24/Savvy Home and Money

We've mentioned before that we make homemade yogurt pretty regularly at Savvy Central--at least once a week.  While we've got the yogurt recipe down pat, we're not so good at the (optional) part where you're supposed to stand over the stove and whisk the milk for 25 minutes to prevent pan scorching.  While Mr. Savvy is in charge of Dish Patrol, he has called a national referendum against cleaning brown, milk-scorched pan stains, somewhat rightfully so.

I've gotten so frustrated with the scorched stains, I've almost used Ajax, but came to my senses before powdering up my pans with a potentially lethal toxin.  I did discover another powder that won't kill you and actually does work is....you guessed it, baking soda.  A quick scour with baking soda does wonders to remove food stains and restore a brilliant shine to pots and pans. 

I was at a friend's house last night and watched in awe as he deftly, single-handedly, uncomplainingly changed a nasty diaper (!), got his Wee Savvy to party solo to the sweet strains of Pinocchio so he could cook (!!), and prepped a healthy, scrumptious meal from a pot of dried beans (!!!) while his wife was working overtime.

When I asked him what inspired his culinary choice he replied, "we eat a lot of dried beans—they're under a buck a pound!"  Which got me thinking: for a family on a budget, currently prepping for an expensive, cross-country move, food staples under a buck a pound can go a long way toward keeping the whole fam fed, full and fit.  Here's a list of Savvy Mr. Mom's picks of staples under a buck a pound.

Hoping to report in with some handy facts and figures about the hows and wherefores Friday the 13th became an internationally feared calendrical occurrence, I'm afraid I've come up short.  There is no substantive reason why we fear Friday the 13th, just an odd smattering of literary, historical and academic theories based on....well, nothing.  All the more reason to cast aside superstitions and celebrate, because it's Friday!  In spring!  And it's not yet so hot that our eyeballs are melting!

On the subject of budget-friendly, five minute upgrades, new shower curtains are our favorite tool for give our john a jolt of fresh color without going through the Herculean efforts of repainting the joint.  How hard is it to trade in your musty old curtain for a bright, fresh, new one?  Not hard at all, friends, and not expensive, either, which is why we've scoped out seven statement curtains that will bring a burst of bold beauty to your bathroom in as much time as it takes to repeat that last tongue twister five times.

Sometimes Valentine's Day can be a thrill, filled with surprises, fun, love and maybe even a little bah-chicka-bah-bah (lucky you!).  Other times, you count the hours until it's over so you can forget the travesty that has become your love life.  Whether you slice it, dice it or serve it up with chocolate sauce, our Savvy Seven Valentine's Day ideas will ensure it's a fun, fabulous, frugal and memorable one.

It's always a bummer heading into a grey, rainy week, but with a pair of sweet rain kicks Punky Brewster would be proud of, we can hit the streets in style, stomping in puddles when the spirit strikes.    These bright babies are all from Target, around $25 each--a bargain when you think about how much it will cost to replace water-damaged shoes.  The savviest part about bold rain wellies, as Brits call them, is that they can effortlessly and inexpensively add a colorful punch to a plain, neutral trench.

I don't know about you, but Mr. Savvy and I occasionally arrive at the depths of summer having had the best of intentions to attend every outdoor movie, free concert and food fest our fine city has on offer, yet realize that we have missed the boat completely.  All the boats.  So NOT Savvy!

Not savvy because our some of our tax dollars pay for all those fun times and also not savvy because, hey, who doesn't love frentertainment (free entertainment)?  If you find yourself letting those frentertainment opportunities pass you by, keep these tips in mind and you'll never miss another free movie/concert/food fest/water balloon fight again.