Apologies for the caps lock in your feed reader this morning, but I was a guest on the fantastic podcast The Finance Girlies and I finally get to tell you about it because IT WENT LIVE TODAY!!!!
Hosts Emily and Cassidy put me perfectly at ease (more about their stories here) and… it was a lot of fun!
I’d love it if you took the time to pop over and have a listen.
In a fortuitous turn of events, when they reached out to confirm the release date, it happened to coincide with a fresh post about saving money while we’re living in Europe for four months.
Here are my first and second rounds of money-saving tips from our time overseas. For lots more details about our trip you can find all the details on my Travel page!
And, since frugal-minded folks tend to like free things, why not pop over to yesterday’s post for a chance to win a signed copy of Laura Vanderkam’s latest book, Big Time…
Okay, let’s talk money saving tips.
CHILD RATE TICKETS
Travelling with kids isn’t cheap but, blessedly, they can often get access to museums and public transit for free or at heavily discounted rates. We make sure to maximize those options when they’re available to us!
When the kids and I were visiting Suomenlinna (a UNESCO World Heritage Site on an island just outside Helsinki), I had to pay to enter the on-site church, but the kids could get in for free. So they went in without me and came out with the lowdown (complete with pictures) free of charge.
USING UP THE FOOD WE BOUGHT
When we left Vienna, we got down to the bottom of the proverbial barrel in terms of using up our groceries. I threw out a tiny bit of rice and left behind the salt and cinnamon we bought but didn’t finish. Other than that, the larder was bare!
This week, I had some over-ripe bananas. Is baking in an Airbnb kitchen ideal? No. Did I understand all the different flour options in a Finnish grocery store? No, I did not. But I figured it was worth a try and we used up all sorts of odds and ends in the cupboard AND got a delicious banana bread out of it.
DISCOUNTED GROCERIES
I never expected to find so many reduced items at grocery stores in Europe! We bought these DELICIOUS discounted sandwiches in Zurich and they kept us well-fuelled en route to Monaco.
FREE MUSEUMS/FREE DAYS
This “tip” is probably going to make an appearance in every money-saving post I write about this trip, but it’s worth repeating. For each destination I look up free museums (in Helsinki the Tram Museum and the City Museum are always free), and then I look up free days for paid museums. Many (most?) museums and other attractions (even spots like zoos) tend to have at least a few free days each year, especially in the off-season, but many are free on a monthly rotating basis.
SHARING TREATS
When we eat out, we tend to share items. If we’re each getting something, we try to choose different things so we get to try a wider variety.
And, not only did we get to enjoy freshly made churros, because it took longer than expected to prepare them, the shop gave us EACH a free lemon-glazed, filled doughnut!
SAMPLES!!!
In Venice, we made out like bandits at Nino & Friends chocolate shop. They handed out so many samples.
John and Belle spent most of Vappu exploring Helsinki and at every turn there were free items, including mini Daim bars.
On Mother’s Day, John and I went to a local sushi spot for supper (it’s a great deal!), and en route home ended up walking by the cafe where we bought the churros mentioned above. It happened to be closing time and the owner was giving away all the excess bakery items. There were fresh loaves of bread (piping hot, straight from the oven), croissants, and an array of muffins and doughnuts. The owner even had paper bags so people could take things home for free!!!!
The next day I made a sandwich from the crusty French loaf and it was divine.
FREE PARKING
A huge thanks to Catrina for letting us leave our car at her place the first night we were in Zurich. All the other places had either inexpensive parking or, better yet, free!
HOT WATER BOTTLE… SORT OF
I was soooo cold one afternoon and desperately wished for my beloved Magic Bags. While it wasn’t the same, I filled up an empty plastic bottle with hot water and it was certainly better than nothing!
SHOPPING AROUND
I had wanted to buy postcards from Helsinki; John and I found some nice ones at a local market, but I wasn’t convinced they were original art. Sure enough, we found the exact same ones for a much better price at a local souvenir shop!
Last week, Indy and I headed out to find a very specific souvenir he wanted (a moose keychain). We compared options and prices at multiple shops that were close together before finding the best deal which also happened to have the cutest moose. (In case you’re wondering, he named him Elki which is a mash-up of how popular elk are in Finland and how the name is buried in the word hELsinKI.) Why yes, we are a family that names tiny stuffed animals!
VISITING ON DISCOUNT DAYS
Helsinki’s amusement park—Linnanmäki—has discounted Fun Fare days early in the season. We planned our visit around one of those and happily saved €4 per wristband (that’s about ~$26 CAD in total savings). We also ate lunch before we went, packed a few snacks and water in my purse, and aside from a bag of popcorn, didn’t purchase any food on-site. This saved a lot of money!
That’s a wrap for now. In case you haven’t had a chance to pop over and listen to my guest appearance on The Finance Girlies, here’s your not-so-subtle reminder to do that now!
Your turn.
- Share some recent frugal wins.
P.S. You can also find more behind-the-scenes content within my Patreon community, Lighthouse Keepers; some of the posts are free but most topics land behind the paywall.
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I think sharing food is so smart! Esp as many servings ( here in the US) are so big. My kids always shared snacks/lunch when we would be out.
Frugal win? None right now, I’ve been spending like a drunken sailor lately with end of school year busyness. But now my semester’s over so I won’t need to drive to work. I’ll save gas money.
I’ve never listened to a podcast, so no comment on your vocal speed. But I grew up in the northeast of US- you’re probably slow compared to me.
Now I go to Google how to listen to podcasts…..
Okay, I started singing “What shall we do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning?” out loud when I read your comment. Probably not your intention, but it lightened my mood.
I currently have my head buried in the sand about gas prices. I know they’re sky-high, but not having to fill up a tank has been a perk of living in Europe and relying on public transit (and the prices for the transit passes were set ages ago).
I swear they made my voice sound normal through some post-processing magic?? I swear I talked faster than that.
You can just click through the link and push play on the icon; no need to download anything if you don’t already listen to podcasts through a podcast app.
Congrats on the podcast! I’m looking forward to listening to it later.
And baking in an Airbnb is impressive. My main challenge would probably be figuring out the oven settings and then discovering I’m missing half the basic tools 😄 Sounds like you’ve got it well under control. Nothing beats the smell of fresh banana bread in a temporary kitchen!
I figured the worst that could happen was I would have to throw it out… but it was great!
The oven settings are overwhelming; I mostly just fiddle with things and hope for the best. An art, not a science??
And thanks! It was a fun opportunity. I’d love to be a guest on other podcasts, but there’s something really special about the FIRST one and I had a lot of fun “hanging out” with Emily and Cassidy.
Congratulations Elisabeth! I am looking forward to listening to it later.
Recent frugal wins:
– putting the jar of salsa in the freezer right after taco night. Otherwise I find it usually goes mildly before the next time we have tacos. It’s easy to thaw out next time we need it.
– Sending my husband out to quickly respond to an add for free hostas (a perennial plant!) in exchange for digging them out. I got 4 and so did my MIL all for free.
Awww. Thanks, Maria!
YES to salsa going moldy and I have never thought to put it in the freezer. This is genius!!!
I’m excited to listen! I downloaded the episode and I will report back. If you were talking fast, it just means that you had a lot of good content that you had to fit into the show.
My takeaway is that I need to start bringing my magic bag with me when I travel in the colder months. I never thought of doing that, and it’s genius.
Since I’m eating solo for most of my travel meals, I can’t share, but I often order appetizers instead of meals. It saves a few bucks and helps with portion control.
Okay, I actually went back and edited the post because either I DIDN’T talk fast… or they did some magical post-processing because I kinda sound… normal? I mean, it’s always going to be weird to hear your own voice but still. I think I sound fairly relaxed??
Birchie, I have lost track of the number of times I wish I had my Magic Bag along.
YES to ordering apps instead of entrees sometimes! Also, I often find there can be more fun variety in the appetizer section.
You didn’t talk quickly at all; you sound great on audio. Love the mattress story. And avoid Tuesdays at Value Village – seniors day, 30% off for over 60!
Aww. Thanks for such kind words, Jan.
The mattress story has been told and retold many times. I’m not sure if you son remembers it, but we used to recruit both kids to help and have pictures of them in onesie footed PJs helping to slide it down the hall.
I can’t wait to listen to this episode!
Thanks, friend. Someday, when we get around to launching a podcast together, we’ll have lots of episodes to listen to 🙂
Well you know the second I read this I downloaded the episode! I will listen to it on my Rex walk today. I will be so excited to hear your voice! I have heard Lisa’s on (I think) Best of Both Worlds and Kae on SHU’s, and NOW YOU. Ahhhhh my famous podcast friends. This is so exciting!
Not surprisingly, I kinda feel like it doesn’t sound like me AT ALL.
One of the thing that I found the most hilarious about meeting SHU in real life was how used to her voice I was; it was a bit bizarre. I had done a walk and talk with Kae and Birchie before I met them in person, but somehow didn’t have a clear idea of how they sounded in my head. But Sarah, I knew distinctly.
I hope you enjoy the episode. I’m not sure about the famous part, but it was A LOT OF FUN.
Speaking of which. I now need you to be a podcast guest, Nicole. You would be FABULOUS.
Way hay and up up she rises, way hay and up she rises, early in the morning… The ear worm got me too!
And now the song is back in my head!!!
Like Nicole, I’m excited to hear your voice! I’ll listen to the podcast today and report back.
I had some inadvertent frugal wins at the grocery store on Sunday, where several things I needed were BOGO free. I was making a Chex mix, and Chex cereal was BOGO (and I needed two boxes) along with bagel chips, which I also needed. I LOVE it when something I was planning on getting anyway turns out to be BOGO!!!
I suspect it will surprise no one to know I don’t think it sounds anything like me. Why is it so bizarre to hear oneself recorded?!!
It is pure delight to need something at the grocery store and happen to realize it is on sale. Such a great feeling.
Just listened to your podcast with The Finance Girlies!!
I liked your tips about going to places on either free days or cheaper days. I love going to museums, art galleries and always check if there is a free/cheaper day/time to go and try to work that into my schedule. If I’m wanting to do a short get-away I’ll pick Sunday through Thursday to go as they are cheaper days for accommodations and like to have at least a fridge and coffee maker to be able to buy food from the grocery store for some of our meals rather than eating out all the time.
I love walking through parks and cemeteries when I’m on vacation and they are free. I also hate crowds, so like you, I’d go to Disneyland on a Tuesday over the weekend!!
Just last evening we were bemoaning the fact that none of our hotels in Europe have had mini fridges (admittedly, that’s only been 7 total nights so far). But it meant we couldn’t store things like yogurt for breakfasts and that’s a great way to save money!
Disney on a Tuesday was still plenty busy and I am very glad we didn’t go on a weekend for a variety of reasons.
As a long-time regular listener to podcasts, I know some people’s voices are easy to listen to. That’s you, Elisabeth! You were confident but not cocky, you didn’t say “um” or end each statement with “right?”, and most of all, you didn’t have a little girl whine in your voice. (Those things cause me to unfollow podcasts.) It was great fun to listen this morning while I worked on a drawing.
I consider this high praise. Thanks for the kind words, Jana. I immediately pictured you in the art cabin (maybe not where you were) listening to my voice for the first time!
How fun to hear your lovely voice, and you did such a great job on the podcast! I’m so happy for you, and even sitting here beaming with pride that my bloggy friend is on a podcast!
Michelle, as always, you find a way to make me feel so warm and fuzzy with your words. I was on a podcast!
Aside from the fun of being interviewed, I’m so glad all my blog friends can finally here my voice (even though to my own ear it sounds nothing like me at all; isn’t it so strange how we perceive our own voice)!
LOL, my frugal trip lately is having my husband out of town on a business trip. Cooking for him is usually more meat centric than my daughter and I like. So we had hot dogs on Monday (I only had to buy buns, I had regular and vegan hot dogs in the fridge), pancakes last night, and tonight will be omelettes. I went to the Farmer’s Market on Sunday, so we had fruit and vegetables already. I feel like these are 3 pretty inexpensive meals, which is a win.
Fun to be on a podcast! I think I’m going to be on my husband’s podcast sometime soon. I don’t really enjoy doing it, at least ahead of time. Once I’m there it’s more fun than I expected. We’re going to talk about Sade’s albums and my favorite songs. I’ll give yours a listen today!
I can relate! I remember when John stopped travelling over COVID lockdowns and our grocery budget went way up. It took me a while to realize we had an extra adult home all the time. It makes a big difference!
Those meals sound simple and also FUN (and delicious). Which reminds me… I haven’t made an omelette in ages.
I keep forgetting Ted has a podcast! And you’re going to be a guest? How fun!!! I will definitely listen.
Great job on the interview! You’d be a natural guest sometime for Best Laid Plans or Best of Both Worlds.
Thanks so much. I’d love to be a guest on both of those podcasts at some point; Laura and Sarah are such great interviewers!
You definitely didn’t talk too fast! Also it was really fun to hear your voice. Gold stars on the podcast!
Thanks for making time in your VERY BUSY DAY (goodness, reading your Day in the Life post filled me with utter amazement at how full your days are at this stage of life) to listen to my guest appearance <3
Wonderful job on the podcast, Elisabeth. Enjoyed it!
Aww! Thanks, Jean <3
Ooh will check out the podcast! Now I want to see a photo of Elki! My frugal win this week is staying in a little self-contained cabin on my trip (much cheaper than a hotel and has a little kitchen), and buying grocery supplies on Day 1 which have done me all my meals that aren’t supplied by my masterclass. I bought snacks, salad, breakfast cereal, fruit, coffee, milk, and tortillas to make wraps. Its saved me a lot of money, and I will enjoy the couple of meals I do eat out even more!
I need to get a picture of Elki – haha!
Your cabin looks ADORABLE. And yay for all the made-at-home food and YES, it will make the restaurant meals feel more special and exciting.