by Brandi Savitt – September 2, 2010

How to Save from City to Sea

When I told people I was going to Norway, everyone joked about meatballs, H&M and Ikea, and two minutes into their rant they’d stop and say “oh wait- that’s Sweden”!

Sad but true, most of us have no real understanding of the borders and history that differentiate the Scandinavian people who are tied together by their Viking blood and northern lights.  But let it be known, one of the most important things they share in common is the great pride they have in their individual Danish, Swedish, Finnish, or Norwegian nationalities.  And after having the pleasure of spending ten thrilling days in one of most beautiful places on earth, I must say– if you’re looking for adventure, stunning land & seascapes filled with fjords, glaciers, quaint countrysides, and bustling cites nestled up to the North Sea– look no further – Norway is a nature lovers paradise that is one of a kind!

Fab & Fru Norway?

It is no secret that Scandinavia, in general, is a pricey place to visit, and Norway may be at the top of the list when it comes to the exchange rate between the Norwegian krone and the US dollar.  This once poor country, with a small population of 4.6 million people, struck it rich when they discovered oil in the 1970′s.

The Norwegian standard of living is considered one of the highest in the world!  This is not to say the Norwegians are flashy people who flaunt their wealth, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.  Norwegians believe in living humbly, and culturally, they have a tremendous connection to nature (even in the cities), valuing the natural wonder and beauty of their nation as a major factor in their quality of life.  And it is because of this belief that the Norwegian government has made it easy for natives and foreigners alike to explore this vast country for much less than it would seem- considering the exchange rate! You just need to know where to look…

Weather & When to Travel

Because Norway’s northern most tip reaches, literally, the North Pole, the country is known as the land of the midnight sun and polar nights.  Norway defines its seasons more by the hours of day light rather than temperature.  Days are longest mid May through July and shortest mid November through January.

As with most European countries, traveling to Norway in July & August is the most popular vacation time.  However, as the days start to get longer in mid May through the peak at the summer solstice on June 21st, this is actually a gorgeous & perfect time to visit Norway- plus it’s still considered the shoulder season and airfares have yet to peak! Likewise, if you’re looking to experience the North Pole at Christmas or a winter sky vacation, you will also enjoy great prices during Norway’s dark days.

What to Do, What to See!

Don’t let it’s small population fool you, Norway is a big place.  I spent ten days in constant travel mode and saw endless sites, yet we never even made it close to the Arctic Circle!

Unless you’re going to visit with one activity in mind like base jumping over Lysefjord or going on a polar bear safari, Visit Norway is a great place to start researching all the country has to offer.  The site lists everything from accommodations, budget travel tips, car rental companies, train and ferry information, suggested scenic driving routes, tours, biking, fishing, sites and more.  The Norwegians are extremely organized and friendly, as are their online resources!

Talk to a Travel Agent!

If you don’t like the idea of researching everything on your own and piecing together you’re own adventure, call a travel agent who specializes in Norwegian or Scandinavian travel.  We never think of using a travel agent anymore, but one who specializes in this region can actually help you find package deals and save you a ton of money!

by Stephanie Berenbaum – September 1, 2010

Turn A Boring Frank into a Fabulous Feast

How do you turn an ordinary BBQ into a feast to remember – without spending a fortune?  Get creative with your dogs!  As you might remember, our favorite spread for Labor Day is the Regional Hot Dog Bar. Think about it: for the same price as it costs you to lay out some boring old dogs and the fixings, with a little imagination and a couple of extra minutes, you can make cheap hot dogs seem- frankly- a whole lot more exciting!

Setting Up Your Regional Hot Dog Bar

When setting up a hot dog bar, it is particularly frugal to start with the most famous regional styles of the bunch: the Chicago Style hot dog and New York Style hot dog.  By ‘marketing’ your get together as a ‘Regional Hot Dog Bar’, instead of just serving a cheap meal you suddenly have a festive and fun theme going!

The Chicago Hot Dog

*Recipe courtesy of Fluky’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs

Ingredients

• Boiled Hot Dogs
• Poppy Seed Buns (S. Rosens are a Chicago favorite)
• Yellow mustard
• Bright green (Neon) sweet relish
• Chopped Onions
• Kosher Dill Pickle Spears
• Tomato Slices
• 2 Serrano Sport Peppers (they are HOT)
• Dash of celery salt

Instructions

Heat hot dogs in boiling water to 170 degrees.  Put the hot dog in a steamed poppy seed bun.  Pile on toppings in this order: Mustard, Relish, Onions, Pickle, Tomatoes, peppers and celery salt.

New York Street Cart Dogs

Brandi is a New Yorker now, so let’s check out the recipe for those famous New York City “Street Cart Dogs” – sometimes affectionately referred to as “Dirty Water Dogs!”

Ingredients

• Boiled Hot dogs
• Plain Buns
• Deli Mustard
• Sabrett’s Onion Sauce
• Sauerkraut (optional)

Instructions:

The classic NYC cart dog is boiled in water, with onion sauce and deli mustard and sometimes sauerkraut, on a plain hot dog bun.  You can find recipes claiming to replicate the traditional Sabrett Onion Sauce online, but at only about $3.75 for a package, you might as well buy it.  lt looks like even Wal-Mart is carrying it these days!

**If you prefer to go the way of a traditional grilled New York weiner (a la Nathan’s) all you need to do is grill your franks instead of boil them, and top with brown mustard and sauerkraut and you are good to go!

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I was talking with my friend Tammy the other day about my Maltese, Snowy, and the extremely expensive knee surgery she just had.  Tammy mentioned that her dog had recently had surgery on her leg as well, and that a few days after the operation her pooch, Precious, somehow removed her cone and tore the bandages right off, damaging the stitches and re-opening the wound!

In addition to the $200 bill for re-stitching the wound, the vet wanted to run an extra $200 worth of x-rays – just to make sure Precious didn’t undo any benefits of the recent surgery.  Having just spent $1,500 on her dog’s surgery, Tammy told the vet to forgo the x-rays — and she’d wait and see if any problems developed.  She was pretty sure Precious had only disturbed the stitches, and not any of the internal work.  Of course Tammy isn’t a vet, but that was just her gut feeling…

Obviously in a few weeks Tammy will know if her furry friend is okay or not …. The doctor said if she was still limping in a month to bring her back for further examination (including those x-rays)!  And though the doctor said it was up to Tammy whether to do the x-rays or not, it would certainly be the most thorough – and pricey – thing to do.

So, what’s (wo) man’s best friend worth? Is Tammy wrong not to have gone through with the x-rays, or is okay for her to trust her gut?  Was her decision frugal, or just doggone cheap?

by Kathy Pape – August 30, 2010

When to Fix or Buy New Wheels

My husband, who’s originally from Minnesota, is constantly amazed at how much people out West spend on their cars.  It’s impossible for him to understand spending $350 a month on a fancy car payment when he’s so used to seeing nice cars getting completely trashed by harsh winters.  For him, reliability and durability is all that matters in a car.  As long as his car handles well, he doesn’t care what it looks like. In fact, our own SUV is pretty dirty thanks to a pair of very active little boys, but it was running just fine until a couple weeks ago when our mechanic delivered the grim news that the transmission was about to blow.  Suddenly my husband and I were forced to make a difficult decision.  Should we replace the transmission for $4,000 or buy another car?

Even though our old Saturn VUE clocked in at just over 100,000 miles and needed a few other repairs as well, it was still a tough decision – could we really afford a new car?  While our transmission hung on by a thread, we did our homework and debated what to do for weeks. Here’s what we learned about when to fix or dump your car, and how to get the most mileage out of your vehicle!

Stretch Your Dollar With Quality

How does your vehicle rate?  It was an easy choice for my dad to fix his car because he drove a Lexus, which is rated extremely reliable by Consumer Reports.  Odds are the transmission would be the only major repair.  My husband and I were dealing with a Saturn, which does not rate nearly as well.  We learned the hard way how important it is to do your research before buying car.  Don’t walk into the dealer and buy what looks good or what you think is a good deal.  Buy what will last or it will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run.  The better the car rates according to Consumer Reports, the fewer repairs you will face in the long run.  It will also have better resale value.

Invest In Repairs

Typically, it is substantially more cost effective to drive the same car for as long as possible and make repairs rather than investing in a new car every few years. This is something my dad swears by!   He always fixes his cars rather than buying a new one, and believes that purchasing a quality used car is the way to go!  My dad has never purchased a brand new car and just retired his 1993 Lexus at 245,000 miles.  He had to make a few large repairs along the way (including the transmission), but those repairs only cost him about $500 a year over the time he owned the car – which is a gigantic long term savings compared to if he had bought a brand new car in the first place or replaced this car sooner!

Get the Most Out of Your Car

How long can a car really last?  Scott Chazdon is a mechanic in Wyoming who is very passionate about this subject.  He has a website www.mmauto.net that helps consumers become more informed about their cars.  Scott SWEARS to Fab & Fru that a car can last ONE MILLION MILES if you do repairs, keep the mechanical parts clean and prevent them from shifting and touching each other.  In fact, he sold a van last year with 1,044,000 miles on it and it was still running (can you imagine the deal on that)!

After 22 years in the business he says the ONLY reason the engine or transmission fails is lack of proper maintenance.  Lubrication and changing the fluids is important, but so is partnering with a good, caring mechanic for inspections and maintenance routines.  This way you can budget for small repairs along the way rather than ignoring the situation and getting hit with a bigger bill in the future.  Scott backs his beliefs by guaranteeing his customers’ cars FOREVER if they follow his recommended maintenance.  Here is some of his advice to follow!