youngandthrifty Cheap and Good Eats: Tsuki Sushi Bar

By on May 23, 2013 in Good Eats

Tsuki sushi bar opened up recently in the gastown (or affectionately newly named “Crosstown”) area of Vancouver.  It replaced the now defunct Rasoeii Indian food (which was tasty was well).  So far since day one, business appears to be booming.  Since so many people seemed to be eating there,  I thought I would try it out as well.

What I really loved about Tsuki sushi bar other than real Japanese people making the food (you will be surprised how many non-Japanese people own Japanese restaurants), is that the atmosphere is really cool.  It has a very minimalist vibe to it and yet it has the usual Japanese izakaya feel.

What’s even better is that this restaurant does take out, and they are probably the first restaurant that I have seen who is environmentally conscious with their take out!  The take out containers are all cardboard and biodegradable (none of that styrofoam crap that adds to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) and they put their nice cardboard take out containers in a paper bag.  Also, they label the seafood items on the menu that are ocean friendly, and has the Vancouver Aquarium stamp of approval.   I also like that you can substitute brown rice to replace white rice.  Another great thing is that they give you a free miso soup if you order sushi!  (Hopefully they don’t stop doing this since everyone will be asking for miso soup now). Continue Reading →

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Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Here’s How to Get Out

By on May 21, 2013 in personal

Living paycheck to paycheck is a trap, one that once you are in it’s almost impossible to get out of it. Yet millions of people live that way. It’s a destructive financial lifestyle, that results in stress and sense of hopelessness that can’t possibly benefit you. The bright side is that once you get out of it, you begin to reverse all the negatives that accompany it, and actually begin moving forward. It’s worth the effort!

How do you go from paycheck to paycheck and on to some measure of financial freedom?

Put your credit cards away for good

This will be a painful first step, but an absolutely necessary one. Debt is one of the biggest causes of people living paycheck to paycheck. The problem is that you can never achieve balance in your finances if you’re constantly paying for yesterday’s obligations.

That is exactly what credit cards are – they are the cumulative total of old cash deficiencies. Anytime you can’t pay for something out of earnings or savings, if you put it on a credit card, it will haunt you in the future.

You must put a stop to this as soon as possible. It will not be easy to begin learning to live without credit cards, but once you do everything else will begin to fall in place. It may mean that you have to begin learning to live without certain items and expenses, and that’s our next topic.

Living Paycheck to Paycheck There is a bonus that comes along with ending your reliance upon credit cards. Once you stop using them, the balance owed begins to drop. And as balances drop, your payments fall as well. This will provide you with additional breathing room in your monthly budget, especially as the declines in your balances become more pronounced.

Trim your living expenses where ever possible

Most people can live without least a few products and services. You can eliminate them without making any material changes in your basic standard of living. This doesn’t mean that you have to take a meat cleaver to your budget, but rather that you carefully scan your expenses for any that are not absolutely necessary. Continue Reading →

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Spain on the Cheap Part 2

By on May 19, 2013 in cheap travel

Because Spain on the Cheap almost became I mega post, I had to split it up between part I and part II.  As discussed in the previous post, budget travel from getting there, sleeping, and eating in Spain was the topic of the day in Spain on the Cheap Part I.  Without further adieu here is Spain on the Cheap Part 2, what to see and do (probably the most important part of going to Spain).

See and Do

Madrid

Most of the plazas are free (because they are a public space) and the walking tours usually take you to all these places. For the walking tour, you can pay how much you like. Usually you give a few euros (sure beats a 20 euro bike or segway tour for the same sights!).

Parque del Buen Retiro is basically a huge park in the middle of the city. It kind of puts Central Park in New York to shame. Madrid’s oldest tree since the early 1600 also sits in the park.

Museo del Prado- a “must-see” if you visit Madrid. There are over 7000 paintings in this museum. ‘Nuff said. If you are a student under 25 (bring your photo ID and student card) you can get in for free. Same if you are over 65. If you visit between 6-8pm on a Monday to Saturday its also free, but expect long lines. Otherwise, it costs 14 euros.

Spain on the Cheap Part 2 Opera- If you’re under the age of 30, you can score deeply discounted opera tickets if you show up 30 minutes before the opera starts. Like up to 90% off. Romeo and Juliet was playing in Madrid when I was there.

Seville

La Cathedral and Giralda- this is where Christopher Columbus’ tomb is housed. It is one of the largest cathedrals you will ever see. The Giralda (a big bell tower) has been built between 1184 and 1198 by the Moors and it has withstood multiple earthquakes and the test of time. Unfortunately you can’t get in for free but it only costs about 8 euros for admission. Continue Reading →

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