A Spring Fair is a Fair Fair

     The spring is finally here. In Maine the sun is starting to peek out, we are still buried in snow for the most part, but bits of grass and buds are starting to poke their heads out too, ever so slowly. It is glorious. I am over winter.

     For me another sure sign of spring is the return of the craft fair. Ha ha. Yep that's right, fairs are back baby! Truth be told, I enjoy the spring fairs even more than the fall/winter fairs. Sure, the Holiday season fairs can be lucrative but they can also be big duds.

     I keep copious notes in my own "Crafter's Almanac" and refer to it when choosing locations, as well as referring to those who have been there in the past. This way we can maximize our fees and expenses. For me though, it still tends to be people out buying for Christmas or Hanukkah, who are somehow, inexplicably, grumpy. They also tend to be the folks who expect craft fairs to be of like price and function of a flea market. Sorry, they are not the same thing. Lastly, they are almost always run by a church or PTA using it as their big, or only, source of fundraising. Coordinators can be extra tense and gruff through this process as a result. There just isn't a whole lot of fun involved.

     The spring fairs though, oh, the spring fairs. The sun is up on our way to set up the fair- BONUS. We've had all winter, trapped like rats, to do almost nothing but survive and sew, so our surplus is decent. Best of all, the spring fair brings in a new type of patron.

     Many spring fairs are affiliated with a charitable cause or specific fundraiser of some sort. This is great because people really do like supporting each other and helping out their favorite causes. I know I do. Attendance is often matched or higher than winter fairs and everyone seems happy. No one complains and smiles abound. Maybe it's just the sunshine, but I'll take it.

     Many of the customer who may be "on the fence" will purchase the item if they know they are contributing to the cause. I almost always make a donation of some sort, whether to the raffle, or a percentage of sales to the charity, or the like. It is wonderful to be surrounded by a supportive environment and is usually a lot of fun.

     Our first fair this year will be tomorrow, Saturday March 22. (see link below for the Facebook event page) Come down and see us and support "Bonny Eagle Strong", a scholarship fund for a graduating senior who has overcome great tragedy. Unfortunately their pool to choose from is bigger than it should be. This also happens to be my alma mater so let's do this!

     Simple City Sam will be donating 10% of all sales tomorrow so loosen the wallet hinge and come say hi.




https://www.facebook.com/events/199165970291542/

See you there.

Simple City Sam

HDMI and Our TV

    The HDMI cable has saved our TV viewing experience. It's a bold statement, I know, but it's true.

 

     You already know we don't watch a lot of TV. In fact we don't have a cable subscription at all. It was one of the very first thing that was cut from our budget, years ago, when I started re-evaluating our spending and living. The girls have gotten used to watching movies or episodes from TV shows that we deem appropriate and have on DVD.

 

     Don't get me wrong, I love TV. Some of it is so trashy I can't help but watch. It can be a great unwind kind of release at the end of the day- so mindless. Also, for the kids I think having a general knowledge of the culture you are in is important. Whether we like it or not, TV is part of our culture. If the girls hear about a show they want to watch (like from a friend) I will sit and watch the first episode with them to make sure it is age appropriate. From there they are able to watch it online, if available.

 

     I save a ton of money here because we don't pay for the cable subscriptions which average over $100 a month like most people do. To watch TV shows I pay $7.99 a month to subscribe to Hulu Plus (Hulu is free but doesn't always off the shows I want). A friend of mine pays $8 for the Netflix subscription and we share. Shhh, don't tell. It has been a great solution. It has help limit the amount of "screen time" here in the house and saved some serious bucks. BUT...sometimes we get a little tired of watching TV on the laptop. It's not the biggest screen and we never seem to have a good place to set it up.

 

     To rectify the situation we found a simple solution and purchased an HDMI cable. Oddly enough, it also cost $8. We are able to hook it up directly from the computer to the back of our TV. Now, as long as our television is an HDMI mode, everything that's on the computer can also be seen on the television. We do have a "newer" style TV that was a house warming gift but it is not a "smart TV" by any means. Most current TVs should have this setting.

 

     Now we stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, and even Amazon Prime directly to the TV without paying for costly cable/Dish subscriptions or state-of-the-art TVs. It's even allowed me to splurge and purchase whole current seasons of shows my hubby and I really enjoy watching. I don't mind spending $30-ish once in a while on a season we really like and want to own digitally. It's waaaay better than a cable subscription any day.

 

 

Happy viewing!

 

Simple City Sam

Saimin

                           

 

     Saimin is one of my all time favorite meals. I was first introduced to it when I visited my brother in Hawaii around a year ago. I've been obsessed ever since. My brother describe it to me the first time as "fancy Ramen". Being that I've lived on a tiny budget before and paid my own way through college I obviously know what "Ramen" is. The idea that there was a fancy version was intriguing.

 

     When we got to the restaurant the air was full of the aromas of chicken and fish broths. We were given a menu with over 100 Saimin variations and concoctions. There was everything from pork to chicken to tofu and vegetables. You could have it spiced up or not. How about some Spam? It was almost overwhelming.

 

     When I got back to Maine I made it my mission to figure out how to make this at home. I was not about to lose my new found love. Besides which, I'm savvy. I know Asian dishes tend to be inexpensive to make, so I was excited to give it a go.

 

     I spent a few hours pouring over recipes I found online. A few were alright, they basically all had the same base. That's good it's easier to work from. I went down to the Asian market and picked up the noodles and other small items I'd need to round out what I already had in the pantry. After about the third attempt we had it perfected. Make no mistake, the first two times were delicious too, but the third time was magic!

 

    The best part about all of this is that one of my favorite meals has also become what is known as one of the greatest "clean out the refrigerator meals" of all time. Which makes me love it even more. At least once a week now we've taken to making Saimin. I can buy a package of Chinese noodles at the Asian market for around $1.49. The package will yield us three full meals.

   

      I start by browning some garlic and onion in a little oil. This gets thrown right into my cast iron soup pot. Then I add about 8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock to the pot. You can also use water and chicken bouillon cubes/powder if that's what you've got. To that I add about 2 tablespoons of dashi flakes and about 1/4 cup soy sauce. I almost always add some grated fresh ginger at this point too. Turn it on medium and let it go. Many online recipes will also suggest the use of shrimp stock or a fish stock as well. That's great if shellfish doesn't make you die or have some kind of seriously unpleasant reaction...me not so much. So we skip that part.

     From there you literally can add whatever you want. As I noted before, I love it spicy. So at this point, once the broth is how we want it, I split it into two pots. Into the grown-up's pot I add Chinese five spice and some cracked pepper. The girls' pot stays as is. Then I start to heat up any proteins we may want hot in the soup. The girls love tofu and I limit their intake of it, so this is really the only meal they get to have tofu, and it doesn't happen every time. I fry it up in a pan and get it nice and crispy. It gets added at the very end. For us, I'll use the pan to heat up our chosen proteins too.

     This is where the fridge clean out begins. Whatever vegetable might be kicking around in the refrigerator, or any meat that may be left over from the night before, or cold cuts left from school lunches are especially helpful in this meal. I'll add carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, celery, daikon radish, or cabbage regularly.  I'll also add chunks of ham or spare ribs (also a treat we grab form the Asian market) and the occasional gyoza. What's great is that we get rid of all the random, lonely, left behind produce and we can customize the dishes to each person if we want to. Often I let the girls pick what goes into their pot, and it varies from what goes in the grown-up pot.

 

     At the end the noodles go in to cook for about 6-7 minutes. If I've got them, I'll top with bean sprouts or something crunchy to give  it just a bit of extra dimension. And that's it. It's a win-win! In all, the meal cost me about $3. I can feed the whole family and I always have leftovers. My oldest loves to take some to school the next day. She gets to pack it in her thermos and pack along chopsticks. She is in heaven.

  

    

     It's such an unassuming, yet delicious dish. I think that may be why I like it so much. Either that or because it's Heaven's elixir sent here just for me. I haven't decided yet.

 

Simple City Sam

Get Those Taxes Done Now

Alright, so now you're ready to file those taxes that you've been preparing for all year. You finally feel like you have everything you need and you are ready to get yourself a return, dang it! There are really only two ways to go about this. You can either do them yourself or you can have someone to do them for you.

 

     Obviously there are any number of places you can go to have them done for you, like H&R Block,  or a local tax accountant. You know me, though, I like to do it myself and save myself a dime, so I just use TurboTax online. Turbo Tax does offer software for purchase as well, if you prefer not to use the internet.

 

     Don't freak out! TurboTax is actually much easier to use than you may think. It is it literally a step by step set guide that walks you through every form needed. The only trick you need to know about TurboTax is to take every step. When it asks, "do you want to explore each section?", click YES. Do not skip ahead and do not take the shortcut. That is the only way to make sure you are as thorough and efficient as possible.

 

     Be it known: It's going to take you a while to get from start to finish. I know that it's going to take me, with all my different forms and situations, roughly 2 1/2  hours to do my taxes completely. I'm already set up in the system from previous year's returns so it's a bit easier for me. The first year you use the product will be the longest time you spend. Every consecutive year will get faster and easier and more information will have been pre-loaded. If you don't have a lot of additional situations, like we do, it will take considerably less time. If all you need to do is fill in W2's and maybe a student loan interest payment, I'd bet you'd be down in under an hour.

 

      What I recommend is making sure you give yourself enough time to complete this task all at once. You're never going to want to jump back in if you've already started. If you know that you work better in small sections a little at a time, you can always do that too. There is a save and return option throughout.

 

     My husband knows doing the taxes is my responsibility and I get a weird joy from it so he helps me out too. It's his job to get the kids out of the house and give me a minimum of 3 hours quiet with no distractions. As of late he's even been taking the dog. I pour a glass of wine, turn off all of the noise making devices, sit down with my folder full of documents and push start.

 

     Read every bit that is printed on the screen. Read, read, read. They can't lie to you, they're under contract, and you're going to give them your money, so take every step and read every direction to make sure you get it done right the first time! Watch the little money counter in the corner grow and grow as you finish each section (that's my favorite part).

 

      This year TurboTax is cahooting with Amazon. You can take part of your federal refund as an Amazon gift card. Amazon will reward you for doing so with either 5% or 10%  more than the gift card's purchased price. That is huge. If you use the Premier Edition like I do (because I have multiple forms, with my rental and my W 2's and a small business that I run myself) you get 10 percent on top of the Amazon card value. Standard versions are rewarded with an additional 5%.  I opted to take $300 in the form of an Amazon card because I already shop with Amazon for inexpensive home products and gifts. By doing so I got an extra $30, that's right $330 for the actual price of $300. That may not sound like much but it is. That's actually a whole case of toilet paper, 4 months worth of toilet paper for our family. You know how I love the savings and something that practical just doesn't make sense to pass up.

 

     I recommend taking this offer for anyone who hasn't filed their taxes yet. TurboTax makes it ridiculously easy. They file for you. They also allow you to track your return's acceptance and refund. My state and federal refunds were accepted and deposited electronically into my checking account within 10 days of filing. Sweet, sweet success.

 

      I'm not saying that everyone's experience will run that smoothly. Certainly mine haven't in the past, but your chances are better than going it unsupervised or forgoing the legality of paying taxes all together. If you sick with TurboTax, you also have the opportunity to sign up for audit protection and review your returns before they're filed. Heck, you could do your return all the way through to the end and decided you didn't like the outcome and opt not to pay for it and walk away. Bring it to your tax guy, see who gets a better return and which is less expensive. Take this exercise and see where you're saving your money if you are skeptical.

 

     The only other thing to remember is it there's no reason to pay full price for the TurboTax Online. There a lot of programs where you can save on the sticker price. My current banking institution USAA allows members to have a 20% discount for using TurboTax. Just go online and Google TurboTax Online Discount and see what pops up. You'd be surprised. Enter in promotional codes at the end when you check out and you'll save yourself on filing as well.

 

     By the end of the process I always feel so empowered. If I can finish my taxes I can do anything! Plus, I know I won't even have to really think about them for another whole year. It's a glorious feeling and I know for certain any of you can do it too.

 

Happy filing!

 

Simple City Sam

I'm Alive...And I've Been Revived By Taxes!

     Yes, it's true I'm crazy. At this point you all are well aware of that. My undying love for doing my taxes every year is just another shining example of this fact. I do, I love it.

     All year I meticulously save my pertinent documents. You really should be doing this already! If you aren't, look around, there are many sites that can suggest what to save. I have my own list of documents that need to be saved. I have complied this list after having done my own taxes for the last 8 years and helping my mom do mine years prior to that. (See? It runs in the family.) I have a file cabinet dedicated to family records. I keep home insurance documents, current school information, pet licenses and information, and anything else pertaining to the household really...including tax information and previous tax returns. It's not an eyesore because I hide mine. If you're concerned you can always purchase a decorative one, or the file boxes that store nicely under beds. In January I place a new empty file right in the front of the drawer and leave it to collect everything needed throughout the year.

     So, what do I save? Is it overwhelming? Is it time-consuming? Alright, here goes. It is in no way time-consuming! In fact, it is the exact opposite. Come tax time you will be thanking yourself enormously for how much time you will have saved. I also find the organization and lack of build-up to make the whole thing supremely manageable and am never overwhelmed by it. Here's what I save.

     1. Right behind the empty tax folder I also place a new folder for all our earned pay stubs. THIS IS CRUCIAL! If you do nothing else, start doing this! If you earn tipped wages as well (service industry, etc.) I highly recommend saving your time print outs as well as maintaining a weekly tip log. Throw each into the folder, just in case. If you are really determined, wait until the stub, hours and tip log all match up, staple them together and file that way. This is an easy way to double check your employer too. Especially in the service industry, it is too easy for employees to be robbed little by little and never know it. I have had to calculate rough estimates for my own W-2s THREE times in my short tax-paying career. THREE. This may seem high, but think about it. Ever have a job where that W-2 just didn't seem right? Or a job that went belly-up and you never heard from again? Did you file an IRS claim (as legally I have to recommend you look into) and get sucked into an up-to 2 year dance battle? I have. If you have your stubs you have your W-2, never forget that!

     2. Every time I donate anything I get a receipt or write it down. Yes, every time. If clothing or household items are donated to somewhere like, The Salvation Army, ask them to give you a receipt. If you drop it in a drop box, write down the items you are donating (snap a quick pic to go one step further) and throw the list in the tax folder. It's important not to just write the amount. These items are calculated individually (i.e. 3 t-shirts, 1 baby dress, 1 ladies blouse, 1 tv, 3 kids boots) because their write-off value is pre-determined. Memberships to non-profit organizations (like Children's Museums, or auxiliaries), tele-thon donations, charitable auction prizes and many other items (even all those times you "rounded-up" with your Pampered Chef order for charity) are all charitable donations that can be written off. Save the proof.

     3. Receipts of any type of child care go in as well. Most day care facilities supply you with one without having to ask at the end of the year. If not, just ask and they'll have to. Also try to keep track of what you may have paid a babysitter or nanny, if one was needed for you to attend work or school (no, can't deduct the dinner date, sorry).

     4. Also include any receipts for purchases made specifically for work. Are you a teacher who had to buy supplies? Keep the receipts. Are you a bartender who needed to take a specific class required by your new corporate gig? Keep the receipt. Did you have to order new sneakers because you give walking tours? Save the receipt. It's easy. Do it when you purchase the item, make a quick note at the top if the receipt is unspecific as to what the item is, and don't think about it again until the end of the year.

     5. We also rent out a house we own so we need to keep all our business receipts too. Perhaps you run a small business from your home, or get paid for small odd jobs in your neighborhood. Save gas, tolls, expenses incurred because of the business (i.e. to uphold tenant lease contract, I had to repair the water heater). These will all count against any "profits" made in the business...which is good.

     6. At the end of the year all W-2s go directly into the folder, as well as any mortgage/student loan interest payment deductions and investment records like IRAs or 401Ks. These are all documents that typically show up at your door or inbox magically in January anyway. Now you'll know where to put them and know you have everything else you need.

     7. Also collect information like your social security number, home/renters insurance premiums, children's social security numbers and birth dates.

     8. THINK ABOUT IT. If you've done something big this year, save the proof. Have new baby birth certificates made promptly, keep receipts for new "green" updates like geothermal, and don't forget about that new-to-you car you bought, either, registration gets deducted.

     Remember that if you stay committed to doing this "in the moment" it will never become overwhelming. One receipt here and there will get added to the file and it'll never feel like work. By the end of the year you'll know exactly where everything is and you'll be itching for your W2s. No more waiting until April to file extensions for you!

     And if you're thinking to yourself, "I've got a tax person, I'm all set". Think again. He hates you, and your shoe box full of information he doesn't need. She sees hundreds of you a year. Be the one that stands out. Hand the file over the desk and watch them weep with glee...alright maybe a little over the top, but I feel like you know what I'm getting at.

     Hang tight, next post I'll give a quick run down of how I accomplish actually filing. Then comes the best part: spending the return.

"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Simple City Sam

Vacation Planning, Phase 1

      So it's almost time for our annual Christmas Vacation. I know that for me this immediately brings to mind images like this one: 

 

But I assure you, our trips are at least a little more subdued than this...a little. Last year's Boston trip was a huge success. This year we really wanted to go somewhere warm. OK, it was me. I wanted to go somewhere warm! You got me!

 

     Anyway we decided warm was the way to go, and that we would alternate warm and cold climates each year from here on out. I feel like that gives me a whole year to talk them back into a warm trip, but we'll save that for later. This year we are headed to Florida.

 

     We are all super excited. Don't forget this is a Simple City Sam style trip so we won't just be doing the standard Florida resort trip. In  true "use your resources" fashion, I was able to score a condo on the cheap. I've got an uncle who's got a friend....If I had a nickel for every story that started this way (c'mon, I'm Italian, it's how it works) who gave us his deal on the time share condo. It sleeps 8, has a two suite set up and an adjoining kitchen and great room. This is ideal for us. This year we're bringing mom again, and we talked my aunt into coming too. It's going to be a full house and a little room to spread out is very nice!

 

     Well, that got the ball rolling. Family members have been very supportive of this new concept and have been taking it upon themselves to help out. One family member paid for the girls to get US Passports. This is huge as it will make traveling, even domestically, infinitely easier. No longer will I have to carry birth certificates and the like. Another family member purchased Sea World tickets for the family as a family gift. Score! Yet another member put together a travel pack full of easy travel activities, snacks, and cute luggage tags. It has been wonderful to not only be supported by our family, but to also have them helping out!

 

     I'll talk more about all this good stuff. But for now, I was at a place where I needed to do one of my most favorite things in the whole world. It was time to plan and make lists.

 

*shiver*

 

     Ok, first things are first. I knew we would be in the condo and that we'd have a kitchen. This is really super crucial. In honesty, if this amenity were not available, the trip could easily have become too cost prohibitive. Eating out every meal and/or paying for meal plans is ridiculously expensive and frankly, wasteful. Those scenarios grossly overcharge for things that you often aren't truly satisfied with. We love cooking and eating home-cooked meals anyway, so for us it's just a bonus.

 

     After we get checked in hubby and I will head to the grocery store first off. We will do a weeks worth of grocery shopping and stock up for the entire trip. Even without knowing the market and the area very well, we will be able to accomplish this in a couple of hours. Thus, saving an enormous amount of time by not waiting to go out to eat every night and sending someone "out" in the morning for coffee and bagels.

 

     We also save hundreds of dollars this way. As you know, I can feed a family on a heck of a budget. So, even with "splurges" we will be able to feed the 6 people going for the week for less than the cost of two days of eating out. I'll post the grocery bill after we shop, you'll see!

 

     I still need to be organized though, and here comes the list. I sat down with the hubby, or maybe more like I cornered him one morning while he thought I was being nice- sucker!- and planned out the meals for a week. We picked meals that we knew EVERYBODY liked, that are easy to make, and are inexpensive. It's important to consider the equipment you'll need to make the meals too. Most rentals or condos are not super well stocked. Expect a couple pots and pans and maybe a bottle opener, anything else is gravy (as they say).

 

     We also focused on the nutritional aspect too. Vacations are all about playing hard so we planned high protein meals. We also planned healthy, natural snacks like fruits, veggies, and our energy bites. We thought about lunches and kept them protein based as well and tried to take into account the fact that they'll have to travel, probably, in a back pack for a bit.

 

 

      After we planned the meals I made shopping lists, yep plural. (You can see they also make great coloring pages too.) I made a list of items we would need to buy there and a list of items we could buy here and bring with us. Some of the meals need something in small quantity and it's impractical to buy an entire jar of bouillon cubes because you'll need two. Some items are less expensive closer to home, and sometimes you know tricks on finding things cheap where you're comfortable shopping. Over the last few weeks I've been purchasing one or two of the items on the "buy here" list as part of the weekly shopping. It's only a couple bucks extra here and there and by the time we're ready to go I'll have everything we need.

 

     So far so good. We are a little over a week out from take off and I have almost everything on my list. I'll toss them in my suitcase and we'll be good to go.

 

     Now, off to pre-pack. Yay! Another list.

 

Stay tuned!

 

Simple City Sam

 

 

Pears: Part 2

      Don't think that I've forgotten about you or all those delicious pears we prepared...pre-pear-ed..see what I did there?...good one! Anyway, the dehydrated pear rings from our first pear installment were just the tip of the iceberg.

 

     About half of the pears were peeled, cored and sliced using our handy peeler, corer, slicer machine. Man, I love it. Then I made the easiest pear sauce known to man.

 

     Wait. What? What the Hannah is pear sauce, you ask? Well don't get too excited. It's just apple sauce - but made with pears.  See, nothing revolutionary. Or is it?

 

     I LOVE pear sauce. Maybe it's because I've been so conditioned to only register apple sauce. Maybe it's simply the pear far superior ability to be pulverized efficiently. Either way, I like the pear sauce much better. Remember these pears are the ones we got from my grandmother's tree. They are a bit harder and more tart than your typical pear. Which makes them perfect for sauce!

 

     The consistency holds up beautifully and the tartness lends itself nicely to the long cook time. You'll need a long time to break down the firmness of the pear, you see.

 

 

     I fill the crock pot full to the top with pears. Then I sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of sugar (I prefer to use sugar in the raw if I have it), 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Remember you should feel free to season as you like. Amp up the cinnamon if you like it,  omit the vanilla, use brown sugar. It's all up to you.

 

 

     Then I set the crock pot on high for 6 hours and forget about it completely. Then I let it sit on low, or warm, for another 2 hours (or more if I get caught up in something). It's easy for me as my crockpot as a multi-timer setting, but if you don't just set yourself an alarm on your phone or alarm clock even.

 

     After that the pears break down easily by gently pressing them with a fork or potato masher. The natural juices of the pears are released during cooking and bring plenty of liquid to the sauce. Everything else you added, and it's delicious!

 



 

      We went a step further this year and actually canned a few quarts. More on this to come. But if you're not up for that the sauce can be refrigerated safely for weeks and frozen for months. If freezing, use freezer bags or freezer designated plastic storage containers.

 

     We now have over 10 quarts of pear sauce ready and waiting to be eaten or given as gifts. My girls love it for snack or even desert. My youngest prefers it hot. Our best friend used it as a pancake topper last weekend. Even my grandmother is secretly hoarding a jar we gave her, refusing to share with anyone.

 

I feel like that makes this another simple success.

 

Simple City Sam