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Want Fast, Cheap, Healthy Food? Try Your Local Asian Market

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By Bruce Watson

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Alamy

See if this sounds familiar. It’s 5:30, getting close to dinner time, and you’re monumentally uninspired. You don’t have the time or energy to cook a big meal, and the idea of eating another pizza turns your stomach. You could always go the convenience food route — mac and cheese is quick, and pot pies are easy — but you’re worried about the mess of unfamiliar chemicals and unpronounceable additives that seem to fill the frozen food section of your supermarket.

If you find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place — or, more accurately, the freezer section and takeout — there may be another solution: your local Asian market. In addition to bottles of soy sauce and bags of rice, most Asian markets have a solid selection of low-priced convenience foods that are more flavorful, more interesting, and healthier than many mainstream offerings. As an added plus, unlike American convenience foods, which often sport a long, confusing list of unpronounceable chemicals and additives, Asian convenience foods are often a bit easier to figure out.

This isn’t to say that Asian convenience foods are completely healthy. Like their American counterparts, they tend to be very high in sodium. What’s more, some labels are only printed in non-English languages, which means that you may be flying blind when you pull something off the shelves. But with low prices and hundreds of intriguing options, chances are good that you’ll find something you like.

Here are a few of my favorites:

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Bruce Watson is DailyFinance’s Savings editor. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/15/asian-markets-fast-cheap-healthy/

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The Best Way to Watch Movies Without Paying a Fortune

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By Bruce Watson

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About two years ago, I decided to leave Netflix. There were a lot of reasons, but the big one was their decision to split their streaming video and their DVD service. My daughter, who was addicted to “Phineas and Ferb,” was foursquare in favor of the streaming service. I, on the other hand, was unimpressed with the offerings but liked the DVDs by mail.

Keeping both streaming and DVDs, unfortunately, would have doubled our monthly Netflix bill. Add in the fact that the streaming in our building was insanely slow, and the upshot was that my wife and I decided that we could come up with about a billion better ways to spend our money — and at least three or four better ways to watch movies and TV shows.

The first thing we did was sign up for Amazon Prime. For $79 per year — about $5 per year less than Netflix’s basic streaming service — it lets users stream unlimited movies and TV shows. Beyond that, though, it also includes free two-day shipping on Amazon orders and allows users to borrow Kindle books for no additional cost. Perhaps most important, Amazon’s streaming service offers every “Phineas and Ferb” episode at speeds a lot faster than Netflix (at least in our apartment).

Streaming is all well and good, but what about the films I wanted to watch that aren’t available through either Amazon or Netflix? After a search of the available options, I decided to go with Blockbuster, which has a DVD delivery service that is roughly comparable to what Netflix used to offer. The difference is that it costs $10 per month — about $2 more than Netflix used to charge — and only gives me one DVD at a time. On the other hand, the selection is incredible, the service is convenient, and I haven’t had any problems.

Of course, Netflix will still mail you DVDs. The only problem is, you have to get the streaming service as well, and the two combined services would run me $16 per month. Put in context, that’s a little bit less than my total monthly payment for Amazon Prime and Blockbuster. And Netflix doesn’t give me free shipping on Amazon orders or free loans of Kindle books. With those two options, I estimate that Amazon Prime is saving my wife and me at least $10 per month.

There are trade-offs, of course. We can’t watch Netflix’s original series House of Cards, which I’m told is brilliant. And, when Netflix releases its new episodes of Arrested Development, we won’t be able to watch them, either. If they ever come out on video, perhaps we’ll get them from Amazon — along with free second-day shipping.

Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him …read more

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Monday Memo: This Week on the Saving Channel

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By Bruce Watson

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AlamyHaving trouble finding e-books to cozy up to? On Tuesday we’ll profile a company that will make searching for great book finds easier.

As part of the new and improved DailyFinance, we’re launching a new Saving Channel — and a different way at looking at saving money. Rather than focusing on the grim business of pinching pennies, we’re focusing on the things you gain — things like extra cash for the life events that matter and greater security for the unknown challenges that lie ahead.

As part of this change, we’re launching a new feature: the Monday Memo. A preview of a few of our major stories for the week, the memo will give you an idea of what to expect, and a way for you to tell us what you want. It will also contain a weekly question, in which we ask you for your opinion on a major spending issue.

For this week, the question is: What is your favorite video or movie service? Do you use Hulu, Netflix, Blockbuster, or some other resource or network? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below; alternately, you can send me an e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com or a tweet at @bruce1971.

And on to this week’s specials:

Monday:
Forget pre-Easter sales and specials — the best time to get deals on chocolate is today! We’ll give you some suggestions on the best candy to buy, the right way to store it, and how to deal with chocolate that’s gone over the hill.

Tuesday:
Love e-books but miss the thrill of discovery in a bookstore? We’re profiling a company that will change the way you buy your books — and cut your costs in the bargain.

Wednesday:
Thinking about buying an electric car? DailyFinance readers offer their suggestions for the best way to save money — and stay ahead of the technology curve.

Thursday:
Can’t decide on the best way to watch videos and TV shows? We look at the choices and assess the costs.

Friday:
Getting tired of dealing with high bank fees and low services? We give you the lowdown on another option.

Those are a few of the money-saving topics we’re going to explore this week. If you have any questions or suggestions, ideas or requests, drop me a line!

Bruce Watson is DailyFinance’s Saving Editor. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.

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Virginia County Tells Residents: Balance Our Budget Yourselves

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By Bruce Watson

John Cook Virginia representative

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John Cook / FacebookBraddock District Supervisor John Cook of Fairfax County, Va.
Everyone grumbles about the incompetence of their elected officials, and how they could write a better budget in their sleep. In one Virginia county, officials are giving voters the chance to put their mouths where their money is. Literally.

One of the wealthiest counties in the U.S., Fairfax County, Virginia has a yearly budget of over $6 billion, and disagreements over where to allocate that money — not to mention whether or not to raise taxes — can be intense. In previous years, the county has used county-wide public budget meetings, as well as smaller gatherings in each district, to gauge public opinion. Kiel Stone, Chief of Staff for District Supervisor John Cook, note that these meetings can be grueling: “They start at 3 p.m. and go until everyone has had their say. Sometimes, we wrap up at 9. Other times, the meetings go until the early hours.”

This year, Supervisor Cook‘s office came up with another option for gathering information. On Wednesday, they released “Design Your County Budget,” a PDF-based budgeting tool that allows individual taxpayers to decide where they want to put their money, and how much they want to spend. From school funding to public safety to parks, voters can determine the funding for nine major spending categories, cutting where they think there’s fat and spending extra on areas that are suffering.

Fairfax County

“It’s designed to increase feedback, and give taxpayers a window into what we do,” Stone explains, noting that the survey won’t have any formal impact on the budgeting process. “We plan to collect the data, analyze it, report it to the board members, and submit it for the record.” The collection process will extend at least until early April.

Fairfax isn’t the only place where voters have been asked to design a budget: The Washington Post let readers offer their own plans for Washington D.C.’s spending, and The New York Times gave readers a shot at designing a workable federal budget. But this sort of budget outreach from an elected official is rare, as is the fact that Cook’s budget tool allows voters to have an effect, however indirect, on the budgeting process.

Cook’s tool was produced in-house, by “a staff person working in InDesign,” as Stone puts it. But for all its simplicity, “Design Your County Budget” is a great demonstration of the competing, vital interests that go into funding a bustling, energetic municipality — as well as the high costs associated with those interests. And, as Fairfax faces a potential tax increase to fund its impressive safety net, its budget tool may contain valuable lessons for voters across the country.

Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.

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Driving Drunk: One of the Most Expensive Mistakes You Can Make

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By Bruce Watson

Drunk Driving

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Once you’ve had your license for a while, it’s easy to forget that driving is a dangerous business. Recently, a spate of fatal crashes across the country have drawn renewed attention to the fact that car accidents are the top killer of U.S. teenagers. And for those who drink and drive, the dangers are also incredibly high: in 2011, 31 percent of traffic deaths — and 2.5 percent of deaths overall — were caused by drunk driving.

But even for those who manage to avoid getting into an accident, getting caught driving under the influence can have steep financial consequences. Recent research by CoverHound, a company that compares car insurance rates, revealed the economic costs of drunk driving. According to their findings, insurance premiums go up an average of 86 percent — or $5,130 — in the first year after a DUI. Most of the economic pain from a DUI hits in the first three years, but drivers can expect to pay more for insurance for seven years after a conviction.

That’s assuming, of course, that they can still get coverage. “If you get a DUI, some carriers will drop you, and some will increase insurance premiums by 300 percent or even 400 percent,” notes Basil Enan, founder and CEO of CoverHound. “Some carriers refuse to insure anyone who has been convicted of a DUI.”

The effect of a DUI depends a lot on individual circumstances. The age of the driver, his or her prior driving record, and whether or not the DUI was a first offense all factor into the cost. Many insurance companies are more likely to work with younger drivers who have had a DUI, Enan says.

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There are a few things that drivers can do to limit the price of a DUI. “One option is to take a defensive driving course, which can offset insurance costs by up to 15 percent,” Enan points out. “Another way to save is by downgrading your car to something safer. Put another way, if you’re a higher risk driver, it’s a good idea to drive a lower risk car.”

But even under the best of circumstances, getting caught driving drunk is sure to increase insurance rates. The only sure way to avoid that is to avoid taking a drink before getting behind the wheel. And, with new smartphone apps to test your sobriety or call you a cab, there’s no reason to risk your wallet — or your life.

Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.

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The High Cost of Higher Education Explained in One Simple Graphic

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By Bruce Watson

A student rides a bicycle past the bell tower on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 22, 2012. Photographer: Daniel Acker

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A student rides a bicycle past the bell tower on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Daniel Acker, Getty Images)

For years, politicians and pundits have held forth about the high cost of higher education. Whether the issue du jour is rising tuition prices, falling returns on our educational investment, or the ballooning student debt bubble, the message has generally been the same: College is only getting harder to afford, even as it becomes more necessary.

Recently, CourseSmart, an e-textbook provider, created an infographic that lays out in simple terms the details of the college tuition explosion — and they’re truly frightening. Over the last 30 years, tuition has increased 1,120 percent; by comparison, even the “skyrocketing” cost of health care only rose 600 percent, and housing costs have gone up a paltry 375 percent.

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Not surprisingly, college loan debt has grown explosively too, outstripping car loans and credit cards as the largest sources of personal debt. Given the much-trumpeted 2011 announcement that Americans owed more than $1 trillion in student loans, this shouldn’t be all that surprising. Nor, for that matter, should it be shocking that almost one in five families is currently paying off student loans.

Yet, somehow, it is.

There are a lot of ideas being floated to get these problems under control: value report cards for universities; pay-it-forward tuition plans; a renewed focus on non-collegiate higher education. For now, however, tuitions continue to rise and students continue to take on back-breaking debt to cover the bills, as the graphic below explains.

High cost of higher eucation

Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.

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A St. Patrick's Savings Adventure: The Best Bargain Irish Whiskeys

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By Bruce Watson

Jameson Whiskey

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(Megan R. Marks, Flickr.com)
When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s day, there are a lot of options: Guinness and green beer, shamrock shakes and emerald cupcakes, perhaps even a heaping plate of corned beef and cabbage. But of all the traditions, one of the oldest — and one of the most enjoyable — is a nip of classic Irish whiskey. The Emerald Isle, after all, is home to one of the world’s oldest distilleries and some of its finest liquors. And, while there isn’t any evidence to suggest that the Emerald Isle‘s most famous saint ever tipped a glass, no celebration of Gaelic heritage is complete without at least a nod to Ireland‘s rich distilling history.

Unlike bourbon or Scotch, both of which offer dozens of choices for the adventurous consumer, Irish whiskey production is controlled by a small handful of distilleries. On the down side, this limited selection translates into a relatively high price, which can make choosing a bargain tipple a little difficult. Happily, however, most Irish whiskeys have a lower-priced, entry-level offering that shouldn’t cost more than $20 to $30. And, given the relatively level playing field, even the cheapest brands tend to be mellow and enjoyable. Put another way, there isn’t a truly bad brew in the bunch!

And so, without further ado, here’s our brief guide to the flavor and lore of Ireland‘s best cheap whiskeys.

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Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971

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Video Showing the Huge Gap Between Super Rich and Everyone Else Goes Viral

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By Bruce Watson

Actual wealth gap explained

Filed under: For much of the past decade, policymakers and analysts have decried America’s incredibly low savings rate, noting that U.S. households save a fraction of the money of the rest of the world. Citing a myriad of causes — from cheap credit to exploitative bank practices — they’ve noted that the average family puts away less than 4 percent of its income.

“Wealth Inequality in America,” a six-minute video produced by a YouTube user named “Politizane,” casts an interesting angle on the plummeting savings rate. Set to depressing piano music and packed with crystal-clear animations, it gives a powerful snapshot of the American economic landscape. Noting that “The top 1 percent own nearly half the country’s stocks, bonds, and mutual funds,” the video goes on to contrast those impressive holdings with the rest of the country. By comparison, it points out, the bottom 50 percent of earners own only 0.5 percent of those investments.

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It isn’t hard to see why there is such a yawning gap between the richest Americans and the rest of us. Since 1976, the share of national income earned by the top one percent of workers has nearly tripled, from 9 percent to 24 percent. It’s not hard to see why their share has increased: As Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich recently pointed out, the economy has roughly doubled in size over the last 30 years — and, in an ideal world, more money in the economy should mean more money in everyone’s pocket.

But the distribution of this huge economic bonanza has been startlingly uneven. While the earnings of the top 1 percent have tripled, the average household income has effectively stagnated. Put another way, there’s a reason Americans haven’t saved: they haven’t had much money to save.

In terms of information, Politizane’s video isn’t offering anything new: Its analysis of American perceptions of wealth distribution, the line between rich and poor and the issue of America’s wealth continuum echo stories that have been in the media for years. But there’s something about seeing the country’s wealth gap in easy-to-follow animations that allows the dry analysis to hit home. Or, as the video puts it, these illustrations make it easier for viewers to “wake up and realize that the reality in this country is not at all what we think it is.”

Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971

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Watch: A Publisher's Clearing House Winner Thinks About the Future

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By Bruce Watson

elise gutierrez

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For a Louisiana couple, a Feb. 28 visit from the Publishers Clearing House van carried with it an instant transformation from penny pinchers to millionaires. Elise Gutierrez, a survivor of Hurricane Isaac, had only recently moved back into her home when PCH’s “Prize Patrol” showed up with a $1 million check.

In an exclusive interview with DailyFinance, she laid out some of her savings plans for the future. Like most Americans, Gutierrez didn’t have much money in savings and was not sure if her husband could afford to retire: “We were worried about when he retired, could we make it … Now, we don’t have to worry about it.”

Here’s the full video:

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Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971

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