Vice Advice

Vices. We all have them (don't look me straight in the face and tell me you don't)(it's called lying and will land you in Sunday School).  My own personal addictions are Coffee and Wine.  The French Press is the most used item in my kitchen and most of my days aren't complete without a delightful glass of wine to round them out.  It only makes matters worse that I can't drink bad coffee or bad wine because it would be cheaper but I just can't do it! I would rather save money in another area of my life to be able to afford a better bottle of Vino.  The problem for most of us penny-pinchers is that these two vices are not cheap and yet nearly impossible to give up.  How do we continue to call ourselves "scrimpers" while still living in sin?  We find ways to save at least a little bit here and there without giving them up completely.  Maybe you stop drinking wine a few nights a week (gasp!what did she just say?oh the horror) so that you can afford to drink better wine on the nights you DO partake.  Maybe you try to use a teensy bit fewer coffee beans in the morning.  Let me highlight a few little things that could save you at least a few pennies every day.  Those pennies add up.

Coffee:

• Bulk: I buy my coffee beans a little at a time every week from the bulk area.  Usually this is cheaper than the fancy packaged stuff and it tastes fresher if I grind the beans myself every day. 
• If you already make your coffee at home, try using a little bit less and see if you can really taste the difference.  Some of us dump those grounds in based on what someone else says, that someone else wants you to run out of coffee sooner so that you go buy another bag.
• If you don't finish the pot of coffee in the morning, put the remainder in a container in the refrigerator for a home-made iced coffee later in the day or week.
• Don't buy your coffee drinks at Starbucks ect. I know its fun and way easier but if you go every day to the tune of at least $3... well do I need to do the math for you?  Let's just say you probably spend a good $80-$100 bucks monthy.  That could add up to over A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR!! 

Wine:

• Develop a good relationship with your local wine retailer.  I'm not talking about BevMo here I'm talking about fabulous stores such as The Wine Loft or Dandelion Wine, where the owners themselves or trusted staff are always on hand to give you honest advice on wine.  They will tell you which of the value wines are really delicious.  If you don't have a store like this and must rely on a grocery store, at least do a little online research of wines they sell to see what sort of reviews they have.  There's nothing worse than dumping a bottle down the drain after you've spent hard earned money on it.
• If you don't finish the bottle of wine, use some sort of wine preserver and stick it in the fridge for drinking in the next day or two.  Just let red wine come to room temp and it should still taste fine. If it's not up to par for drinking, cook with it at least!
• Consider buying a 6-12 bottles of wine at a time at your local wine shop.  Most places offer a discount of at least 10% on a case.  

These are just a few things I've found to help me save money.  What do you do?