If you’re more greenhorn than green thumb, here are some helpful tips to get your garden up and growing.
food
Q&A: All the Dirt on Gardening with a Small Budget
A drive around town is the quickest and best way to figure out what kind of plants will thrive in your yard. You should water your plants longer, but less often than you do. Anything claiming to “revolutionize” the way you garden is probably a waste of money. Once you eat home-grown tomatoes, it’s really disappointing when you go back to …
It’s a Deal: Kids Eat Free at IHOP this Month
Throughout the entire month of April, families get one kid’s meal for free with the purchase of each adult entrée. The offer is good from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. from now through April 30. More details at ihop.com.
How to Eat on a Dollar a Day, Part II
A 31-year-old woman in Charleston, S.C., tries to live on a seriously tight food budget: $365 for 365 days.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Lots of Cheapskates
You can learn lessons about money the hard way: For example, by digging yourself deeply into (and hopefully out of) credit card debt. Or you can learn from the experiences of folks who have been there, bought that, and who now proudly preach the gospel of frugality.
Food Fraud Scandal: Paying for Premium Flounder and Getting Cheap Catfish
Talk about bait and switch! In the same way that products bearing impressive Energy Star ratings may use far more energy than advertised, goods at the supermarket aren’t always what they seem. What it says on the label might be an outright lie, and there’s little oversight to verify that what’s described on the package is actually what’s inside.
How to Save Money on Your Restaurant Tab: Just Have a Snack
Call it the tapas solution: As consumers scale back on what they’re willing to spend dining out, restaurant chains are introducing menu options like mini-burgers and 4 oz. filet mignons ($3.50 and $10, respectively, at Houlihan’s). They may not totally fill up your belly, but they won’t break the bank either.
Do Kids Actually Prefer Name-Brand Cereal to the Cheaper Store-Brand Alternative?
Personal finance blogger Len Penzo wanted to find out, and so he threw together a panel of 11 kids (and one dog) to partake in a breakfast blind taste test challenge. How do generic Apple Dapples match up versus Kellogg’s Apple Jacks?
Mad Munchies: March Madness Restaurant Deals on Pizza, Wings, and Beer
Midway through the NCAA Basketball Tournament, your hopes of winning the office pool may be busted, but there’s still reason to celebrate: Accompanying the tourney are restaurant promotions including half-price appetizers and $5 pitchers of beer.
How to Feed a 205-Pound Man on $25 a Week
Kristen Swensson, the writer in charge of the Cheap Healthy Good blog, recently got through a week in which she cooked all of her fiance’s meals with a total budget of $24.99. The hardest parts for the 205-pound man at the center of the experiment: no beer (!), and no bacon (!#@!). He also had to do the dishes.
It’s a Deal: Free Ice Cream Cone Day
Ben & Jerry’s is dishing out free cones to all customers on Tuesday, March 23. Find the nearest shop that’s participating in the promotion using Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop Locator.
You’d Be 14% Richer If You Didn’t Have Kids
A couple with children spends about $60 more a month in groceries than a couple with no kids.