hiding on shelves around your home.
Ideas include raiding your bedroom closet to convert clothing you no longer wear into fabric for throw pillows; finding family antiques like finechina,teacupsorsilverwareandusingthemtoserveguests;orjust picking some flowers from your garden and turning them into a table setting.Thepossibilitiesofwhatyoucandowiththestuffyoualready ownareendlessandcouldsaveyoufromspendingondecorationsand
otherthingsyoudon’tneed.
BOTTOM LINE: Save hundreds of dollars by going on a shopping spreeinyourclosetsandattic,andfindingnewdecorativeusesfor
forgottentreasures.
Buymis-tintedpaintforsmallersurfaces. Buyingaquartofpaintto changeupawallorputafreshcoatonanoldtablecanbecostly—about $15. To save some bucks on painting, check out the mis-tint or pre-tintedpaintssectioninyourhardwareorpaintstore.Theyareoftenvery goodqualityatagreatlyreducedpriceandmaybetheperfectshadefor your project. You may even find a bigger batch of mistakenly tinted paintsandhaveenoughtopaintanentireroom!
BOTTOMLINE:Save30%to50%bychoosingapre-tintedormis-
tintedpaintthenexttimeyou’relookingtofreshenasurface.
Keep things neutral. Black, white and beige may sound terribly
boring, but selecting a neutral colour palette on furniture throughout yourhomecouldsaveyouthousandsovertheyears.Whendecorating
yourrooms,investinqualityneutralpieceslikesidetables,bookcases, chairs and sofas so that you’ll be able to easily and inexpensively reinventyourdécorintheyearstocome.Abeigesofawithwhiteside
tablescanbeaccessorize
dwithcolourfulthrowpillows,brightartwork
and a fun centrepiece to change things up for less. You could get 10
differentlookswithasingleneutralsofajustbychangingtheshadeof yourwalls.
BOTTOMLINE:Thinklongtermandsavethousands—buyneutral
furnishingsthatstandthetestoftimeandqualitypiecesthatlast
forgenerations.Abigbluesofamaysoundlikeafunbuytodaybut
willendupcostingyouhundredswhenyoutireoftheshadeand
needanewseat.
Negativespacecanbeapositive. Youdon’tneedtofilleverysquare inch in your home with stuff to make it look great. Sometimes less is more—and buying fewer things saves a lot of money. Make decisions aboutfurniture,artanddecorationsbasedonvalueratherthanquantity, andkeepsomeairyspaceineachroomtoevokeafeelingofcalmrather
thanclutter.Asabonus,you’llhavemorefloorspacetostretchouton orplaywithyourkids.Ifyou’vealreadygottoomuchstuff,checkout
“SellingTactics”inChapter4andturnsomeofthatclutterintocash.
BOTTOMLINE:Fillingeverycornerwithfurniturecanbeexpensive,
costing you thousands of extra dollars. Say yes to less and your walletwillthankyou.
Measure twice and buy once. Before bringing home that harvest diningtableorbigcomfysofa,makesurethefurnitureyouwanttobuy
isgoingtofityourspace.Tryusingoldcardboardboxesandpainter’s
tapetoseehowcertainfurnituresizeswillfunctionandlook.Painter’s tape is an inexpensive and valuable tool for marking rug and sofa dimensionsinaroomandcansaveyoufromspendinggoodmoneyon
poorlyplannedfurnishings.Makesurethatyoualsocarefullymeasure
doorframes,elevators,hallwaysandstaircasessoyou’renotstuckwitha bigbluesofastickingoutyourfrontdoorwhenthedeliverytruckleaves.
Manyretailerswilltakeasofabackifyoucan’tfititinbutmaycharge youacostlyrestockingfee.
BOTTOM LINE: Stay in the right dimension by measuring and
planning your space before you buy big pieces of furniture.
Planning ahead and measuring with painter’s tape costs only $3
andcansavethousandsofdollarsandhoursoffrustration.
Move furniture around. Every so often we all need a change. But buying new furniture for your living or dining rooms is expensive, so beforebreakingthebankwhynottrymovingstuffaroundyourhome
and see how things look? Try putting your sofa against another wall, movingyourbookshelvesfromtheofficetothelivingroomorchanging
theangleofyourdiningroomtable.Anddon’tbeafraidtotryoldpieces in totally new functions—maybe a bedside table would be perfect in your entryway, or a grouping of side tables could make a brand-new coffeetable.Oftenallthat’sneededtofreshenandrevivealivingspace isalittlechangeusingthefurnitureyoualreadyown.
BOTTOM LINE: Pulling your furniture away from the walls,
positioningthingsonanewangleandchangingupthewayyou’re
using old pieces can bring excitement to a previously tired
arrangementforabsolutelynomoneyatall.
Skipthesofabed. Asofathatcanfunctionasabedforguestsmay seemlikeagreatthriftyidea,butthinkagain.Sofabedscosthundreds more than an equivalent sofa, are heavy and hard to move and often force guests to sleep in your living room. Skip the sofa bed and save hundredsbygettinganinflatable“bedinabox”kitthatcanbeinflated inanyroomofthehouseandthenstoredawayoutofsight.Inflatable
bedsareeasytomove,arejustascomfortableassofabeds(maybeeven
moreso)andadduptoconsiderablesavings.
BOTTOM LINE: Save hundreds by getting a regular sofa of good qualityandbuyaninflatable“bedinabox”forwhenguestsstay
thenight.
Buyasofawithagoodframe. Sofaswithagood-qualitykiln-dried hardwoodframecanlastdecades,withmanymanufacturersoffering25-
yearguaranteesontheirbetterfurnitureframes.Incomparison,cheaper frames made from particleboard, staples and softwood can eventually warporevencrackfromweightormoisture.Bothframetypescanbe
reupholsteredwithnewfoamcushioningandnewfabric,butawarped
or damaged frame generally cannot be repaired. Be sure to ask
salespeople about the sofa’s frame construction before buying so you knowwhatyou’regettingontheinside.
BOTTOMLINE:Qualitykiln-driedhardwoodsofaframesgenerally
costhundredstothousandsmorethanlesserqualityframes.Butif
you want to love your sofa for years, then invest in a quality constructionandsaveinthelongerterm.
Getasofawithintegratedslipcovers. Notallslipcoversmakeyour sofa look like a loose billowy marsh-mallow. Many sofas come with removablecoversthatfitsnuglyaroundthecushions,armsandbacking,
makingthepiecelookseamless.Aslipcovercanbeeasilywashedand
cleanedwhentheinevitablehappens—somethingspillsfromajuicecup
orapetmakesitsmark—meaningthataminormishapdoesn’trequirea
bigfinancialfix.Fromadécorpointofview,owningafewslipcovers
makesiteasytotryfuncoloursforaseasonorholidayandthenswitch back to a calmer shade for the rest of the year. Buying a sofa with a removablecoveralsoallowsyoutotakeadvantageofthefulllifeofa
good-qualityframe,becauseyoucanjustaddanewcoverwhentheold
oneshowswearandtearforfarlessthanthepriceofreupholstering.
BOTTOMLINE:Reupholsteringanaverage-sizedsofacostsaround
$1,000to$1,500,dependingonthefabricyouuse,whichcanbea
greatsavingsoverreplacingacouchentirely.Newcoversforasofa
with integrated slipcovers—such as Ikea’s Stockholm line—cost
around $500 to $700 each, saving you up to 50% on the cost of reupholstering. If you own an older Ikea sofa, check out the website bemz.com. They specialize in both cool and neutral
slipcoverdesignsformostIkeafurniturestartingatabout$100,a
potentialsavingsofabout$900.
SetUpYourHomeOfficeforLess
NottoolongagoIsetupamodesthomeofficeinthecornerofaspare bedroom. While sorting bills and writing emails on my sofa had been fun,itwastimetogetseriousandstartworkingfromasingle,organized location.AndI’mnotaloneinmyneedforahomeofficeforless.Many
households are looking to accommodate a telecommuter, run a small business or just find a central spot for a home computer. A fledgling home office doesn’t have to be expensive if you know what items are worthspendingbucksonandwhichitemscanbeboughtforless.
Cabinets and Storage. Nothing dooms a home business like cluttered client lists, messy paper piles and unorganized customer orders. Start yourstart-uprightwithgoodstoragetokeepyourpaperworkfiledand
organized—becausebeingorganizediscriticaltostayingsane.
Officefilingsystemscanbeexpensive,buttheydon’tneedtobe.You
can find a commercial-grade set-up with steel cabinets, industrial shelvingandsturdyconstructionforlessbylookingforlocalbusinesses that are moving shop or shutting down. Downsizing companies will oftensellnearly-newshelvingandfilingcabinetsdirtcheap.Somestores specializeinusedofficegear,butbecareful,astheseconsignmentshops takeacutfortheconvenience.
Ididn’trequireheavy
-dutygearformyownlittlehomeoperation,soI
decidedtogoSwedishandshopatIkea.ThebestplacetoshopatIkeais notupstairswiththeinstallationsbutdownstairsinthehidden-away“as is”sectionofdamagedanddiscontinuedgoods.Byhuntingthroughthe
tornboxes,Ifoundseveralshelvingunitsfor50%offtheregularprice.
Mystorageunitwasinpristineconditionbutwasmarkeddownbecause
thepackagingwasmangled.
Seating. Spendthemoneyandbuyaqualitychair.There’snosensebeing miserablesittingatyourdeskinacheap,uncomfortablechairwithfew
adjustablecomponents.Puttingthemoneyintoachairwithremovable
arms and adjustable lumbar support, seat height and seat tilt will pay dividendsinthequalityofworkyouproduceandyourpersonalcomfort.
Many of my colleagues swear by the ultra-expensive Herman Miller chairs for $1,000 each, but I think this is overkill. There are many reasonably priced chairs with quality components on the market for around $250. The key to buying an office chair is to try it before
bringingithome,sodon’tbeshyatthestoreanddoasktositinitfora while.Besuretobuyonlyfromstoreswithagoodreturnpolicy,incase youneedtoreturnyourchairbecauseofcomfortissues.Yourbackand
bunsmightjustthankyouforspendingtheextradollars.
Desks. Height is the most important consideration when buying a desk.
With repetitive strain injuries being common among computing types, you’vegottoworkatatableheightthatishealthyforyourbody.Check out the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety website (ccohs.ca)fordesk-heightguidelines.Ifyoufindagreatdealthatisn’t therightheight,consideroptionslikeproppingupadeskortrimming
thelegs.
IboughtmysimpledeskusedthroughasellerIfoundonKijiji.caand
saved 80% over buying new. Because I bought my chair and desk separately,Ibroughtmychairtotrywiththedesktomakesurethey
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