5 Free Newsletters That Help Me Stay in the Know and On A Budget

You can Google “frugal,” but that won’t necessarily lead you to these newsletters (or their companion sites). Here’s to finding frugality in some unexpected places!

Tasting Table – The writers of Tasting Table keep me filled in on all sorts of NYC foodie fodder. Their mission is “to deliver the best of food and drink culture to adventurous eaters,” and while that usually inspires worth-the-splurge editorial (in this city, anyway), Tasting Table also offers a fair amount of frugally-minded suggestions for everything from recession-friendly dining deals and cheap $2 tacos to drinks at Depression-era prices and recipes for culturing your own curds.

Epicurious – Because I like making food and assembling meals and I like pairing them with wine or cocktails (and I even like to do all of this on the cheap, whenever possible)…

…because it’s often cheaper to prepare my own food than to pay someone else to do it…

…and because Epicurious sends me recipes from Bon Appétit and Gourmet (which I no longer buy)…

I am a longtime subscriber to the Epicurious newsletters. They currently offer 2 versions. The first, Recipe Flash, is more food and recipe oriented, while the other, Tasting Notes, focuses on wine reviews and pairing recommendations.

Fodor’s Travel – While Fodor’s may still be suffering from its reputation as, well, your parents’ travel guide, I urge you to look at Fodor’s with a fresh eye. Their editorial and design has really changed for the better over the last few years. And I’m not just saying that because I sometimes write for them (though not for their newsletters). I recommend checking out Fodor’s because their editorial focus has shifted to include more sophisticated drinking and dining coverage, a better range of offerings (in general), more compelling features, full-color guidebooks, and a vibrant community. Fodor’s isn’t as interested in traveling on the cheap as they are in getting you the most for your money, but with that being said, their newsletters often offer value-conscious features that are beneficial for both the tourist and the local, alike. Here are a few recent ones for our fellow New Yorkers:

• New York City Deals: Fine Dining for Less
• New York’s 12 Best Free Summer Events
• Cheap NYC Lunches: Fodor’s Top 5 Favorite Food Carts & Truck

Read the rest of this entry »

Do-It-Yourself Aperitivo

3 Prosecco Cocktails (+ a cordial glass of strawberry mint syrup)

It’s easy to be a frugal foodie in Italy. Food, for the most part, is pretty cheap. And wine, I noticed when I was living in Rome, was sometimes even cheaper than bottled water (though it should be noted that free drinking water is available from water fountains all over the city, so there’s no need to ever even buy water). When I moved back to NYC from Rome a couple of years ago, I realized that the Italian way of thinking about gastronomy had gotten to me. Simple, seasonal, fresh, and delicious food is both a basic principle and something to be celebrated there. Italians are passionate about eating and drinking; meals are rituals; and the way things are done matters. A mere 2 ounces of carelessly prepared espresso is sure to cause a fight at the bar; pasta cooked a moment past al dente is unforgivable.

One of my favorite, celebratory Italian foodie/drinky rituals is the aperitivo. It’s sort of the Italian equivalent to our American “happy hour” or the French aperitif, but rather than getting a little bowl of salted nuts or pretzels with your drink, you’re presented with a veritable buffet of Italian delights – for no extra charge. Read the rest of this entry »

A Frugal Freelancer’s Vino Cheapo Trial

This weekend, when I was at the New York Wine Expo, one of the wine reps asked my friend and me if our wine spending habits have changed at all in the face of the recession. I immediately said “yes,” while my friend laughed a little, and said “no.”

“She still has a full-time job,” I told the wine rep.

I haven’t had a salaried position in about 4 years. I’m a New York City-based writer, and until recently, I had a very busy and fruitful freelance writing life that enabled me to take off to Italy for almost 2 years, spend last summer in Berlin, this December in the Caribbean, and pop around to various other places in between. As long as I had my computer and an Internet connection, I could work anywhere. And I did.

However, since the recession hit, my three main clients have slashed their consulting budgets, leaving me with little work and a big challenge: how to be frugal in one of the world’s most expensive cities.

And being a New Yorker – especially one with a discerning taste for food and wine, fashion, and travel – I’d rather die (or move someplace cheaper) than adopt a totally ascetic lifestyle. Frugal may be the new black, but I’m convinced there are ways to still indulge in the Big Apple without going into the red.

Back to wine… we all know that in Europe, you can drink good wine, regularly and affordably. Here in NYC, you’re lucky to get a glass for what you might pay for a decent bottle in Italy, Spain, or France. So, what can we wine lovers do to keep from drinking our quarterly tax payments?

Since there are a lot of “values” touted in wine mags and blogs, I’m now sampling some of the industry’s top picks for $10 and under:

• Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007; Château Mas Neuf; Vin de Pays d’Oc, South of France Spirit Black Toro – $10 (Inspired by Wine Spectator’s Dec. 31, 2008 – Jan. 15, 2009 issue)

• Malbec, 2007; Alamos; Mendoza, Argentina – $10 (Inspired by Wine Spectator’s Nov. 15, 2008 issue

• Chenin Blanc, 2008; Winery of Good Hope; Stellenbosch, Africa – $10 (Inspired by Wine Enthusiast’s March 2009 issue

• Nero d’Avola, 2006; MandraRossa; Sicily, Italy – $10 (Inspired by Wine Enthusiast’s March 2009 issue)

• Carménère, 2005; Viña Cono Sur; Colchagua Valley, Chile – $6-9 (Inspired by Good Wine Under $20 Blog

• Tempranillo & Garnacha, 2007; Red Guitar; Navarra – $9.99 (Inspired by Smells Like Grape Blog)