Friday, October 30, 2009

Wine Finder Friday

Happy Friday Wine Lovers!

For today's Wine Finder Friday, we travel to the distant land of Chile for a Pinot Noir that's a true sleeper. This $11 selection produced by Concha y Toro - marketed as Casillero del Diablo - is a real surprise for Pinot Noir under $20.

Pinot Noir - A delicate fruit

You may be aware that the pinot grape is a very delicate and tough fruit to grow. It loves cool weather and rocky soil. Due to the challenges growing great pinot, it often costs well above $20 to taste its true brilliance...and that's what makes this selection a great find. Pinot Noir is famous for its light red, light body and mild acidity - a perfect first step into the world of red wine for cautious white wine generalists.

Casillero del Diablo is aged in French Oak for 8 months and features soft tones of chocolate, coffee and mixed fruit.

Pinot Noir is notorious for being food friendly, so drink and enjoy it with everything!

It's Friday...so raise your glass and enjoy!

Cash in the Couch

Friday, October 23, 2009

Blingin’ Watches on a Budget


I, like many, suffer from chronic watch envy. Don’t deny it. You probably suffer from it too. It’s a known habit that humans stare at bulging time pieces. Let’s face it, we all have caught ourselves gazing into the glare of a shiney wrist watch on an unsuspecting passerby and thought, “Daaang! That thing is huge…must have cost a fortune!”


Truth is, you can find some of those eye popping gems for a great price...if you look hard enough of course. But don't sweat it, I'll make it easy on you.


A Quick Lesson on Watches


- There are very few watch makers that can produce large quantities of high quality time pieces.


- You’ve noticed that companies like Fossil brand (www.fossil.com) have hundreds of different styles and price points. In fact, Fossil manufactures high quality watches for some very high-end brands like Michele and Michael Kors.


Make the Trip


Recently, I found myself in the market for a new watch as a gift for my now fiance. A friend of mine tipped me off that Michael Kors watches, similar to the styles found at Nordstroms, could be found on the cheap by heading to the local Prime Outlet Mall (http://www.primeoutlets.com/) and more specifically to the Fossil Watch Outlet (http://www.primeoutlets.com/our-brands/fossil.aspx).


After 5 minutes of visiting the store, I was awestruck by the selection, the brands they manufactured and the prices they sold them for...I ended up walking out of there with a $350 Michael Kors watch for $85.

Granted, most of the watches available were from last year's collection, but c'mon folks, who honestly knows that?! And who cares???

All in all, I walked out of that store with my shoulders back, my head held high, a beautiful time piece in hand, an elated bride to be, and a cool $265 back in my pocket.

Cash in the Couch

Wine Finder Friday - Fan's Choice

I'm excited to announce the very first Fan's Choice guest blog on Wine Finder Friday! My first guest is Eric McMillan, a friend, co-worker, and most notably a wine buddy and trusted palate when it comes to great vino. I want to thank Eric for his review and selection this week.

2007 Carmenere, Casa Silva Reserva (picture shows ‘03) from the Colchagua Valley region of Chile

Review

In my opinion, Casa Silva Reserva is one of THE BEST $10.00 bottles of wine I’ve ever had! I seriously mean that! When savored, it drinks like a dark chocolate covered plum. It’s light enough to drink in the afternoon but bold enough to enjoy with a delicious meal. I would have to say it’s a Chilean version of a cross between an “Old Vine” Zinfandel and a lighter bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.

Where to purchase

Although I discovered this when I was at Bin 36 (http://www.bin36.com/) - a great wine bar in Chicago - while enjoying some sarvecchio, I also found it at Binny’s (http://www.binnys.com/) for $9.99. Make sure to call your local wine store to confirm they carry this selection as I found not all locations carry it.

It's Friday... (a little late, I know!), so raise your glass and enjoy!

Cash in the Couch

Friday, October 16, 2009

Wine Finder Friday


This little gem can be found at Trader Joe's for around $7.99. Nerello del Bastardo by Marchesi di Montecristo is known as the "Bastard of Barolo", a similar taste to the famous Italian staple red wine. It is known to be made from Nebbiolo grapes and is more than likely blended with the Sangiovese varietal.

The fruit flavors of the wine match its pleasant nose with no unintended surprises. It’s deep red color almost accents brown around its edge. The bouquet offers black licorice, rose and blended fruit with a final touch of spice. It’s a big wine, but plenty mellow enough to enjoy alone or with food.

This is one of those wines that at a $7.99 price point, it makes sense to buy a case and store until its 8-12 years old reaching full maturity. It’s a really good value.

As with any young wine (2006, 2007, 2008 vintages), this wine especially needs to "breath" before it reaches its full potential. I recommend using a decanter or uncorking it and let it sit open for 30 minutes to an hour before enjoying.
If you want to make a smart investment in your wine portfolio, pick up the Vinturi Wine Aerator at Bed Bath and Beyond (and use your 20% off coupon to save $8). http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16490091&RN=107 This handy tool opens wine up to its optimum nose and flavor faster than any decanter out there, and works one glass at a time. Give it a try! It’s fantastic!

It’s Friday, so raise your glass…and enjoy!

Cash in the Couch

Saturday, October 10, 2009

When to Buy Store Brands


It looks the same. It costs a lot less. But I've never heard of this brand!? Should I buy it?

In many cases, the answer is YES!

In the October issue of Consumer Reports magazine, they reviewed store brands to big name brands, and the result was quite favorable for store brands. The article explains, "In blind tests, our trained tasters compared a big national brand with a store brand in 29 food categories. Store and national brands tasted about equally good 19 times. Four times, the store brand won; six times, the national brand won."

And the good news is, they reported "the store brand foods cost an average of 27 percent less".


Store Brand Milk

One product where this especially holds true is milk. Store brand dairy products are typically produced by the same name brand you see right next to it on the shelves. Take Dean Foods Fat Free Milk for instance. If you see a Dean Foods gallon of milk next to a Jewel brand gallon, they are the exact same milk. Companies like Prairie Farms and Swiss Valley do the same thing. Frankly, there are not enough dairy farmers left to handle the volume, so the large name brands produce most everything.

Test it Yourself

The next time you buy milk, pay close attention to the font and text size of the Good Until Date printed on the container. When the name brand and store brand dates look the same, you will know that store brand milk came from the same plant and the same production line as the name brand. The only difference is the label on the container.


Unless you are EXTREMELY brand loyal for whatever reason, save yourself some CASH and buy the store brand. It's the same milk!


I could go on about the comparisons with store brand hand soap, furniture polish, cheese, contact solution and medine, but you get the point. Give them a try! It PAYS.


Cash in the Couch

Friday, October 9, 2009

Wine Finder Friday


This week, we explore the lighter side of wine with a white selection. The 2006 Brampton Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa for $8.99 will blow you away for a wine under $10. It’s bright and intense with a pleasant sense of citrus and tropical fruits followed by its keynote soft, grassy notes.

The perfect food pairing is a lemon herb chicken breast with asparagus and garlic bread. But I’m not going to lie, it goes great with pizza!

It’s Friday…so raise your glass and enjoy!

Cash in the Couch


Sunday, October 4, 2009

Use Credit Cards to Save Money


That just doesn't make sense, does it? Using a Credit Card to Save Money? Or does it make sense...


First a quick DISCLAIMER - the following ideas are for readers who have the financial ability to pay their bills in full every month. If you are in credit card debt paying minimums, please review your current buying habits, make cutbacks, and commit to paying down your debt every month with a deadline for being debt free. Please seek advice on handling your own personal situation.


That said, there's actually 2 ways this works.


One way to save money using a credit card is through the card's Reward Program. It is fairly common to find a credit card that will pay back the holder 1% of your total transactions.



Let's say a person makes $50,000 (after taxes) and is able to put away 10% for retirement. After rent/mortgage payments (20%), the vast majority of the remaining $35,000 of life's expenses can be paid for by credit card. Cell phone bills, cable bills, clothes, groceries, gas, transportation, dinner, drinks - all can go on plastic. Just think, if you were able to put all $35,000 on your credit card, you'd have an extra $350 cash in your pocket to treat yourself to that new TV or a relaxing weekend away. But don't be deceived...


Be careful: Some credit cards will charge you an annual fee for their Rewards Program. You shouldn't have to pay a fee, so keep your eyes peeled for a free program.


The behavior of using a credit card to save can be counter-intuitive. We've been trained that Credit Cards are bad, that they'll suck you in and make you spend money you don't have to spend. But for financially responsible folks like yourselves, they give you a financial advantage.


The second opportunity to save is through a little financial trick called the Time Value of Money (TVM). Investopedia defines TVM as, "The idea that money available at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future due to its potential earning capacity." (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/timevalueofmoney.asp) Since credit cards only require you to pay once every 30 days, think about a lifetime's worth of spending where you can delay your payments every 30 days as opposed to spending the money at the time of purchase.


REWARDS:


Look for a program that gives a CASH reward. While free flights and gift certificates for electronics are great, nothing, I MEAN NOTHING, is better than CASH. You can buy anything with it - flights, electronics and all.


So the next time you go to pull a bunch of cash out of the ATM or use your Debit card to pay, think again! Every $100 spent with Cash or Debit Card is another dollar lost!


Here's a quick tip...to use at the BAR!


1. Ask the server if the bar has a credit card minimum. If you can't reach the minimum, have another!

2. Instead of paying cash every time you get a drink, put down your card and open a tab. This will help you avoid over-tipping (how many times have you tipped $1 on a $2 beer? - that's a 50% tip!) Unless you're trying to hit on the server, take my advice and open a tab.

3. Not only are you saving your cash and delaying payment, you're racking up those Rewards points to treat yourself for being so smart!


In short, solid knowledge of a Credit Card's advantages will change the way you think about money. But just be careful...make sure you read that devious fine print...it pays!


Cash in the Couch

Friday, October 2, 2009

Wine Finder Friday



This week, I'm going to give a shout-out to my friend and co-worker Eric for leading me into this delicious 2005 Shiraz by Rosemount Estates, typically under $9.99. Found in most retailers and grocery stores, this wine is a staple in my home cellar. The first nose is full of berry and spice. It finishes with a warm, smooth coating of American Oak.

I recommend the 2005 over the 2006 vintage, but 2006 is no slouch. As with most red wines worldwide, 2005 was an unbelievable weather year for wine.

I recommend pairing this wine with a thick cut of steak, mesquite pork chop or a collection of Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Add a zesty vinaigrette dressing to mixed vegetable and lettuce salad and you have a dynamite meal that's sure to impress!

So raise your glass, and enjoy!

Cash in the Couch