Going to Hawaii

That's right- tomorrow morning at 5:30 I'll be getting on a plane to begin my journey to Hawaii. For amazing photos in the near future, make sure to check out Stalking the Wild Snark. Or, you can stay tuned here for advice on fun, inexpensive (or even free) things to do while traveling to and staying in Hawaii. My first money-saving tip is don't check a bag. If you only bring a carry-on, you can save money and time (and maybe some frustration and days of waiting for your belongings, too). Yes, you can travel for more than a weekend using just a carry-on. It's pretty easy, as long as you know how to pack and TSA carry-on regulations. Don't believe me? Learn how to pack your bags correctly!

Frugal Living Tip #5 - Forage for Free Food

No, I'm not talking about dumpster diving or becoming a freegan. There are an amazing number of free, edible plants growing in most areas, including cities. Some of the most annoying, invasive 'weeds' are actually nutritious food! If you want to know more about how to forage for food, even if you live in a city, check out my hub on urban foraging. You may walk past a free lunch every day and not even realize it!

A word of caution, though, after you learn a bit about edible plants, it may become impossible for you to stop looking for them everywhere! I can't even go for a jog without wanting to stop to collect edible plants - that is how abundant they are, even in a city.

The edible tip of a catbriar vine, one of the most common edible plants

Cheap, Easy Meal Ideas - the Ramenttata

It's been longer than I would have liked since I last posted, but I've been busy writing and making things (and that's what it's all about, right?). Today, I want to share something I put together. It's a recipe for a filling meal that costs less than 50 cents. I know that sounds impossible, but it can be done. The dish is called a 'ramenttata' and it uses ramen noodles with an egg base. I calculated the cost of ingredients for one of my ramenttatas at a mere 36 cents! That's pretty much unbeatable. If you wan to learn how to cook one of these for yourself, find out here.

Frugal Living Tip #4 - Save Money by Planning

I just came across the article on HubPages. It is a thrifty mom's suggestions on how to save money on back to school supplies. Her children are young, but adult students can benefit from these tips, too. I'm returning to grad school next month and I need back to school supplies. Everyone knows the stereotypes about starving grad students! Well, they have their basis in fact. I can certainly put her advice to use when I get printer and notebook paper.

TwinsTimes2, the hub author, has another fantastic suggestion. Most office supply stores offer a rebate on empty ink cartridges. I used to work at Staples and I frequently processed used ink cartridges and helped customers earn rewards that can be used like cash in store. The hub author and a friend went in together to purchase 500 used ink cartridges on eBay. They paid $40 each. Then, she took the maximum allowable amount (10) to Staples and ten more to Office Depot. She earned $20  at each store for the month to spend on anything in store. She already made back her investment. Now, she can return 10 to each store every month for 'free money' to use in the store. Why did I never think of this?!

The author also shares her secrets on how she plans ahead and only purchases items that are on sale in the weeks leading up to school. Stores have pens and pencils on sale one week, paper the next, and so on. Instead of rushing in and buying everything at once, she returns for several weeks to make the most of the deals.

I can't wait to find some used ink cartridges and turn them into cash! They only need to be in good repair and capable of fitting in a currently in-use printer and you can get the in-store equivalent of $2 for each one.