The Outlier Model

Page 256

Using medical deductions in your tax return

medical deductions in your tax, medical benefits, tax deduction, tax return, health benefits

CF / March 26th, 2011 / No Comments

Many people are fortunate enough to have benefit plans which completely cover their health and dental needs. But many other people only have partial coverage and still many others are not covered at all. I used to be fortunate enough to have all of my medical and dental needs covered at 100%. But after going back to school and taking a work placement, my benefits have evaporated. Luckily, Brian’s...

Posted in: Money Tagged with: medical expenses, refund, tax credit

Kitchen tips: How to keep herbs fresh

keep herbs fresh, basil, fresh herbs, herbs, kitchen tips, kitchen herb

CF / March 21st, 2011 / 1 Comment

I love having fresh Thai basil on hand for soups and stir-frys. But if you stick them in the fridge and don’t use them within a few days, they tend to wilt and then I feel bad about wasting money. A great way to keep Thai basil fresh is to treat it like a flower. Cut off the ends of the stems and stick it in a glass of water. Put the glass in an area that gets indirect sunlight, like your...

Posted in: Food and Grocery Tagged with: basil, herbs, how to, kitchen, mint

Recipe idea: Soy braised ribs with root vegetables

Ribs and Radish, Recipe idea, braised ribs

CF / March 17th, 2011 / 2 Comments

Having the most frugal grocery budget in the world isn’t going to help you and if you can’t put together at least a few healthy, tasty, and cheap eats! Every month, The Outlier Model features a cheap recipe idea, along with the cost breakdown. This is a great meat-efficient recipe that produces soup stock as a byproduct. I used daikon (a large, white radish), but regular radishes and carrots...

Posted in: Food and Grocery, Recipes Tagged with: braised ribs, daikon, recipe

Free and fun entertainment

Brian / March 11th, 2011 / No Comments

I used to think that to go out and socialize, I needed to spend money. I often found myself spending money in excess of what I had budgeted just because my friends were doing so. I didn’t want to seem like I was putting a damper on the evening. Recently, I read an article from Krystal at Moneyville that I really connected with. Krystal identifies this ‘peer pressure spending’...

Posted in: Minimalism and Frugality, Money Tagged with: cheap date ideas, free activities, free comedy shows, Fresh Air Cinema, Jazz Festival, peer pressure, Vancouver Art Gallery