Weekend Update: Sicky, Quilty, Tomatoey

Oh hello there! I (Ally) am under the weather with a little cold, so the weekend plans are a day off while I rest up. Just kidding (I am incapable of resting when I'm sick). Instead, I started the makings of a thrifty Christmas gift for Mike's nana- a lap quilt. She's in a wheelchair and, at the age of 90, she gets a little chilly while she's out and about.

Thrifty Tech: Smart-Phones or Smart Savings?

One of the biggest drains on any budget is your cell phone bill and with everyone moving towards smart-phones,  bills are not getting any cheaper. On average, attaching a smart-phone data plan to your monthly service adds anywhere between $15-$30 more per month per line. This cost is in addition to voice, text, and taxes varying between 6.62% to 21.71%. In NY state this can lead to an addition $876 dollars over just 2 years, that is almost the cost of a brand new Macbook Air! 

Here is the breakdown of the cost of service between the big 4 carriers,

The Goods- Feeding a Crowd for Pennies

When you're faced with a big group heading your way for dinner, it's easy to go overboard with your menu- you don't want people to go hungry, after all. If you want to stay on budget, though, you need to reach for a crowd pleasing recipe that is tasty, filling and cheap to make. Veggie chili, lasagna and pot pies are all entertaining staples in our house, but we wanted to mix it up for this autumnal celebratory meal.