Now Swap it Out

The Topic: Scoring sweaters, skillets, and more at a swap party by VegNews Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino

The Dish: When money is so tight you can’t even afford regularly priced kale (and yes, I speak from personal experience), the last thing on your shopping list is an immersion blender or a new sweater. While the occasional Goodwill or eBay purchase can get you some things on the cheap, you still have to shell out dough. Enter: the swap party, where you can score FREE stuff sans dumpster diving (gross) or stealing (illegal). Hosting a swap party is easy, cheap, and fun to do—read on to find out how.

1. Find stuff to offer up. The classic swap party is for clothing. If that's the way you want to go, gather gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories you don’t want and put them in a bag. “But I love all my clothes, Anna!” No, you don’t. Stop lying to yourself, okay? You haven’t worn that high-waist black and white polka-dot pencil skirt in two years, so throw it in a bag. (But seriously, I’m looking for one. Let me know.) I challenge you to expand your swap-party horizons past your closet! DVDs, kitchen items, lamps, and old boyfriends work too.

2. Add friends. Involve others who have similar bags containing similar items by sending an invite to friends announcing your party. Possible cheap avenues include, but are not limited to: evites, emails, Facebook invites, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, and yelling.

3. Pick a swap site. Meet at a large location (say, your living room). Each swap participant should section off a part of the room to set up their goods, so that each of you can walk to the others' "store.” Set up a full-length mirror as well (if your party includes clothes), so that you and your friends can ogle at each other ("That looks so much better on you!”) Set up clothing lines or tables to display items; if you’re cramped for space, neat piles work too. Other organizational options include sorting by room, style, color, or type of thing.

4. Craft a swap strategy. Order, people. Without a solid swap strategy, you and your guests will end up brawling over blender attachments as pairs of jeans fly across the room. One possible strategy is to use tokens—one token for each item a guest brings. Another option is to take turns: draw straws to determine the order, and then let one person go at a time, limiting the number of items you can pick up per turn. The rest of you can nosh and sip while you wait. Speaking of which...

5. Provide cheap (and yummy!) snacks. What’s a party without food and bubbly, right? Serve small bites that friends can pop in their mouths while examining martini shakers. Why not serve White Bean Bruschetta, Cashew Coconut Date Cookies, Green Tea Cakes, or have your guests bring their favorite bites? And might I suggest some Champagne to go with that? I’m a sucker for bubbles. I’m an even bigger sucker for four-dollar bottles of bubbles. Plus, after a glass or two, everything will look great on you.

The Final Word: After an afternoon spent with friends, food, and fabulous finds, you will walk away with a slammin’ new cocktail dress or serving bowl, good memories, and a happy stomach. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is as true today as it was whenever that phrase was created (I’m picturing horse-drawn buggies), so plan, swap, and enjoy your new finds!

City Living, On the Cheap

The Topic: City Living, On the Cheap by VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

The Dish: There's a big rumor going around that's time to debunk once and for all: Living in a city is impossibly expensive. Yes, places like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle have some of the highest rents in the world (hello, $2k matchbox, rat-infested studio in NYC), but once you're in, you're golden. That means that if you can make rent each month, there are myriad ways to live cheaply in today's most desirable metropolises. Here's how, without resorting to a diet of boiled beans and rice for the rest of your (urban) life.

1. Eat at Ethnic Eateries. In smaller towns, there is often one token Thai restaurant, one Mexican place, and maybe an Indian eatery. When there's no competition, prices go up, so you end up paying a lot more than you should for a veggie meal. But in the city, competition is fierce, keeping the prices down at some of our favorite veg destinations. Think Vietnamese sandwiches for $4, veggie burritos and falafels for $5, and Thai lunch specials for $6. And given the ample portion sizes expected in the city, these dishes can easily be spread out over two meals. Lunch and dinner for just $2.50 a pop? I like that.

2. Free Entertainment is Everywhere. Having lived in a city for most of my adult life, I am often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of weekend activities that present themselves every Friday. We're talking multiple concerts, multiple walking tours, multiple lectures, plus hundreds of activities you never even hear about. Included in this lengthy list is lots of free activities. In San Francisco, I love summer concerts at Stern Grove, book signings at my local book shop, and roaming the aisles of our year-round farmers' markets. There are also plenty of museums that are either always free or offer free admission at least once a month.

3. No Need for Gyms. Besides the fact that I can't stand gyms, there really is no need to pay for a fancy gym membership in a large city. Urban parks provide miles of trails for walking, hiking, and bicycle riding; the local Y or high school offers cheap swimming passes; and free yoga classes exist in nearly every city, especially in the summer (don't miss Saturday morning yoga at Chicago's Millennium Park).

4. Huge Library Network. The bigger the city, the often better the library system—which provides absolutely free books and DVDs for your reading/viewing pleasure. Growing up, I loved my small-town library, but that hard-to-find book you just have to have will exist somewhere in the vast network of urban libraries. And with new state-of-the-art of lending systems, you can request and renew books online so to avoid those pesky late fees!

5. Living Car Free. Hands down, being able to ditch the car (and insurance and gasoline and parking and maintenance) is one of my favorite things about living in a city. This amounts to huge cost savings, even with a monthly bus or train pass along with the occasional cab fare and rental car charges. Because public transportation is often good in urban areas, there's just no need to have a car—and you'll get some free exercise while walking or biking to your favorite veg restaurant for that scrumptious lunch special.

The Final Word: I admit: Rent doesn't come cheap in some of today's hottest veg-friendly cities. But if you're yearning to live (or better manage your budget) in Seattle, Boston, or New York , and don't know how you're going to swing it, take it from me. It can be done, without sacrificing your quality of life.

Greens for Less (Green)

The Topic: Standout Salads by VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

The Dish: It's very clear—my love for salad is here to stay. I could (and often do) nosh a big pile of greens for two meals every day, and nothing makes me happier than seeing a big, beautiful kale salad as a part of any meal. But you know what I don't particularly love? Making salad. As a kid, my family cooked dinner together just about every night, and somehow the task of making salad almost always fell to me. Woe, the injustice! How I longed to sauté, to scramble, to, well, anything but make salad! Clearly, my burgeoning culinary talents were squandered. But, on the bright side, I now make a pretty decent salad, which can't always be said of my other kitchen experiments. Plus, buying restaurant salads (like the one pictured above from Herbivore) can be insanely expensive. So, how's a gal to eat gargantuan amounts of veggies every single day while saving money and not spending her entire life chopping broccoli? Simple. Here are my time-tested salad-making methods:

1. Buy in Bulk. Duh. I like to fill my cart once a week or so with a couple kinds of kale, pre-washed spinach (hint: buying the spinach with its stems means you have to spend time chopping, washing, and you usually pay by the pound, which means you're literally throwing money away!), red and green cabbages, and romaine. Is cabbage usually the cheapest of these? Yes. Does it also fill you up and add awesome crunchiness to your salads? Hell yes.

2. It Slices! It Dices! So, the greens are probably not what take you the most time, salad prep-wise. With a handy food processor equipped with a shredding disc, carrots and beautiful red and golden beets are done in no time.

3. Go Big. Find yourself a huge freaking bowl. Like, a really, really, really big one. Really. Big. I like a simple stainless steel bowl (check out your local restaurant supply store for super cheap options!) that's really wide, fairly flat, and ideally about the size of my torso. I'm on the short side, but who's counting? This enormosity is now your salad bowl. Put all your prepared veggies (in addition to those mentioned, I like green onions, hearts of palm, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, and sometimes cubed tofu) in said bowl. Now, the most crucial step...

4. Stay Naked! You know what dressing your whole salad does? Freaking ruins it, that's what! Leave your week's worth of salad in the huge bowl undressed, and it'll stay fresh through the week. Dress it the first night you make it, and you now have a huge pile of slimy pre-compost. Throughout the week, serve yourself a plateful, and just dress that. Voilà! Soggy spinach is a thing of the past.

The Final Word: Here's hoping you find yourself with tons more time, a happily full stomach, and a slightly more full wallet. Just think, if you started a company that you only worked on in the time you saved by not having to make salad every night, someday you could be totally rich! Or, you could just sauté something to go with your salad.

Budget Vegan Valentine's Day

The Topic: Celebrating Valentine's Day without breaking the bank by VegNews Associate Editor Jennifer Chen

The Dish: While there are fabulous Prix Fixe Valentine's Day dinners at restaurants like Millennium, $75 per person is a bit steep for me. Sometimes Valentine's Day can be more about dropping serious cash on candy, cards, fancy dinners, and flowers, and you forget that it's really about spending time with the person you like. So here are my tips for romancing your partner with special gifts that cost only one or two pretty pennies, not millions.

1. DIY Dinner. Instead of an expensive dinner out, my husband and I are cooking for each other. He's going to make me one of my favorite meals—he makes a mean seitan marsala—and I'm whipping up Candle Café's chocolate mousse pie for dessert. Add some candlesticks and a glass of Framboise and it's a way more personal meal than any five-star chef could create.

2. Love Letters. The art of handwriting a note or a letter means so much more now than the 10,000 emails we read every day. Pick up a simple notebook at your local art supply store and spend the week writing love letters to your significant other. Each day, write about how you fell in love with them, favorite dates, or even a love poem. For a little inspiration, Pablo Neruda's collection of 100 Love Sonnets is so wonderfully romantic. And how much did your own love sonnets cost you? $2.99.

3. Handmade cards. One of the best Valentine's Day cards I ever got from my husband is a drawing he did of our yellow lab and our tuxedo three-legged cat holding a heart in their paws. Ridiculously cute and I loved it more than any $5 puffy-heart-fancy-cursive-generic Valentine's Day card. Draw something that means something to the both of you. Handwrite the note. Get creative. It only costs a sheet of paper and your time.

4. Free flower delivery. Who doesn't enjoy getting flowers? It's sweet and it makes your office desk look pretty. But instead of paying someone $15-plus to drop off flowers to your sweetie, do it yourself. If it's possible, pick up a pretty bouquet from a corner market (red roses are so overpriced that day, so go for something like pink Gerber daisies, which last longer anyway) and hand-deliver them to your significant other's office. Bonus points for getting to see your sweetie mid-workday? Check. Are you a better surprise than some random delivery guy? Definitely.

5. Mixed CD. Maybe I'm old school, but a mixed CD with your partner's favorite songs or just great love songs (try Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, or Sade) is a great way to share music you love with the person you love. Draw a great cover, handwrite the songs that are on the CD, and hand it to them before your romantic DIY dinner.

The Final Word: Valentine's Day is about celebrating the person you love and not about how much money you spend on said person. Ultimately, putting some thought and care and a little bit of elbow grease into the day will be much more rewarding than a dinner that costs more than a quick weekend getaway (hint: take said getaway the weekend after V-Day, when the crowds have died down). Enjoy the day!

How to be a Cheap Couch Potato

The Topic: How to be a couch potato and cheap, by VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

The Dish: So I'm going to confess—if I'm not at work at the VNHQ then I'm being a couch potato at home, and a big one at that. Let's just say that if I'm not on the couch, I'm in the kitchen preparing something to eat on the couch. But seriously, you don't have to feel sorry for me, because I absolutely love it. I work hard in my career, so I don't feel guilty about having leisure time, and I consider my big, beautiful couch to be my friend. We've had some great times together. Jealous yet? If so, then read on, my dear friends, because I have made being a couch potato into an art form, as well as a frugal and enjoyable way of life. So here are some tips on how to be a couch potato on the cheap!

1. Netflix! I'm sure you've heard of this awesome movie rental service before, but it is one of my absolute favorite things, so you're just going to have to bear with me. I find Netflix to be a huge money-saver, because I love my movies. If you don't believe me, then I challenge you to a movie trivia duel! I have a really big collection of movies, which I'm guessing I've spent more than $2,000 on, but believe it or not, they are all from my past as a foolish high school and college student. I have not bought a single movie since the age of 21. OK, that might be a little bit of a lie, but almost! And now, Netflix has a great Instant Watch membership where you only pay $7.99 per month to instantly stream movies and television shows to your TV or computer. Yes, it is every couch potato's dream come true. Also, right now Netflix is running a one month free trial for instant watch, so if you haven't signed up yet, you should really check it out.

2. Make Your Own Snacks. I'm not your typical couch potato—I don't just snack on junk food such as potato chips and Sour Patch Kids (although, those can sometimes be super good). I get a lot of satisfaction from making my own tasty treats to munch on while being on the couch. Here are a few of my favorites. You've heard about these before, but Abby's biscuits are so simple and oh so delicious! These are my go-to snack on Saturday and Sunday mornings with some maple syrup or jam. For a low-fat snack chip, I like to cut some corn tortillas into pretty little triangles, spray some olive oil on them, and toast them at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, being sure to turn over once. Then I serve them up with whatever dip I have on hand, be it some fresh salsa or hummus. Finally, if I'm in the mood for something a little more nutritious and substantial, I make myself a big ol' salad with whatever greens I have on hand, some baked tofu, and some really good homemade dressing. I recently scored a copy of Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and I'm in total love with the Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing—a little sweet, a little savory, and just the right amount of spicy.

3. Get Your Read On! Yes, I love my movies, but I also love my books, and nothing's better than reading on a comfortable couch. Luckily, I have a huge collection of books that I still need to read. I also was gifted a really cool Nook Color for Christmas, and I've found that e-books are a bit cheaper than physical books. There's also the library, which is such a great resource—just don't rack up late fees, because they will haunt you for a lifetime. Lately, I've been obsessed with reading cookbooks, because as everyone knows, cooking homemade meals are way cheaper than buying from restaurants. Some of my favorite vegan cookbook authors include Robin Robertson, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and Joni Marie Newman, but there are so many great ones.

The Final Word: It's not hard to spend a lot of money while being a couch potato. Believe me, I've learned that you can waste a ton of money on GrubHub, and though takeout is good some of the time, it's not the healthiest. Also, I don't condone spending every minute of the day on the couch, even though it's great. I ride my bike at least five days a week, and go out on the town when I can afford it. You can even use the couch as an exercise tool—sit on the edge and do some bicep curls and some leg lifts. Take it from a true couch potato, your couch can truly be your friend, not your enemy. Now sit back, and relax!

Top 3 Cheap Gifts

The Topic: Gift giving—cheapskate-style, by guest blogger Elizabeth Castoria

The Dish: This time of year, money is like a cute puppy you see on the street, there one minute and gone the next. Saving a couple bucks here and there always adds up, and around the holidays it's especially important to add to—not just subtract from—your bank account. There are only a few things that bring out my childlike joy like seeing a towering pile of presents on Christmas morning, but having a checking account that's in the black is definitely one of them. (Especially since the "child" part of that childlike joy was oh so long ago!) Here are a few great gifts that are cheap, easy to find, and fitting for anyone on your list.

1. Books. But wait, you think. Books are definitely expensive, especially if you're buying more than one! That might be true if you happen to be buying the newest hardcover coffee table book, but instead of heading to the bookstore, stay home. That's right—books you already own can easily be gifts! Maybe there's a cookbook in your collection that doesn't get used as often as the others. Gift it to your newly vegan neighbor! Blammo. One recipient down, and your total cost is a big fat $0. If you want to get flashy, hit up your local used bookstore for reduced-price finds.

2. Magazine subscriptions! OK, it's possible that my totally biased love for magazines is showing through here, but amazon.com lists fantastic subscription deals to big titles. Plus, with magazines, whomever you give them to gets an issue every month (or so) for the rest of the year, which basically means that you've given them a dozen presents in one. Great ROI? Check. And, you know, certain magazines (cough, cough, like VegNews!) offer subscription discounts during the holidays.

3. Accessories. The perfect scarf, necklace, enormous cuff, or dashing hat can really take an outfit from blah to brilliant. Stocking up on chic little items at your favorite discount store, or hitting up Savvy Abby's fave, Forever 21, means getting bulk for your buck. And really, who doesn't want to add a little shine to the lives of their giftees? As our super-shiny January+February cover gal Kris Carr says, "Dress your personality and for god's sake, accessorize. A life without trinkets is tragic."

The Final Word: If you want to go even cheaper than these goodies, check out Colleen Holland's highly excellent DIY gift ideas. Remember: shopping in your own home never hurt anyone, magazines keep giving all year long, and smart little accessories add instant shine without costing a mint. If anyone needs me between now and Christmas, I'll be wrapping boxes containing individual earrings (more boxes for the big pile! Same price!) in pages torn out of magazines (instant wrapping paper!). Happy holidays!

Top 5 DIY Vegan Holiday Gifts

The Topic: DIY holiday gifts, by guest blogger Colleen Holland

The Dish: In my family, there's no question as to who inherited the crafty gene. For as long as I can remember, my gift-giving style has always been more Martha then Macy's—that is, my sister is much more likely to receive a set of handmade note cards than a brand-new handbag (although for the super crafty, this can be made, too). My mom loves to tell the story of me at five years old on Valentine's Day. I had made heart-shaped cards for the entire neighborhood and then set off down the street to give them out. When I returned, my basket was filled with wads of cash; I had sold the cards instead of giving them away. That phase has thankfully passed, but I still love nothing more than turning my kitchen and dining room into an around-the-clock workshop this time of year. Need some inspiration for your own homemade gifts? Read on for my top 5 favorites:

1. Boxes of Vegan Cookies

Okay, so this isn't totally original, but it tops my list every year. I pick up a few dozen colorful Chinese take-out containers, line with tissue paper, and fill with fudge, Mexican wedding cookies, and peppermint bark. I then give them out to fellow VN staffers, my hair dresser, my yoga instructor, my postal gal, my neighbors (free of charge), and whoever else has touched my life this year. Cookies also look great in metal tins or white boxes tied with brightly colored ribbon.

2. Note Card Sets

I could spend hours in paper and art stores, especially when I am on a mission. I always keep my eye open for really interesting wrapping paper that I can use in my signature note cards. I can't tell you how many friends have received these over the years! I start with a heavy stock of paper (corrugated or flat) and cut into note card size (I prefer smaller note cards at 5.5 x 4, folded). Using some spray adhesive, I affix a cut-out of wrapping paper (say an old French luggage tag) against a slightly larger cut-out of heavier, colored paper, and then affix the entire piece to the front of the note card. Purchase some recycled envelopes to go with the cards, tie a ribbon around the entire batch, and voila! Gifts for all.

3. Note Pads

Back when Kinko's first hit the scene, I was in absolute heaven. Not only did they have loads of crafting supplies all available in one handy spot, they had oversized work tables and binding/mounting services that opened up a world of possibility for homemade gifts. As long as I made a few copies here and there, I felt comfortable staying all night long. So I would rent their computers (didn't have my own back then) and create a 4.25 x 11 template in Pagemaker (this was pre-Quark and InDesign) using really cool fonts and clip art. I would then make copies on quality paper and have Kinko's bind the top of the note pad so it looked like the real deal. One year, my dad got a note pad with his name in block letters at the bottom and an old-fashioned type writer at the top. Looking back, I have no idea why I chose the type writer, but I liked it at the time.

4. Bath Salts & Sugar Scrubs

I am no expert in either of these crafts, but tubs of sweet-smelling bath salts and sugar scrubs make wonderful gifts. Last year, I made Savvy Abby's family recipe for lavender-rosemary scrub, purchased a few glass jars, and designed my own custom labels. Place in a pretty bag or tie with a bow, and you have gifts for all the spa-treatment lovers in your life.

5. Fresh Herb Bouquets

Are you a gardener, or have access to some overgrown rosemary or thyme? A bundle of fresh herbs makes a lovely gift for neighbors or the host of a party you're attending. Simply cut long stems of your favorite herbs, wrap in parchment or kraft paper, and tie with a pretty bow. I always like to include a gift tag that lists the herbs I'm giving, and you could even write a vegan recipe on the back that uses one of the herbs.

The Final Word: Do-it-yourself holiday gifts is not only way more fun than navigating insane malls and crowded parking lots, but you'll also save a small fortune. Plus, I like to think that people appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes along with anything made from scratch, especially during this age of mad consumption. Have more ideas for DIY vegan gifts? We want to know! Happy holidays to all.