The Art of Being Frugal: Tip #4

I went to a ball this weekend. I'm not sure if I was the bell, but I sure felt like one.

Here's why: I got all prettied up at the local cosmetology school.

And the cost?

Drumroll please....

Hair and make-up for $32.

I felt like an Emmy Award winner, and I paid only $32. Of course, going to a cosmetology school requires patience and sometimes a healthy dose of honesty (I didn't like how my hair was initially styled, and I said so. It meant sitting in the chair for an hour and a half, so the student could try a new style.).

My frugal ways didn't end at the salon.

I wore a strapless, knee-length Calvin Klein black dress (that I got at a major, major discount in June) with black peep-toe shoes and carried a shiny black clutch. In all, the ensemble cost $45. Not bad. Especially since I can wear the dress many, many more times. I've had the shoes for almost two years already. And I expect to get significant mileage out of the clutch.

So my frugal tip of the day/week is to give your local cosmetology school a try. If you're wary of getting anything major done, schools usually offer an array of services at a discount -- from manicures to massages to facials.

The world's easiest slow cooker recipe...even for yours truly

This recipe is from my lovely sister-in-law, Sarah.

It is molto, molto easy, delicious and the perfect meal to fill your belly during the fall and winter months in the Midwest.

Chicken Salsa

-- 4 chicken breasts
-- 1 16 oz. jar of salsa
-- 1 packet of taco seasoning

Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low setting for up to 10 hours. Approximately 90 minutes before eating, fork through the chicken to shred it.

Serves: 4-5 people

I use the chicken as a fajita filler. I put it on a wheat tortilla and add my favorite toppings. Enjoy!

One way unemployment is treating me well

I was adding today's running information to my log at Runner's World when I saw that I had run an amazing (I'm no Kara Goucher) 89 miles so far this month. And the month isn't over.

That's the most I've run in a single month since I was deep in training last April for the Fargo Marathon, which was held in early May. In April, I ran an even more amazing 136 miles.

I can feel the boost in mileage in my legs. I'm treating myself to the occasional pumpkin latte and platter of desserts (more on this later) with less guilt.

I say bring on more miles and the beautiful fall runs.

Opera in the bedroom

I need a recording device. Wait, I have one. So what I need is to actually use it.

Ben and Indie competed last night for loudest snorer. Usually Ben would win. But I think Indie took home the prize last night. I had to nudge and shush him more than once.

Running queen

If you want to see me in action on the race course, click here.

Future top chef?

Ben is tired of me saying how I'm impressed I am with myself. So I will tell you all instead.

I'm impressed with myself.

Why?

Because even though I was tired and wanted to put it off last night, I made the corn chowder recipe I mentioned the other day. And it turned out perfectly. I don't think I've been able to say that very often about the various recipes I've tried.

Ben liked the corn chowder. I liked it. All was good.

If you are curious and want to try your hand at homemade chowder, see this post for the recipe. But make it soon -- you need sweet corn on the cob for this dish.

Also, I did stray from the recipe a little. I left out the thyme. I'm not the biggest fan, and neither is Ben.

Enjoy! And, if you make it, you will have to let me know what you think.

5 a.m. wake-up call

At my now-retired blog, Brady Goes to Washington, I often complained about baby cockroaches in my kitchen. Gosh, I shudder even now thinking about it.

Now, I'm not battling cockroaches; I'm putting up with screaming toddlers late at night and in the wee morning hours.

We live on the third -- and top -- floor of our u-shaped brownstone walk-up building. A family of four live in the same apartment on the first floor. For weeks, the weather has been cool enough that you can keep your windows all day. It's nice to have a breeze through our place, but we also get the sounds that come through it.

Usually it's quiet. And it would stay that way if it weren't for that family of four on floor one. There are two girls, both under two I believe, and I heard from their mother that one doesn't sleep during the day and the other doesn't sleep at night. Maybe it's their sleeping patterns -- I don't know -- but they've been crabby lately. Really crabby. So crabby that they can wail for up to an hour straight (no, I'm not exaggerating...just ask my neighbors). And they tend to do this at a not so ideal time. Earlier this week, they screamed for an hour around 10 p.m. (again not exaggerating...I saw my neighbors looking out their windows to see what all the fuss was about). Today, they tested out their lungs at 5 a.m. 5 a.m.!!!!!

I think it's time for the family to close their windows -- at least when their little girls are crying. I don't have children, but I can imagine how difficult it is to raise two toddlers. Still, I don't think we need a 5 a.m. wake-up call to hear just how hard it is.

corndog, but not in that order

The dog
Some of you have expressed concern over Indie.

The good news is that he has been the same Indie all week: full of spirit, very loving and active. He even chased after his girlfriend, a three-month-old puggle, Tuesday evening at top speed.

The bad news is that he's had diarrhea flare-ups. I don't think anything is seriously wrong with him. I blame the flare-ups on me. I stopped giving him medicine late last week a day or two after his diarrhea had ceased. I was under the impression from the doctor to stop giving him the medicines after he had a full day or two of normal poop (sorry, too much information?). I should have continued giving him the medicine and prescription dog food until the meds ran out. So now he's taking medicine with his meals, and he seems to be doing better (or should I say, I'm not cleaning up around the house?).

The corn
I've never had corn chowder, but after reading a blog post about it, that's going to change.

While I'm running the Chicago Beachathlon on Saturday, Ben will be on a mission at the Evanston Farmer's Market to pick up ingredients for this. I love corn, and I love potatoes, so I'm pretty sure I will love this. The recipe calls for bacon, so I think Ben will love it, too.

I plan to make it for dinner Sunday. And if I do, I will make sure you get to read all about it.

Are you a corn chowder fan? Have you ever made it? If you have tips, a recipe or want to weigh in, please leave a comment.

Dial 911!

I am ready to file a police report. But I know I won't. Instead, I will vent to you, dear reader.

Alley parking is not allowed in Evanston, yet my neighbor living opposite my garage thinks he/she can park there.

Because my garage is narrower than a car wash and it's located at the bottom of a dip, it takes skill to park. Skill I do not have. I seriously hope I never have to take my driver's test again for fear I would fail miserably because of my poor parking ability.

The parking situation is made worse by my neighbor, whose car obstructs proper backing up so I can straighten out my car. Did I mention my car is actually Ben's 2003 Jeep? Yeah, my father-in-law sold my little two-door car of eight years this week. And I'm so, so, so happy to be rid of it. But I'd take it back if it meant easy parking.

Back to the situation at hand...

I have driven only twice in Evanston -- in our month here -- because of this inconsiderate neighbor. The first time was because Indie was sick, and I had no choice but to drive him to the vent. Thankfully, my neighbor's car was gone and even though I was sweating over having to park inside the garage, I did it. And might I add that Ben was impressed with the job I did.

I drove again this weekend. And the Jeep has been parked on the street ever since. Why? Because of the neighbor and his/her car. I thought this neighbor might have a job and his/her car would be gone today. But, no. Either he/she takes mass transit, is sick or is unemployed like me. And so his/her car sits.

Darn you, neighbor. Darn you (fist in air!).

I attempted parking the Jeep in the garage twice this afternoon, but I was unsuccessful. So I parked over a block away since weird parking rules kick in tomorrow and no cars are allowed on the even side of the street.

The Sky Princess

For once, I'm going to devote a post to someone other than myself. I'm using this space to promote my uncle's latest children's book, "The Sky Princess Moves to the Land of Peaches."

A few years ago, my aunt Ann Marie and uncle Jon adopted a little girl, Skylar, from China. Skylar has brought such joy to not only her parents, but her aunts and uncles, numerous cousins, big brothers and other relatives and friends.

Inspired by his daughter, Jon wrote a children's series. His first book was "The Sky Princess." The second, "The Sky Princess Moves to the Land of Peaches," was released this summer. If you venture to Jon's Web site, you will learn that his books are meant to teach children the value of kindness and personal responsibility.

If you're a parent or know a parent of a young child, I highly recommend the books. They're beautiful -- and affordable. Jon is willing to send copies, take care of the taxes and shipping, and sign the books -- all for $15.

He has more books on the way, so stay updated by checking his Web site or becoming a fan on Facebook.

The Art of Being Frugal: Tip #3

For the first time in my adult life, I have a library card.

It's not that I didn't enjoy reading. I looove to read -- but I almost always paid for the books that occupied my night stand.

Those days are over. Now that I'm extra frugal, I am taking advantage of the Evanston Public Library. And almost as much as I love to read, I love checking out books for free.

Last week, I checked out Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, which basically taught me that to be really good at something I must do it for 10,000 hours. Curious by this, I checked my running log to see how many hours I had run since I started keeping track of my miles. I'm nowhere close to 10,000 hours. In fact, I don't know if I ever could -- without being a high-paid elite -- run for 10,000 hours. I would post the actual number of hours I've run, but the Web site where I log my runs is malfunctioning. Another post, I guess.

Today, I picked up Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, a book on writing, and Frida by Barbara Mujica.

By checking out these books alone, I've saved approximately $60. That's a trip to the grocery store, a date night, an electric bill, or a few outfits from the recycled clothing store.

Dog mom

Indie is sick.

He's had severe diarrhea for the past 12 hours. His four movements during that time have all been in our house -- he is unable to make it outside on time, and I have difficulty interrupting him in the act.

I called our old clinic, Lake Harriet Vet, and a technician urged we take Indie to the doctor ASAP. We hadn't established a relationship with a vet here, but I called a clinic based on a recommendation of a dog owner I met a few weeks ago.

I'm putting off everything I had planned to do today to watch Indie and take care of him. Besides, I'm too afraid to leave him for more than a few minutes on the chance that his ailment is serious. And every few seconds, I glance at him to make sure he's OK.

This is what parenting must feel like.

The Art of Being Frugal

Having gone from two incomes to zero in my household, I'm honing my cheapskate skills when it's practical. And I thought I'd share a few spending tips I've been practicing:

Tip #1: Drink at home
Where I used to go to a coffee shop at least four times a week, I now brew Dunkin' Donuts at home. And, I would argue, I've mastered making coffee at home and it tastes better than a cup of Starbucks. If I'm inclined to stop at my neighborhood coffee shop, I question whether I really need that grande coffee with a steamed skim topper.

Tip #2: If you can, buy second-hand
When it comes to clothes, I've never been able to stomach spending a lot of money. So being frugal in the dressing room comes naturally. One might argue that I shouldn't step foot inside a clothing store until I land a job. But last week, I really wanted to look cute and impress at a Kellogg event for students and spouses. I was able to pull together an outfit for a night on the town (actually, it was a dance club boat) for $20. How was I able to do it? I went to a recycled -- or second-hand -- clothing store near campus. There, you can find Coach shoes, designer jeans and beautiful dresses on average for $10. (Thank God for students with deep pockets!) I bought a pair of skinny jeans and a cute top to match for a total of $23 with tax (see photo above).

Diversify, diversify, diversify

There is a "help wanted" sign in the window of a pet store just three blocks from my house. I first saw it when I moved to Evanston and joked to myself that I should apply. Who doesn't want to play with fluffy puppies all day?

When I walked by the store tonight, I thought about my career path. Seven years ago I decided to be a journalist, and it never really occurred to me that I should do anything else, with the exception of becoming a lawyer. I enjoyed writing and was decent at it. Great, no. But good enough, and I really, really liked seeing my words under my byline.

Along the way, I never questioned my future as a journalist. Between internships, classes and eventually jobs, I didn't pause and seriously ask myself, "What else?" I didn't practice the same skepticism I do in interviews with sources.

So here I am, a month and a half into unemployment, wondering, "What else?" What else could I be doing?

Friends and former colleagues say good writing and reporting skills can apply to jobs in most industries. But my resume is filled with newspaperin', and not one employer is biting. And I'm looking in a lot of places -- universities, health associations, hospitals, public relation firms, non-profits.

We're told when investing that we should diversify. Don't have all your eggs in one basket. And I think I should have taken that same advice seven years ago when I started taking classes at the University of Minnesota.

I printed an application today for a job at a well-known running store. Diversification, right?

Wanted: Income

I am wondering at what point I pause pause the serious career search and find any job I can get. (There's a running/walking store three blocks away, and I'm so tempted to stop in and ask if there are part-time opportunities. But I'm a big chicken. I doubt the store needs more help.)

Or maybe return to school to get a degree in an in-demand industry, like nursing. Although the only science class I took during college was geology -- or rocks for jocks as I called it -- and performed miserably. Worst grade I got during college!

Or maybe become a fitness trainer, since I so firmly believe that everyone should exercise but might need a little guidance and encouragement. I've gotten many a friend to sign up for distance races. But would you pay me $25 an hour (I'm worth it!) to show you how to run on the treadmill?

Granted, I've only been searching job listings, randomly applying for jobs and cold e-mailing people who might aid my quest for income for about two weeks.