Frugality Report: Smoker's Budget, Teabags, Fresh Broccoli

Smoker's Budget
Possible Flurries and I were estimating how much money per year a typical addicted smoker spends. When discussing the numbers, I said, "It sort of makes my football card habit seem pretty light." Possible Flurries replied, "It sort of makes my buying groceries habit seem pretty light." And then I said, "Think of all the things we could justify buying if we said, 'Well, I don't smoke: this is the money I would spend on cigarettes, so I can spend it on something else.'" Let's go out to eat: we'll take the money from our smoker's budget. Let's get tickets to a play: we don't smoke, so we'll just take the money we would have spent on cigarettes if we did.

Of course that's not a reasonable way to make spending decisions, but it has a certain sense to it. If we budgeted as if we were both smokers, there would be all sorts of things we could do with the money we are actually not spending on cigarettes.

Teabagging
I've switched from pop to iced tea, with great success. But there is a frugal way to acquire iced tea. If you buy Lipton's Iced Tea in 16.9 oz bottles, a 12 pack usually costs around $6.00 (usually between $5.50-6.50). But you can buy these little packets that you can just mix into your water. They're usually around $2.50 for a pack of 10 (between $2-$3, but usually $2.50). The benefits are overwhelming. First, your cost per drink goes from around 50 cents to around 25 cents. Second, you don't need storage space: I've got 34 packets in a cupboard right now, as opposed to 34 packets sitting around the kitchen or in the fridge. And finally, you save on waste: instead of using up a new bottle with each drink, you use up a very small packet.

Fresh Broccoli
Fresh broccoli stalks are usually under $1.70 for a fixed amount (3-4 stalks wrapped up). You have the crowns, but you have a long stem, too. You can eat the stems if you want. However, if you are willing to cut off the crowns yourself, you can throw away the stems and still save money (I think). Buying fresh broccoli crowns, cut by the store, is like $3.99 per pound. Buying frozen broccoli crowns is (if memory serves) around two dollars a pound or more. But I think when I buy the stalks, I'm getting a pound or more of crowns, so by just cutting off the crowns myself, I'm saving money. Sometimes I do steam the stems with the crowns; other times, I just toss them because the crowns are the good part.