Blue Apron: Lemongrass Chicken Burgers

Blue Apron gave product (a courtesy 2-person box) in exchange for this unbiased review. Not a Boomerang's Readers are eligible for a limited-time special discount- receive two free meals by subscribing today!

Makes: 2 servings

Calories: ~800 per serving

Prep: 15 min.

Cook time: 20-30 min.

Burgers are an American staple. There are so many ways to cook a burger well, and sometimes a few extra ingredients can take a burger from pretty good to extraordinary. In my household, the difference is usually the type of bun and/or cheese used, and whether or not there will be bacon or avocado. Hint: Always say 'yes' to bacon and/or avocado. 

Artisan potato buns? We're there. Chicken burger? Hmm...healthier than beef. An Asian twist on a classic? I'm in. Let's give it a go.

On to the meal!

Blue Apron: Brown Butter Cod

Blue Apron gave product (a courtesy 2-person box) in exchange for this unbiased review. Not a Boomerang's Readers are eligible for a limited-time special discount- receive two free meals by subscribing today!

Makes: 2 servings

Calories: ~590 per serving

Prep: 15 min.

Cook time: 25-35 min.

I was raised on seafood - salmon, crabs, mussels, lobster, squid, octopus, shrimp. Cod fish (see: health benefits and risks), while easily found in stores, and I do not often cross paths. The wild-caught fillets included in this meal were hearty enough for two people but would have been skimping if made for three. Other than that I was comfortable with all of the ingredients in this recipe, and looked forward to trying purple potatoes. Nutrition-wise, they are very similar to Russet potatoes except they contain more anthocyanin (causing the purple hue) which is high in antioxidants. 

On to the meal!

Blue Apron: Seared Pork Chops & Plum Salsa

Blue Apron gave product (a courtesy 2-person box) in exchange for this unbiased review. Not a Boomerang's Readers are eligible for a limited-time special discount- receive two free meals by subscribing today!

Makes: 2 servings

Calories: ~800 per serving

Prep: 10 min.

Cook time: 25-35 min.

I was excited to try cooking a new dinner recipe, something protein-based with some gourmet flair. Blue Apron included several ingredients I never used before (farro and scallions) and a few intimidating others- kale usually results in something inedible (my attempts, anyway), mixing fruit into dinner is a roll of the dice (usually ending up with my husband not-so-subtly grimacing when he sees it on his plate near "real food") and I'm allergic to almonds. I was not entirely confident I could make it work. 

On to the meal!

Conversation with a Shopping Addict

When someone is literally taking your blood, it is advisable to be as agreeable as possible and not challenge their lifestyle values. Learn from this tale and save the financial evangelizing for another day:


The first thing the phlebotomist said as she wrapped the tourniquet around my arm was, "I have such a craving for chocolate."

"Okay," I replied, thinking this was her tactic to distract the patient from eyeing the needle. Not necessary, but appreciated. I have had my fair share of blood draws over the years, and am not bothered much by this anymore.

She continued, "I'm going to make my husband buy me some after this. Milk chocolate, mmm! This day is taking forever though. Were there many patients in the fitting room after you?"

I shook my head mutely, watching as she inserted the needle. Alright, maybe not a calming tactic. 

Finally Cashing in that Coin Jar

When I was young, my parents had an empty water cooler bottle that they would use to collect coins. We would save all year then turn the coins in to a local counter machine to use on our annual family vacation. I still remember the excitement we had at learning how much we saved. The purpose of it was to have disposable cash on-hand. This isn't a bad thing, but since we spent it readily, I did not equate this simple method as a way to generate any long-term savings. Now that I'm in charge of my family's finances, I take a slightly different approach.

The coin jar above followed us through three moves, but has rarely been full enough to empty. When living in the city, I avoided picking up change from subway platforms. Better to leave that quarter near the puddle of unknown sludge. Whenever I broke a bill and made change, I quickly found ways to spend get rid of it because it was easier to swipe my credit card than fumble through a wallet in a crowded area. Better to leave the spare cash in a tip jar than carry around annoying pennies. It's better than getting robbed because someone saw a flash of a $20 and thought you were rolling in it, but failed to realize that's the first Andrew Jackson you've seen all month. Amirite?

This mindset was wasteful. 

Over the past year, I made a concentrated effort to liberate coins from our couch cushions, rescue dropped dimes from under the car floor mat, and empty pennies from seldom used handbags and wallets. My life is more settled now. Change has a way of floating around more easily and getting found.

Better to save it.

Personally, I don't use third-party coin counter machines at local grocery stores. They take a fairly hefty percentage of your earnings, sometimes as much as 5% or more. Instead, I cash in at my local bank branch, despite wariness over any of their more "official" machines shortchanging clients. The only foolproof method would be to fill your own coin roll wrappers. I have not gone that far yet.

Let me say that the bank teller who assisted me was very detail-oriented. She snagged a loose button, zipper pull, and some random string bits from the jar as she poured the change in to the coin sorter. She was lightning fast. During that process, my husband asked how much we collected. 

My guess: $178.00

Actual...

Affordable Wedding Invitations: Secured

My younger sister recently married, but is planning a larger wedding in 2017. She asked me to be her maid of honor. I accepted. Cue panic.

Before you think I am terrible (I may be), let me explain. Weddings are outside of my comfort zone. Ask me about tax deductions, student loans, credit scores, and the like...but planning a wedding?! I'm a lost cause with the details and the dollar signs spinning around hurt my head.

Exchanges like the one below give some reassurance though. Weeks ago, I mentioned that stores carry DIY invitations. She was skeptical that they would appear cheap and ordered more expensive samples from professional wedding vendors. We looked over those. They were nice, but then she saw the cost and gave my idea a go. First success as MOH? I think so!

90 invitations down. A little under 90 to go. 

*I did not receive any compensation from Home Goods for this post. Yet.

How to Get Your Money's Worth from Beauty and Personal Care Products

According to a recent Washington Post article, most American women are more likely to buy luxe beauty products over clothing. However, I recommend using samples first. Shaking brand loyalty is a little more difficult to do.

I spend hundreds each year on personal care products and cosmetics, but most upscale brands simply cost too much for the average person, myself included, to grab on a whim. With Sephora letting customers have up to three samples per in-store visit and plenty of competitors giving away free trial sizes online, I am part of a new wave of consumers the common retailer may struggle to engage. 

Poor packaging only compounds the pricing pain point. Why would I buy something that is not only difficult to use, wasteful even, and expensive? Before throwing out that next shampoo bottle, open the cap and take a look inside. You will be surprised by how much is left- that's a lot of discarded money over time.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil (deluxe sample shown) retails for $26 for 0.07 oz. 

The solution? Scissors, in most cases. In the above, I used a matchstick after cutting the sample open because anything else would have been too large. A small spatula with an extended handle is cost-effective and can get the job done too.

MDSolarSciences Mineral Tinted Crème Broad Spectrum SPF 30 UVA-UVB: $32 for 1.7 oz.

It may seem petty and cheap to bother, but doing this greatly extends the "life" of most products by 3-5 days on average, and full-sized products even longer. In short, you will notice a cost difference over time. Your bank account balance will thank you.

Half Full & Empty Cart Friday

A tell-all of what I resisted and impulsively bought this week.

From a New Homeowner: There's Good in Renting

I am fortunate to own a home for almost two years now. It's a small but good-sized home in a decent suburban neighborhood. It's the type of place where neighbors say hello without feeling too awkward, where kids still, by and large, play in the streets, and people plant flowers and tend to their small lawns with meticulous care. It seems primarily filled with retirees, though many young couples and families have moved in too. Having returned from nearly a decade of city life (and never having had those experiences growing up), that type of place felt very foreign and uncomfortable to me at first. Yet, it's become home to me, to us.

Prior to that we were renters, like 33.8% of the U.S. population (2000 U.S. Census). In looking back, there were many benefits of renting I didn't appreciate then. Don't get me wrong- I love being a homeowner, but it's idealized. Realistically, it only takes one or two bumps in life- an unexpected illness, a lost job, etc. - a few missed months of mortgage payments before a family could be faced with foreclosure. A lot can happen during a 30-year repayment period.

Losing my house is a fear, but not an all-consuming or even primary one. The reason why I'm feeling this uncertainty now is because my husband is going to apply for jobs that will bring him better personal well-being but greatly decreased income- we're talking salary reductions that are tens of thousands of dollars less per year. Ultimately, it will be what is best for him. Knowing that no one has guaranteed job security, especially in a new job, I feel it's important to consciously remind myself of the good in renting. People get attached to their homes. I like mine, but if needed, we could sell and go back to being happy tenants without feeling too defeated. Truly believing that and having a hand to hold throughout is comforting with all of the uncertainties life can bring.

On to the memories!

The Real Cost of Powerball

First Bandit. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder. The mere want of gold, and the falling-from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 

- William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens

$1.6 billion dollars. It's tempting, to say the least, even after taxes. People are playing all over the country. It's only $2-$3 a pop, right? How harmful could it be?

Powerball draws began on October 7, 2015. Winning numbers are drawn twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday. Your chances of winning are one in 292.2 million. For a frame of reference, there are only 318.4 million people in the United States. That's nearly 15 weeks of drawings, or 29-30 including this past Wednesday and this Saturday's. That would be 30 x $3 (to maximize the jackpot) = $90.00 so far.

On the outside, that seems like a good investment. Okay, but if I do win then it was worth it. That's not a terrible amount of money over that much time, especially if my loss was far less because I am part of a group pool.

Think about what $90.00 would have gotten you. Groceries. An additional charitable (and tax-deductible) donation.  A few more trips to the gas station. Less stress in paying the bills. Maybe a little more money in emergency savings.

People gamble because they have hope that a magic financial wand will get them out of a rut or change their lives forever. People treat the game with equal parts reverence and superstition. It's a mire of hope and desperation fueled by belief in Lady Luck rather than a rigged system settled on behavioral psychology meant to keep you spending (and losing). I know this repetitive refrain all too well. After all, I was raised by gamblers. Winning the Powerball would certainly "solve" a lot of financial problems people have, or not.

Well, I think you're being too harsh, you might argue, gambling is a hobby of mine- not an addiction.

It could all very well be harmless infrequent fun, but if you are letting financial responsibilities fall to the wayside in order to play Powerball (especially if that is only one of many lottery tickets in your pocket), then a re-evaluation of priorities is in order. Because as long as collection agencies are calling or bills are due, being "in it to win it" is a poor financial strategy. It will not get you out of a mess. Playing the lottery will only keep you in the red.

And if you're not in the red, trust me - many more gambling addicts are being made from this fervor over Powerball than not.

If you or a loved one is addicted to gambling, support can be found at Gamblers Anonymous, gam-anon.org.