What a year for recessionista mama...

The year began simply enough: save money while staying home with my kids. My first act was to return a light blue velour track suit from Talbots so that I could buy a pair of Merrels. An innocent enough beginning. Who knew where it would lead?

Christmas morning on what was perhaps the worst Christmas ever. Christmas has generally not been my favorite holiday. When I was eight my mom gave me what I was lead to believe was a Cabbage Patch doll. It turned out to be, as my private school classmates enjoyed telling me, a fake - what I would later come to thinkof fondly as a cheap knock-off. The rear didn't say "Xavier Roberts." Instead, it was the name of a woman in our parish known for inappropriately high octave singing in the choir and clever crafts at the Christmas Bazaar.

About twenty years later my boyfriend of about a year gave me a small box from Tiffanys. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of a proposal - it had only been a year, after all! As I slowly opened the box, I though about it and decided that yes, I would marry him. I imagined the look of joy on his face when I told him. I pictured surprise on my parents' faces when we shared our good news.

The box contained earrings.

The next year he gave me a gold necklace in a ring-sized box.

The next year we didn't exchange presents because we were saving for our wedding.

Then we broke up.

Two years later, my Grandma died on Christmas morning.

I'd spent the past three years with my Muslim husband. People often asked how we spent the holidays. After all, how should a lapsed Catholic and a beer-drinking agnostic Muslim celebrate the birth of Christ? One year, we fled the country and spent a dreary day walking around in the rain. The other years we pretended we would do nothing, only to get caught up in a holiday whirlwind most characterized by me barking orders about how to hang stockings.

This year was, however, extraordinarily bad. My father died on Thanksgiving. Three weeks later, I was told my second baby would have to be delivered almost a month earlier. Christmas perhaps would have been best skipped, but we sat as we always did, on the floor of the house where we grew up opening presents.

Only this year, my only present was a light blue velour track suit from Talbots. Something the saleslady (probably 90) assured my mother that her daughter who just had a baby would absolutely. love.

New York on the not-so-cheap

Posts about New York have not gone well for me in the past, but I'm willing to hazard it again.

As everyone knows, it is impossible to go to NY and not spend a pile of dough. Well, actually it is possible, but's it's really not as much fun. Still, here are a few tips.

1. Stay at the Library Hotel. The rooms begin at about $300, but include twenty-four hour a day access to a fantastic roof terrace. The rate also includes a proper New York breakfast, an evening coffee hour, and round-the-clock snacks and cappucino. Breakfast, cocktails, and coffee in the city can easily run $100/day for two.

2. Dine at Balthazaar. Really. This trendy (well, not as trendy as it once was) eatery has Philly prices! Cocktails, wine, and dinner for under $150!

3. Shop for men's clothes. It seems that while we women have a hard time staying out of the stores even during bad economic times, men have stopped shopping. My husband picked up six great items for our upcoming move for about $100.

4. Window shop at Tiffany's, but purchase items from estate dealers in the diamond district.

The bandwagon

I just love seeing everyone go frugal as well. Seems like every day there's a new tip on yahoo or the like.

Right now we're selling our stuff like crazy trying to get ready for the move. A pair of maternity jeans I bought on ebay for $50 just sold for $58. Kind of warms my heart!

When you are selling something on ebay, it is helpful to have two user names so that you can drive bids up a little. I was somewhat disheartened to see two cashmere sweaters going for $1, so I drove it up to $10 - nothing unethical, considering that I spent close to $100 on them. Sigh.

Fun in the Fall Sun

Ah...Fall...hayrides, ponyrides, apple picking. We just came back from our annual fall apple run. We had a great time and I actually think the $120 ($6 pony ride, $18 hay ride, $60 in apples and pie, $10 on gas, and $30 on lunch!) we spent was fully worth it, BUT the rest of our fall fun will need to be much cheaper.

Here are a few ideas...

- Neighborhood fall festivals (pack lunch!)
- Trick-or-treating (homemade costumes are ideal, but the JLP thrift shop and Old Navy have plenty of cheapos)
- BBQing with friends in the yard
- Collecting leaves
- Enjoying the late afternoon sun in the park
- Any of the many great activities in Dancing Meatballs (www.dancingmeatballs.com)
- Going to the local farmers market
- Baking for our friends

And speaking of cheap...
Persian chicken
-2 lbs of chicken breasts cut in half
-the juice of 4 lemons
-1 half cup of olive oil
-a generous pinch of saffron, salt, and pepper (mashed together with a mortar and pestel)
-a grated onion
Mix it all up, marinate it for an hour or more, throw it on the grill. Grill a few tomatoes (fabulous to mix a few different colors/kinds of tomatoes). Serve with rice - Persian, if you can make it - http://www.recipezaar.com/124898. Will easily serve 6-8 at a cost of about $2 per person!

Perhaps everything is becoming cheaper

As you all know, I've sworn off shopping. Well, sort of. Except in case of emergencies. And as you also know, I've been in the midst of a jeans emergency.

Before I became I Recessionista Mama, I was a Cheap Mama. But before I was a Cheap Mama, I was a single girl. And, as a single girl, I though $175 for jeans was about right. I had a formula about cost per wearing, and it did come out to be cheaper than some other items that were far less expensive, given the formula. But, I just can't do that anymore. Actually, I'm defiant: I just won't do that anymore. Yesterday, I went to the Gap Outlet and found two perfect pairs of jeans (the right length - one for flats and one for heels, the right wash, the right material, the right leg - straight, not skinny or flared!) for under $70 total.

I also noticed that the Ann Taylor outlet had an extra 30% off of EVERYTHING, Benetton was offering 75% off of every (going out of business), and other stores had similar "one day" specials.

It's enough to make a girl start shopping again. And, I suppose that's the point. Which is why it's a little scary. Must resist the urge - I've come too far!!!

Help is becoming cheaper

We all need more money, yet wer're willing to offer our services at a discount to those willing to bite. I'd happily bring down my tutoring rates if I needed to. Similarly, in the never-ending search for a good back-up sitter, I have found more and more people willing to sit for $10/hour. I guess that's a little good news under these cloudy skies! Maybe I can slip out to find a pair of cheap, but still fabulous jeans.

But this is a little boring. You don't care about my jeans.

I heard a great line today: "Cheap is the new black."

Recessionista in need of new jeans

Seriously in need. Also in need of time to shop to these jeans.