Blog Posts by Cheapism.com

By Alyssa Goldman, Cheapism.com

It's 2013 and you're probably thinking, "another year, another set of New Year's resolutions I won't keep." But if bolstering your finances is one realm that could use some attention, now's the moment. Your New Year's resolutions don't need to be drastic and shouldn't seem impossible to keep. In fact, they should fit your life relatively painlessly.

Use the New Year to set your finances straight.

Related: Cheap tax preparation software

Before making a game plan, consider what money-related actions you took in 2012 that turned out well and what can be improved upon. But don't harp on your mistakes, suggest Scott and Bethany Palmer, the duo known as "The Money Couple" and coauthors of the The 5 Money Personalities: Speaking the Same Love and Money Language. It's much more productive to prepare for 2013 with realistic New Year's resolutions.

Monitor your spending. To get a handle on your finances, top your list of New Year's resolutions with a commitment to document every cent you spend

By Teal Pelish, Cheapism.com

As Christmas and New Year's loom ever closer on the horizon, festivities brimming with cocktails and other alcoholic beverages are in full swing. But quenching the thirst of your guests with can cost a pretty penny. We found ways save a bundle with cheap holiday liquor that won't compromise the taste of those special holiday drinks.

We have tips to cut costs on liquor for holiday drinks.

Buying Cheap Alcohol. We all know about duty-free shops and Indian reservations as sources for cheap holiday liquor. One venue that's often overlooked is the online marketplace. Discount liquor vendors such as Love Scotch, Liquor Store Online, and K & W Liquors offer brand names at cut rates. Be sure to consult your state's laws regarding the sale and shipment of alcohol before ordering.

If your state doesn't allow online liquor sales and shipments but a college campus is nearby, scope out the surrounding area. There's often at least one discount liquor warehouse" stocked with off-brand alternatives for the college

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

November has blown in on a gust of dropping temperatures. The days of BBQ and beer are long gone, replaced by cold weather roasts and winter holiday drinks. We found some budget-friendly recipes for DIY cocktails that will keep your inner fires burning and your guests in a festive mood.

Have fun making holiday cocktail drinks!

Related: Inexpensive mixer reviews

Drinks to Warm You Up. After a long day battling the cold nothing warms the body quite like a hot drink spiced with a hint of relaxation.

• Hot Toddy: An oldie but goodie, this simple brew uses what you have on hand. Start with a cup of hot tea and add some lemon, honey, and a spot of brandy. No brandy in the cupboard? Just substitute bourbon or dark rum. This is the perfect remedy for a sore throat.
• Spiced Hot Chocolate: Liven up traditional hot chocolate with chocolate vodka and garnish with marshmallows. Sip and savor slowly by the fire.

Related: Top 4 cheap chocolates

Holiday Drinks. Impress

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

Crock-Pots and other slow cookers tend to emerge from cupboards around this time of year, pressed into service for creating hearty winter meals. This simple appliance has stayed in style since the 1970s for a couple of reasons. For starters, there are lots of easy slow-cooker recipes. You can toss together a few ingredients, leave them to cook all day, and come back to a home-cooked meal that took mere minutes to put together.

Related: Best Inexpensive slow cookers

Slow cookers are wonder time and money savers!

Another reason slow cookers are still so popular: They're cheap. If you don't already have a hand-me-down, you can find a good cheap slow cooker for cost less than $40. Used ones also pop up frequently at thrift stores, in yard sales, and online. Slow cookers cost very little to operate, as well, and make inexpensive meals that can feed a crowd. The Daily Green points out that the energy cost is minimal and the appliance can transform cheap, bland, minimal foods and less

By Alyssa Goldman, Cheapism.com

In many areas across the U.S., there's a ski slope nearby. But local doesn't always mean affordable. Ski resorts often charge $100 for an adult lift ticket, and that's just for the daytime activity. Add in travel expenses, hotel costs, equipment rentals, and dining costs, and well, forget about that budget. All is not lost, however. We did our homework and found some of the cheapest ski destinations where you can swoop down the slopes without going broke.

Saddleback, Maine is an excellent choice for beginners.

Saddleback, Maine. Saddleback Mountain rises 1,420 feet and is naturally divided into terrains based on difficulty. If you live on the East Coast and are a beginner, you've hit the jackpot. Saddleback's website boasts of the best beginner terrains in New England, with gentle trails and slopes at a remove from the more populated areas. The Ski and Ride School allows a maximum of five students to every instructor, which the site claims is the best student-to-teacher ratio in North America.

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Ernest Hemingway described wine as "one of the most civilized things in the world," and some of the most celebrated bottles have sold for six figures at auction. Thankfully, though, drinking wine isn't exclusively a highbrow pursuit (and can sometimes lead to downright uncivilized behavior!). Even if you stick to a budget, you can still be overwhelmed by the available selection. Do you choose the ever-popular chardonnay or would a red wine pair better with Christmas dinner?

Related: Best inexpensive red wines

Enjoy the holidays with a cheap wine!

At Cheapism we limited ourselves to a price point of $10 a bottle and found a number of appealing wines to choose from among all the major varietals. Below are the two reds and two whites that top our lists this holiday season.

• Dr. Loosen Red Slate Riesling (starting at $10) is a medium-bodied, dry white wine. We found positive reviews of the 2010 vintage, one of which noted that the low alcohol content of this wine (8.5%) makes

By Elizabeth Sheer, Cheapism.com

The best olive oil for finishing salads or drizzling over pasta might not be the most expensive -- and that's not just our wallets talking. Cheapism convened a panel of tasters to put five oils to a blind test, and they favored relatively inexpensive Goya over higher-priced bottles in our olive oil review.

Our first choice for best cheap olive oil is Goya.

Conventional wisdom holds that cheap olive oil works fine in a stir-fry or marinade, because the taste is either cooked out or combined with other, more prominent flavors. However, salad dressings, freshly baked bread, and the like would seem to call for only the best olive oil. It's quite possible to go into a specialty or gourmet store -- even an olive oil boutique such as O & Co. (located on the East Coast, in Denver, and online) -- and drop $50 on a 500 ml bottle.

Related: Top budget kitchen knives

We were curious to see, though, how cheap olive oils really stack up when they aren't cooked. To find out, we assembled 11 hungry

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

A reminder to all you frugal pet owners this holiday season: Remember to pick up a special gift for your furry friend. But don't fret about funding a present for your pet. For as little as $15 you can find plenty of items for under the tree that will provide hours of glee. Here's a roundup of some cheap gifts for pets.

Related: Save money at the vet

Fur-So-Fresh Groominator

Cheap Pet Grooming Tools. Most furballs like a good back scratching or brushing here and there, so check out the wide assortment of cheap grooming gifts. For just $12 the Fur-So-Fresh Groominator Dog and Cat 2 in 1 Deshedding Tool is a good value, especially for dual-animal households. You can use this gift for pets to brush and eliminate excess hair on dogs and cats (horses, too). In reviews at Amazon pet owners award the Groominator high marks for its budget price and its effectiveness; most say their pets like or at least tolerate the brush because it doesn't pull roughly or scratch.

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