Looking to bargain shop when it comes to poultry savings? Whether you’re a boneless, skinless breast buyer, or go even further along the budget scale with those ten pound bags of leg quarters, chicken is just plain affordable.

Not only is it available in most places around the world, you can also create several international experiences with it right in your own kitchen. A few ideas?

•   Cashew or Polynesian Chicken
•   Fajitas or Quesadillas
•   Simple Thai Curry
•  Chicken Marsala
•  Coq au Vin
•  Tom Kha Gai or Chicken Lemongrass Soup
•  Skewered Tenders with Asian Peanut Sauce
•  Tetrazini

As you can see, it’s possible to cover the flavors of several continents with this humble ingredient and still stay on budget. Do you have a favorite international recipe involving chicken? I’d love to hear about it.

 Photo Credit: Jason Lam

Summer’s here, and with it the sticker shock over just how much you spent on classroom supplies this past year. Looking to pull off a more affordable classroom curriculum next fall? Here are six ideas to do so super cheap.

 Index Cards.

 There are more ways to use these things than can be listed in this particular article. However, I have written a post specifically on using index cards in the classroom. It has several additional articles it links to as well. Basically these things provide a gold mine of instructional opportunities for pennies.

 Dollar Tree.

There are other dollar stores to be sure. But for my money, there’s nothing like having access to a great Dollar Tree. Not only does this chain have great affordable items for the home, but numerous classroom items can be purchased there as well, including sentence strips, name tags flash cards and more. More than affordable for the PTA to help you out with, even in neighborhoods under extreme financial pressure.

 File Folders.

 You get a boatload of them in a box, and they have a gazillion (technical term) uses. Learning log covers, book jacket design, mini offices and more. Here’s a resource with even more uses for file folders in the classroom.

 Newspapers.

 These usually come for free from the publications themselves. Extra newspapers each day are donated to various classrooms in the school who want or need them. Ideas for using newspapers in the classroom are bountiful indeed. So get in the game and put this classroom freebie through its paces.

 Phone Books.

 Another freebie classroom resource usually donated by local companies in the area. Whenever the new ones come out, the unused phone books from the prior year are up for grabs. You can use phone books in the classroom in many ways, including local research, ABC order practice and individual craft and science stations.

 Check out other cheapies.

The above items don’t form a comprehensive list of classroom cheapies by any means. Beverage boxes, craft sticks and lunch bags certainly make the cut as well. Here’s another list of cheap classroom resources to round out your repertoire.

Got another great recommendation for affordable classroom materials? Shout it out below.

 Photo Credit: Then and Again

Many people dream of being able to travel more. The main barrier next to time? Money. Here are four quick tips to shave off some dough, and experience affordable travel for yourself.

 Consider getting slightly adventurous.

 A posh room overlooking the Eiffel Tower during the height of tourist season or a first class African safari? Well, in this case they both bring a fairly high tab. Landing somewhere in the middle though, will save you major bucks. Consider Cambodia, Laos or certain sections of South America to to enjoy a reasonably comfortable experience for lots less. Not sure how to approach the packing job? Here’s a resource article on how to travel light and low budget.

Pack a sarong.

 I love these things. Depending on where you pick them up in the world, they run from affordable to dirt cheap. In addition to drying really quickly after a hand washing in the shower, they also serve a multitude of purposes. To get a sense of just how much mileage you can get from them, check out this article featuring sarong suggestions for travelers.

Don’t forget a bandana or two.

Bandanas are another must have item for those looking to experience affordable travel. They offer superior versatility, take up very little room in your luggage, and like sarongs offer an incredibly quick drying time. Here are a few travel uses for the classic bandana.

Affordable countries can really up your style factor.

 I already touched slightly on how much more affordable certain countries are than others. While those looking to spend as little as possible will be able to stay on the road even longer in those destinations, they can also provide a superior value for those looking to experience at least a little bit of luxury in the form of more B&B style accommodations. Here in North America, those types of establishments can often run you as much as your mid range business class hotel. On the road in some of the developing countries listed above, twenty bucks a night can get you out of the bunk bed dorm rooms in the hostel and into something reasonably charming with a free breakfast included.

Do you have an affordable travel destination to recommend? Let me know in the comment section below. (Links to your own web articles welcome.)

 Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Looking for ways to live it up in a sluggish economy? Do you love the good life and a healthy savings balance too? There are many different strategies and savings tips to help get the job done. Here, we focus on four general categories of cost shaving where people typically expend greater amounts of cash, and provide simple paradigm shifts to help you spend smart and come out ahead.

 The Mobile Career

 Whether you work from the road sporadically for business, have career as a cyber nomad that allows you to submit projects from your crackberry and laptop, or are working your way around the world getting paid to live in glamorous regions, having a mobile career comes with its share of perks. Who doesn’t want to work where they can tour some of the best museums in the world after work, catch unforgettable sunrises over the rim of their morning cup of java, or catch world class performance or wine tour in between meetings? And when it comes to brown bagging it with style, noting beats picnicking in places like Pisa or Petra. International jobs are particularly attractive for their tax benefits, covered transportation costs and paid living expenses. Looking to reduce costs even further on the road? Check out this article on frugal and free transportation tips from the Frugal Duchess you can use in major cities throughout the United States, as well as a few destinations abroad.

 Explore Gourmet Options at Home

Part of living the high life includes having access to fabulous options for food and drink. According to Smoking Hot Chef James Moore, one major trick to pulling that off for yourself is knowing how to shop like like the pros do. Restaurant owners take bulk buying to an entirely new level, making their cost per plate insanely low. So pitch in with some friends to get lower costs overall on expensive ingredients like beef and balsamic, shop for warehouse deals on affordable gourmet ingredients and start dressing up your soups and salads to make dinner at home the experience you’d rather have anyway. Need some help with wine shopping? Check out these articles on simple tips for buying great affordable wine, and wine pairing ideas for spicy foods.

 DIY Doesn’t Have to Be Labor Intensive

We all know doing things ourselves saves money. The problem is carving out the extra time from our already busy schedules. The answer? Being seriously selective as to what we take on, and choosing only those do it yourself projects that can be done in less time than it would take to price compare and shop for anyway. Itinerant Tightwad Myscha Theriault suggests framed advertising art made from high quality calendars, or using a draped length of fabric over a damaged table for a cheap decorating trick. Another of Theriault’s favorite style elements? Industrial shelving. It can be brought home in a flat box with a couple of add-on drawers and bar racks. With little more than a rubber mallet and a bottle of wine, you can assemble a shoestring gourmet kitchen station or great spa bathroom storage space.

Embrace Power Shopping

No, I’m not talking about maxing out the credit cards for a quick fix, telling yourself you’re doing your part to stimulate the economy. But the fact is we all need to shop, and knowing savvy ways to spend and save when we do so can put us all back in the driver’s seat. Any percentage rate you would be thrilled to receive on your savings account is also worth your while to pay attention to with regards to a sale. Of course an item you don’t need isn’t a bargain at any price. But if you need new hosiery and a couple of dress blouses for work, and know there’s a fifteen percent sale coming in a few days, it is worth your time to wait. Knowing annual sale trends and loss leader patterns are two other great ways to take bargain shopping to the next level.

Looking to learn more about living the high life for less? In addition to staying tuned for our future webisodes, think about shaving costs in areas where it won’t necessarily show. Two articles to consider would be How to Be a High End Cheapskate and this piece dealing with thrift on the sly. See you soon!

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com