Saving money Archives - My Inner Shakti

A Simple Packing Tip That Could Save You A LOT of Money

I’m going to share a stupidly simple tip that could end up saving you a lot of money.

But first a little background…

Once upon a time, I went to Vegas for Roshni’s bachelorette party. We ate, we drank, we gambled, and then we came home. As I was unpacking, I realized that I left a brand new pair of pants, a pair of jeans, and the t-shirt we had made for the weekend in my hotel room. Uh oh! The jeans were found and sent back to me, but the pants and the t-shirt were gone.

You’d think I learned my lesson but no…

Fast forward to September. I was in Chicago for the month because Vishnu was up there for his rotations. This was also the month I had a week long work trip to London scheduled.

Anyway, as I’m sitting in my friend’s condo watching TV, it suddenly dawns on me that my passport is in the top drawer of our dresser…IN MIAMI! To make a very long story short, my friend Rohit saved my life. I mailed him our keys so that he could get into our apartment, get my passport, and send it back to me. Mind you, all of this happened within days. It was pretty crazzzzzzy!

And there have probably been a few more times since then where I’ve almost forgotten something (either when packing or repacking) and remembered at the last minute.

So recently, Vishnu stepped in and made a strong suggestion. He asked me to make as detailed of a list as possible when packing and then duplicate that list on another piece of paper.

Note: I know what some of you may be thinking. Making lists is not a new thing…most people already do that. And I completely agree. The thing is I used to make lists too, and I still forgot stuff. But two very detailed lists?! Now that’s something. And it’s actually helping me remember!

I should use one list when I’m packing, and the other list should be tucked away in my suitcase/purse only to be taken out when repacking.

This, he says, should help me avoid what he calls the “oops I forgot” syndrome. Everything I need to take with me gets packed, AND all my stuff is guaranteed to come back.

Yet another way I am helping us (and hopefully you!) save some big $$$! 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend!

Double Duty Shopper

written by Parita 16 Comments

If I had to choose one word to describe this weekend, it would be shopping. And only because I spent a total of seven hours at the outlet mall on Saturday. Two of my coworkers from London flew in to Miami on Friday (we have our biannual team meeting this week) and spent the night with us so that we could hang out and go shopping in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. And shop we did! As you probably already know, the exchange rate favors the pound over the dollar, so my coworkers were in heaven as we walked through Sawgrass Mills Mall. And honestly, so was I. I truly believe that the best deals occur after the holidays (January-March), and this shopping excursion proved it. We all walked away with some fun purchases.

So while at the mall, I came to realize something about my shopping strategy. I’m a double duty shopper. What I mean is that I try to buy things that are both work appropriate as well as weekend friendly. And if you think about it, keeping both work and play in mind while shopping is also a money saving strategy. That’s what I told Vishnu when I came home anyway!

I should mention that there is one caveat to this whole thing. Your workplace dress code. Business casual (depending on your company’s definition) is generally a little more lax, while business professional usually equates to suits. I’m lucky to work in a business casual environment in Miami. As long as you’re not coming to work in jeans and a t-shirt, no one really cares! In fact, creativity is encouraged. I’m really trying to use that to my advantage as I work on my personal style this year.

As I packed for my stay in Miami this week I picked out a few of my favorite double duty pieces to share…

This wrap dress is from the Banana Republic outlet store. Great for both work and a date night.

This dress is also from the Banana Republic outlet store. Paired with a blazer or cardigan, it’d be perfect for work. I wore it to my company’s holiday party, and I think it worked well in that setting as well.

From left to right, top to bottom: J Crew outlet store, Target, J Crew outlet store, The Loft, and The Limited.

Each of these tops work with both jeans and dress pants and can be dressed up or down for almost any occasion (note: iron before wearing!).

And finally, these plain t-shirts from the Banana Republic outlet store are awesome, awesome, awesome! They fit extremely well, and if paired with a blazer or cardigan, can be worn to work. And because they are super double duty, you are guaranteed to find me wearing one on the weekends.

I just realized that there’s one more caveat to this whole double duty thing. A lot of work appropriate blouses/dresses require you to hand wash or dry clean, and if you wear them often, this could end up being quite a pain. However, in my opinion, it’s well worth it.

Well, I hope your weekend was relaxing and fun! And here’s to another good week.

What are some of your shopping strategies? Favorite stores?

A Little Glimpse

written by Parita 21 Comments

As y’all know, I don’t blog about every single detail of every single minute of every single day. And really, that’s for no reason other than the fact that my life is not that interesting. I’d rather pick one particular thing that’s on my mind and elaborate on it.

I do, however, share more of my every day life on Instagram, a photo sharing social media program. If you’re not already signed up, do it now – so fun. And if you’re already an Instagrammer, follow me!! I also regularly share random pictures and videos with my family. Some of these never make it to the blog. Shocking!

With all that being said, I thought it would be fun to show a glimpse of what happens around these parts on a regular basis. Note: Instagram helps make ordinary things look interesting!

This picture is an old one. It’s from when Vishnu was doing his fantasy football stuff. One of his leagues (I think that’s what you call it) video conferenced him in, and when I walked in to say hi to the guys, I was told to leave! How rude!

Our new chair! As I was going through my pictures, I realized I never shared this one on the blog. But yeah, I love this big, comfortable chair…worth every penny!

I called dibs on the chair, so that left Vishnu with the ottoman. Kind of like poor Michael Scott on The Office. Ha! Jusssst kidding!

If you’re on Instagram, you’ve probably seen a bajillion pictures like this one. Something I learned very quickly is that people love sunsets and clouds. I took this one during my flight from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale. And yes, I am one of those people.

This quote, along with a bunch of others, is posted in my cube. Inspiration at it’s finest!

This one y’all will love! That shoe rack is actually a bookshelf that we bought at Ikea. Between the two of us, we have A LOT of shoes, so this is a cool way to keep them organized.

Speaking of shoes, my boss gave me two pairs of almost brand new Christian Louboutin shoes. Just because she can’t wear them anymore. No words.

My cousin sent me this picture the the other day. Some things never change – like my face!

Narrow parking spaces annoy the crap out of me. On this particular day, I had to climb in through the passenger side, and I think I banged my knee in the process. This was something I couldn’t just laugh off. Probably because it happens at least twice a week. Grrr!

My new favorite workout DVD! I’ve only done Levels 1 and 2 (out of 4) and let me tell you – they are killer! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an effective, quick, at home workout that can be done in your living room.

My reminder to drink more water! And for those of you who are wondering if a simple note works, I am here to tell you that it does. I drink a minimum of 50 ounces of water between 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.

I’ve been meaning to post this soup recipe on the blog but just haven’t gotten around to it. I made it on a day where the temperature was a little lower than we were used to (i.e., Florida has turned us into a couple of wusses).

Kale chips! This was my first time attempting to make these, and I couldn’t believe how great they tasted. Vishnu and I ate them all (two bunches worth) in one sitting. Vitamin overload!

I got a pedicure this past weekend. It was MUCH needed. The minute I sat down to soak my feet, I looked at the lady and apologized for the grossness. She laughed and assured me it was fine, but I know what she was thinking!

For the first time in years, I gave myself a manicure. The whole experience made me realize what I was missing out on – a relaxing activity that helps save money! Win win! When I sent my mom a picture of the finished product, she laughed and said the color looked like S***! Hahahahahaha. She’s a fan of reds and maroons, while I prefer neutral colors on my hands. I don’t care what you think, momma, I’m giving you a manicure and painting your nails THIS color!!

And finally, MY nightcap! Vishnu found this to be too dark for his taste, so it’s all mine!

What’s your favorite social media program?

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

written by Parita 18 Comments

No weekend updates today. Except that I got sick on Saturday night after eating at Chipotle. Vishnu thinks it was a combination of me eating too much too fast. Those are two very plausible possibilities. All I know is it was not fun and I felt gross. Therefore, Chipotle and I are taking a break.

Thankfully I felt much better Sunday morning. I even headed out bright and early for our weekly grocery shopping trip at my new favorite farmer’s market and Publix. I. Love. Grocery. Shopping! Yes, I realize this makes me sound dorky. I don’t care.

While at Publix I looked for some nutritious granola bars that Vishnu and I could take to work/school during the week. After looking at about five different kinds, I gave up. There are some decent ones out there – it’s just that my wallet wasn’t impressed enough for me to purchase.

When I got home, I started looking up recipes for homemade granola bars. And then I remembered that there’s a pretty good one on my own blog! Duh.

When I clicked on it however, I got a weird “this page does not exist” message. For a split second, I thought all my recipes were gone. And then I realized that when I switched over to a new blog design, I deleted a bunch of pages, of which the granola bar recipe was one. Oops! Sometimes I get excited with the whole technical side of the blog, think of myself as an IT expert, and end up messing things up. Sometimes. That’s when having a super techie husband really helps!

All was not lost though. I knew that at some point in the past I had emailed this recipe to someone. After doing a quick search, I found it! And lucky us (and you guys) because what came out of the oven was better than any store bought granola bars. These bars are soft, chewy, slightly sweet, and full of dark chocolate bits.

Ready to go into the oven

After trying a piece, I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to make these again. Seeing that Vishnu had two pieces last night, I think I unknowingly started a weekly/biweekly homemade granola bar tradition. Not a bad thing!

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

4 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup nuts of your choice (I used slivered almonds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chocolate chips of your choice, chopped into little pieces (I used dark chocolate)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
1/4 cup honey
6 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
4 teaspoons milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredient and stir until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Spray a 13x9x2 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the mixture evenly, pushing down with the back of your spoon to ensure that everything is nice and compact. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow the bars to cool for a few hours before cutting into pieces.

P.S. Don’t worry if your bars break apart a little. They’ll still taste delicious. So delicious in fact that I’m hoping ours stick around for more then 48 hours. Vishnuletstrytomaketheselastforatleastfourdaysplease!

Tell me something fun about your weekend!

Grocery Shopping for One

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Monday is here again. I’m not complaining though. In less than a week, my special visitor will be here. Ok fine, it’s Vishnu…you got me! In less than two weeks, I’ll be in Austin, TX for my friend Purvi’s bachelorette party. And in less than three weeks, I’ll be back home in Atlanta doing some wedding prep stuff.

As part of my Sunday routine, I headed to the grocery store to pick up some staples for the week. As I was making my way up and down the aisles, I started thinking about my grocery shopping strategy. I mean, I’ve lived on my own for a while now and have gotten pretty used to buying and cooking for one. And if I do say so myself, I’m also pretty good at not wasting food (for the most part). So if you’re anything like me, you probably take a little bit of time every week to come up with your shopping “strategy” – a money, time, and food saving plan.

When I sat down to think about my process and the things I do to prepare for grocery shopping for one every week, I came up with the following list. I hope you find at least one of my tips helpful, even if you shop for more than just one!

Make a list – not only of food items that need to be replenished but also of weekly meals. I find that when I keep both lists in the same place, I save lots of time and don’t go crazy. Using a word template, I created weekly worksheets for myself to jot down notes about meals, workouts, things to do, etc. I used to use a planner, but over time I realized that it overwhelmed me. I like weekly sheets because they help me focus on the week and days ahead.

Excuse the nasty handwriting.

Going along with the first tip, make sure to meal plan. And the process doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated. For example, using the worksheet above, I write down what I’m going to eat every day of the week. And if that meal requires some ingredients I may not currently have, I put them on my grocery list that is conveniently located on the same piece of paper. That’s it…easy peasy!
Always purchase the Sunday paper – it’s filled with coupons. Exciting stuff! I just started doing this myself a month or so ago. And you may be thinking that it’s not worth it for just one person, but trust me the savings add up. And 99% of the time you’ll be able to recoup the $1 cost of the paper with at least $4 worth of savings in coupons.

Side story – when I was growing up, Sunday morning was the best because we’d all pick our favorites and go at it. My dad would clip coupons, my mom would peruse the store sales, and I would carefully read the entire comics section. Now I do all of the above by myself, but it’s still fun. There’s nothing better than finding awesome deals for your favorite food and non-food items. For example, today I saved $.55 on my almond milk and found a $2.00 off coupon for my favorite moisturizer. Happy day!

My coupon stash + handy dandy coupon holder

When it comes to produce, buy what you need and/or will actually eat that week. Maybe this only applies to me, but I used to buy like 3 apples, 5 bananas, 2 pears, strawberries, and maybe even a few oranges, only to get through maybe 3/4 of my fruit supply. This behavior created waste. So now, I’ll buy 2 apples, 1 pear, 3 bananas, and maybe some strawberries. Worse comes to worse, if I run out, I can just swing by the store and pick up more of what I need. See, no waste!
Don’t buy everything in bulk. Again this may be just me, but I used to go crazy at Costco. I would buy fruit, cheeses, condiments, grains, bread, etc. thinking I was saving money. Well, no money was saved and food was wasted. Not my proudest moment.

Now, I only go to Costco to purchase the things I know (with 100% certainty) will be used up before the expiration date. I’m mainly talking about things like berries, almond milk, cereal, grains, some canned foods, etc.
Frozen fruits and veggies are your best friend. They don’t spoil, are just as healthy if not more so than fresh produce, and don’t require any prep time. Just this week, I made a delicious and easy stir-fry with some frozen vegetables in under 20 minutes. Again, easy peasy!
Don’t discount places like Walgreens, CVS, and Target. These stores can be huge money savers when you take the time to plan and go through the circulars to see what’s on sale. For example, a few weeks ago, Walgreens had pistachios on sale for $4 with an in store coupon. That same exact product was $6.50 at Publix. That’s a savings of $2.50!

There are probably tons of other things I’m forgetting or not doing when it comes to my grocery shopping habits, but I find the above list to be pretty helpful for saving money, time, and food. And really, who doesn’t want to have a few extra bucks in her wallet, minutes in her day, and a guilt free conscience because everything was used up and not thrown away?

Do you like to grocery shop? What are some of your favorite tips?

Food for One

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Hello hello! I’m finally settled in my “home.” By “home,” I mean the Residence Inn that I will be living in for the next month. My lease doesn’t start until the beginning of April, so I am taking advantage of my company’s temp housing benefit. My room is a lot nice then I thought it would be. I have a little kitchen that has everything I need but an oven. The hotel even provides cookware and utensils for you. It’s so cute! For those of you who have never stayed in a Residence Inn, here are some pics…

Ignore my crap, please!

Slow Down Challenge

Before heading to the hotel, I stopped for lunch at Panera. I don’t usually like eating at sit-in restaurants by myself, but I had to suck it up because I didn’t have a choice. 😛 I ordered a half salad half soup combo. My salad and soup of choice were the Cobb Salad with no chicken or bacon and the black bean soup. I am happy to report that I practiced slow and mindful eating today! I put my utensils down after every bite and savored my food, which honestly felt a little weird. And I also took the time in between bites to look around and people watch. 🙂 It’s funny how much you notice by just slowing down. The best part of the whole experience was that I was pretty full about 2/3 of the way into my meal! This slowing down thing really works!

Food for One

After finishing my meal at Panera, I headed next door to a Hannaford grocery store. In 2009, I interned in the Boston area, and Hannaford was my store of choice. The first thing I noticed was how expensive everything was! I guess I just got used to Tucson’s low-cost of living! I was happy to find everything I needed/wanted except for a few items that I will try to pick up at TJs or WFs later this week. As I was checking out, I started thinking about how shopping for one is a royal pain in the butt! I haven’t always been the best at it either as I tend to overestimate what my food needs will be and thus overspend. I know Boston is an expense city, so I want to be an even better money saver while I am here. My goal is to get better at it by practicing the following with regards to grocery shopping:

Clipping coupons – When I was younger, my family would sit around the living room every Sunday reading the newspaper and clipping coupons. And guess what?! I’m bringing it back to save some $$$!
Having go to meals made with the basics – I hate wasting food, so I think that by creating a list of go to meals for days where I don’t feel like cooking something elaborate and time-consuming will help me use up and not waste my basic ingredients.
Creating a list and sticking to it – From now on I’m going to maintain a running grocery list, so that I don’t end up buying more than I need. I think this will help me find good deals because I can start looking ahead of time if I know what I need.
Cooking freezable meals – I am definitely going to be on the lookout for recipes that freeze well. This will help me not waste my food and save time and money. A triple whammy!

If you cook for one or have ever had to, what are your money/time/waste saving tips?

Here’s a peek at some of the stuff i bought today (keep in mind that I am starting from scratch)…