Traveling Light: Taking a Straycation

The EconoMuse needs to start today's post with a big mea culpa or two. She plans to keep the mea culpas handy as she writes her blog, because she can see that she will need them often.

Case in point: no sooner does the EconoMuse hit the publish button on her most recent Recession Proof, essentially calling Mr. EconoMuse clueless about Valentine's Day, when in walks Mr. EconoMuse. With a box. For the EconoMuse. Wrapped with great artistic flair. (You should see how Mr. EconoMuse wraps presents. There is always an Exacto knife and hot-glue gun involved. Her most recent birthday present was wrapped using a dissected Stella Artois six-pack holder that was artfully rearranged to spell out the EconoMuse's name and date of birth!) 

Anyways, since Ms. E-Muse was taking the kids away for President's Weekend while Mr. EconoMuse headed to Europe on business, the EconoMuses would not be together on Valentine's. Not only did Mr. EconoMuse figure that out, but he also purchased a lovely necklace (breaking all rules of economusing). 

By the way, the necklace goes beautifully with the egg on Ms. E-Muse's face. Mea Culpa. 

Mea Culpa Part Deux

The EconoMuse has been lax with the posts in the past two weeks. But--hey!--when nobody is actually paying you, it's a lot easier to go on vacation. So that's what she did. Which brings us to one of her favorite topics: traveling light--on the wallet, that is!

By now everyone has heard of "staycations."  You know the drill: sightsee in your own 'hood. Get the kids an ice cream or two. Buy the t-shirt. And call it a vacation. Apparently they were all the rage last summer. And in Europe they went so far as to dump a pile of sand into the city centers so the locals could set up their beach chairs, pull out their coolers, and pretend they were at the beach.  As fun as that sounds, Ms. E-Muse does not see her little Northern California town hauling in the sand and installing a tiki bar anytime soon. So that's where the "straycation" comes in. It's kind of like a staycation but you stray (get it?!) a little farther afield and spend as little as possible doing it. And that's where the real fun begins. 

A few years back the EconoMuse started meeting her dear friend, Muse Julie, in San Francisco for dinner. However, since the pair love to eat and drink, the hour drive home proved to be an obstacle to serious indulgence. So they hatched the idea of staying in the city overnight. After a few false starts (oh, the stories Ms. E-Muse could tell, such as the room with the ringing phones), the two struck on a winning formula: Hotwire +/- Priceline < (+/-)($80) = (Hotel Room)(****).  For those of you who failed complex, scientific formulas in school, that means four-star hotels for less than $80, give or take. 

Beating the Priceline System 

Maybe you've used Hotwire and Priceline for hotels before. But have you decoded them? If not, the EconoMuse encourages you to peruse this essential website, BetterBidding.Com. Hotel secrets are revealed. Winning bidding strategies are illuminated. Through the help of other bidders, you can often figure out what you are bidding on or how much to bid. Ms. E-Muse has used this website for hotels all over the U.S. and Europe, and she has not been disappointed. In fact, she gleefully shares her bidding results with others online. 

Now I don't know if you are like the EconoMuse and have thought, "Who are those people who actually write on Yelp or take the time to review a recipe on Epicurious?" (Is it not enough that you must cook the recipe, but then they expect you to provide qualitative feedback? How kum-bay-yah!!). But alas, Ms. E-Muse has become one of "Them" on BetterBidding.  If you ever see input from someone named "thrillofthehunt", know it is yours truly.  And truly, she is thrilled by the hunt.  So much so that she doesn't quite get the warm and fuzzies from an equally-good deal on her other favorite travel site, Kayak.com. Even though this site rocks. It's an almost one-stop shop that lets you "search 140+ sites at once." If you need the flexibility to cancel your hotel or you are booking airfare start at Kayak, because there is no canceling your rezzies on Priceline. But if this is a true straycation, you are booking at the last minute anyways.

(BTW, Ms. E-Muse will not use Hotwire/Priceline for booking flights.  And nor should you, unless you have the flexibility of a college student back-packing around Europe. And if that's you, really you should just consider becoming a courier. It's way cheaper--as long as your "cargo" doesn't land you in a Thai prison. But we'll talk about cheap airfare in a future Traveling Light post...)

Getting the Dirt 

Now, when you solve any complex formula, as Ms. E-Muse tells her sixth-grader, you must check your work. What does that mean when searching for travel deals? Cross-reference!  

The EconoMuse never, ever books (or bids on) anything without looking it up in Tripadvisor.com. If you are a Yelper (which Ms. E-Muse is), then go ahead and Yelp. But take it with one giant grain of salt. Just a few weeks ago, they were discussing Yelp on NPR. One guy called in to say that when he worked for a hotel, the manager required employees to write fake reviews. Can you believe that? Of course you can! So remember that the Man is onto Yelp. And probably Tripadvisor as well. So please, take everything with a grain of salt, both the good and the bad, because just as there are false positives, there really are a lot of whiners out there, and they do crave the bandwidth. But if your BS detector is finely tuned, and you still have a nagging doubt about the hotel you are considering, just use the Googles and do one final cross reference. There are countless blogs and bulletin boards where you might get an untouched-by-management review. 

Now lets suppose you loved complex, scientific equations in school, you can take the EconoMuse's very-scientific formula and add even more complexity: the Class-Review Ratio. What might that be? It's actually quite simple. Go to your favorite review site, divide the number of stars in the review by the number of stars in the hotel class (assuming they use the same scale!), and violá, you get the C-R Ratio. Anything greater than one means you're getting good value for your money. And for all you mathletes out there, don't forget statistical significance. The C-R ratio won't work if the hotel only has one review.  Use your head, people. Don't rely solely on the truly obscure review sites!

Pulling it All Together: A Success Story!

Over President's Weekend, the EconoMuse took her fourth grader to visit the Carmel Mission so that he could faithfully render it into a cardboard-and-lasagna-noodle model. Since Mr. EconoMuse was headed to Europe, Ms. E-Muse was thrown a curve ball when she decided to take along the dog. Unable to use Priceline/Hotwire, she had to turn to her favorite pooch-in-tow site, Dogfriendly.com. For all you dog owners who fancy a straycation, bookmark this site. (And please, no easy jokes here about using dog and stray in the same sentence. Ms. E-Muse saw it, too, and moved on.) Now, you simply enter the city you are headed to, collect a list of dog-friendly digs, and then use old-standbys Expedia or Travelocity. This combo yielded a perfectly fine "beach resort" practically sitting in the ocean just comfortably away from the tourist traps in Monterey. 

               

For those of you keeping score at home, this is the Best Western Monterey Beach Resort. With a C-R Ratio of 1.167, it was a good value!

Another tip for straycationing? Garden View. Let's face it, straycations are not about spending the money for the Ocean View. And, yes, Garden View usually means a tree in the parking lot. This is not The Big Splurge. By taking the Garden View at the "resort" in Monterey, Ms. E-muse got a rate of $81/night. (Using the AAA discount, of course, even though the EconoMuse doesn't have a AAA card. Final tip: always ask for the AAA discount over the phone when you book the room.  They never ask to see your card at check in, even though they assure you that they will!) 

BTW, an ocean view would have doubled the cost and doubled the pet fee! The "resort" did have a nice giant lobby bar with ginormous ocean views and a roaring fire, so Ms. E-Muse and the kids hung out after dinner and enjoyed the Ocean View from the lobby and then went back to the Garden View to sleep. Woke up and enjoyed the Ocean View in the restaurant. And then off to Carmel. Not bad for $81/night. 

Mission accomplished.

                 

Recession Proof: That's Amore

How often does this happen?!  

The EconoMuse went to a wine shop today to buy a bottle of Italian red wine, and she asked for help finding something yummy in the $20 range. To which, the salesman helping her replied, "How about spending a whole lot less?" 

Okay...

The EconoMuse should back up. She was looking for a bottle of wine to recommend for this week's Recession Proof, bearing in mind that Valentine's Day is right around the corner. (Mr. EconoMuse: it is February 14th. No, this is not a holiday that floats based on phases of the moon. Nor is it always on a Monday, so that the banks can close.  For as long as you have been alive, it falls on the 14th. And banks stay open.)

So Ms. E-Muse was thinking about love when it hit her in the eye like a big pizza pie: this week's recommendation had to be an Italian red. That's amore. So she zipped over to K&L (Yes--it will be a recurring fave. As will Trader Joe's.) 

The salesman didn't even pause when asked for a recommendation. Ms. E-Muse was ready to plunk down $18.99 for a Dolcetto de Alba, because Dolcettos are usually so nice and soft that they just call out "Valentine's Day."  After all, the name Dolcetto means "sweet little one." Awww. But the salesman dragged a swooning EconoMuse to a newly displayed case. 

"...It's the 2007," he was saying. "Even better than the 2006. Which everyone loved..."

"...Huh?" It's not like Ms. E-Muse had a clue about the 2006.

"...Barbera..."

Hmmm.  Conjures up the image of Hanna-Barbera.  Or Conan the Barberian.  Not quite the romantic tone she was looking for, if she was shopping on name alone.  But the EconoMuse is fond of Grgich Hills, and that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.  And Barberas can be full of berries and playful, and that does sound like Valentine's Day.

"...It's only $10.99.  We haven't had it on our website yet, but when we do, it will fly out of here."  

Gulp.  That really was a whole lot less.

That's the thing about K&L. Constantly turning over new bargains. If you find something you like, grab it. It's no wonder the EconoMuse never tried the '06. It flew out the door too fast. Or at least that's what she could tell him as an explanation for the blank stare.

So he had her at "hello." However, he went on. It seems Wine Spectator likes the wine as well. They gave it 90 points. As the EconoMuse knows from working in the wine industry, 90 points from Wine Spectator doesn't come easily. Especially for $10.99 a bottle.

Recession Proof: Sip of the Week

2007 Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera

What can the EconoMuse say? Here are the adjectives: deep ruby red, loaded with black fruit, lively acidity, dry, etc., etc. Goggle it, and you'll find those words everywhere. You'll even learn that the previous vintage was named a Wine Spectator "Top 100" selection. And you'll find the Spectator's tasting notes ("Very plummy and grapey on the nose, with hints of chocolate. Full-bodied, soft and succulent, with lots of flavor and a long, long finish. Delicious. Drink now.") Or you can just buy it online from K&L, because they "think it is better than the '06, which outsold every Italian red [they] carried last year."

So this is what Mr. and Ms. E-Muse thought: first of all, if you have yet to seal the deal this Valentine's Day, splurge for that Screaming Eagle and hint of good times to come in the future. However, if you no longer need to impress and can forgo the cult wine and the heart shape steaks (yes, Whole Foods actually sells them, but beware, they curl up when cooked, and what message does that send...), AND if you would rather send the message that you know how to economize while still enjoying life, then by all means, enjoy this inexpensive little bottle. It's surprisingly full-bodied, fruity and with the acidity that is meant to be paired with food.  It will need a little air when you first pour it, but Ms. E-Muse certainly enjoyed it more with each sip as she ate her ravioli and sausage dinner.  Perhaps any decent italian wine would have tasted good with her ravioli and sausage, but at $10.99 a bottle, that's amore.

Recessions Prefer Blondes

Full disclosure here:  The EconoMuse is blonde.  Both naturally, and enhanced by expensive means. (Yes, even the EconoMuse occasionally drops the big bucks.)

When the EconoMuse told Muse Jen P. about her new blog, she was promptly forwarded this article from the London Telegraph: "Women dye hair blonde amid recession" (Jan. 29, 2009). This week's e-musement certainly lands in the "What the ?" category.  

The EconoMuse is not even going to enter the age-old debate about blondes and fun. It really doesn't matter. However, whether or not it is true, it's the thought that counts. One London hair salon reportedly surveyed 1,200 customers on their attitudes towards blondes. Results were stereotypical--the top two beliefs were blondes are extroverted and more sexy. And 90% of the male respondents said they believe blondes do have more fun. (BTW, the other top-selling beliefs included: number three, blondes have childlike ignorance; and number five, blondes will kiss on a first date. Go figure. The EconoMuse has absolutely no idea where people could get those silly notions!)

And if it is the thought that counts, "blonde=fun" thoughts are driving our British sisters to expensive measures. "Celebrity Hairstylist" Andrew Barton claimed a 67% surge in blonde dye jobs at his London salon over this time last year. He sees this "gold rush" (his words--not the EconoMuse's) as an antidote to the doom and gloom of the economy.  

Wow. So last week we talked about alcohol sales rising during a recession, and this week we learn that since people think blondes have more fun, more women are going for the gold in this recession. This leads the EconoMuse to draw one conclusion: the economy is in the toilet, and we are all acting like we are on Spring Break, dying our hair blonde and knocking back the booze! Apparently denial is a river in Egypt. 

But does Andrew Barton's anecdotal evidence hold up under further Googling? The EconoMuse decided to find out. First she discovered that everyone loves his claim since this bit of pseudo-scientific journalism (I mean, come on--just how many hair salons have 1,200 customers to survey?!) was picked up by gazillions of magazines and newspapers ranging from Marie Claire to the Times of India. But nowhere did Ms. E-Muse find corroborating evidence or double-blind samplings. (Wait. I think there is a blonde joke in there somewhere.) Oh sure, she did find out that Mattel is investing big time in its own recession-dye-job by launching a six-story House of Barbie department store in Shanghai next month. This store will feature a luxurious spa, a couture clothing salon, and a restaurant that will sell--get this--Barbitinis.  And will Barbie reflect the skin tone and hair color of her newly adopted home? Nope. Apparently, while the doll does come in various skin tones and hair colors, it is the blonde version that drives international sales. (Source: The Guardian, "Barbie at 50: The Blonde Ambition Beneath the Hard Exterior," Jan. 9, 2009.)

So, before the EconoMuse loses her brunette faithful, she wants to let you know that while some of us are boozing and bleaching this recessionary season, a recent--and also unsubstantiated--study mentioned in The Times of India (no doubt meant as a soothing counterpoint to the Andrew Barton bit in a country with more than a few brunettes) reveals that when it comes to marrying, men prefer a brunette, because they are more dependable and sensible. Now Ms. EconoMuse would just love to ponder that as far as her limited brain power would allow, however, she is scootin' off to Palm Springs to knock back some Barbitinis and forget about that whole yucky-credit-cards-not-working-so-good-um-bad-receeding-economy thingy.

Recession Proof: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Drink

Apparently we all want to dull the pain a bit.  That seems to be the common wisdom explaining why alcohol sales go up during a recession.

The EconoMuse, who also works in the wine industry, remembers clearly a call-in radio show on NPR before the holidays that was exploring bright spots in this dismal economy.  The host wanted to hear from those whose business was booming.  Since the EconoMuse was knee-deep in musing about the best way to give wine as holiday gifts, her ears pricked up when a caller claimed his premium beer distribution was having its best season ever.  This led to the inevitable "dull-the-pain" theory, and it got the EconoMuse thinking, "What the ?" (to quote my little friend Davey M.)

Oprah may have her "Aha" moments.  The EconoMuse has her "What the ?" moments. She could understand that people tend to drink more during tough times.  All the beverage analysts are saying that (so it must be true, right?).  But this caller was selling premium beers, and no, Joe Six-Pack, that is not Coors Extra Gold. We're talking $15-20 per bottle!  How could this possibly be a good time for that?

Well apparently it isn't.  Ms. E-Muse thinks the caller was drinking a bit too much of his own merch over the holidays, and he has probably woken up this February with a big post-holidays hangover.  According to Jerry Hirsch of the Los Angeles Times ("Recession Reshaping Drinking Strategies"; January 20, 2009), this recession is hurting alcohol sales more than previous downturns.  Apparently people are trading down from premium brands and stepping away from the cabernet.

Muse Lynne gave Ms. E-Muse some of her own anecdotal evidence.  Apparently Lynne has friends in high places (that would be K&L Wine Merchants to all you Bay Area types, aka Mecca for those who want to have fun trying interesting wines at lower price points.  P.S.: they do ship.)  Anyhoo, Lynne reported that holiday sales were brisk at K&L.  The big diff this year?  Price point.  People are running to the less expensive brands.  The EconoMuse thinks this is a damn fine idea because almost anyone can make a decent cabernet for $80-100.  The real fun begins when you find a great wine for $20-30.  Or even less.

So, with this in mind, the EconoMuse would like to make Recession Proof a recurring feature of this blog. Each week (or so) she'll explore the joys of drinking for less.  But it is not as much fun to drink alone, so please, send the EconoMuse your own frugal finds.  

Recession Proof Sip of the Week

The EconoMuse is starting off by alienating all her wine-drinking friends and throwing down with a beer. And for good reason.  This beer saved her life on Super Bowl Sunday.  Its one of her new faves, Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock.

For just $7.99 a six-pack at BevMo, this beer can keep Ms. E-Muse and her fellow Blonde Bock fan Muse Maria entertained for a whole evening!  That's a measly $3.995 each!  And seriously, when you are thinking about good value during a recession, it doesn't get much better than that. Apparently, bock beers were originally brewed by monks in the 1600s to minimize hunger pangs during fasting periods.  (Could that be Renaissance Recessions?)  You've gotta admit that's a lot of history and--no doubt--a lot of experience with dark days.

But it isn't all doom and gloom with our friend the Blonde Bock. This is a golden, medium-hopped beer with a deep, malty flavor and a rich creamy head.  Apparently blondes do have more fun in a recession. (Foreshadowing Alert--future blog post!) 

And just how did this beer save The EconoMuse's life on Super Bowl Sunday?  Well, she had a bit of the belly bug but still rallied for the annual party.  Since there was no ginger ale to sip, she thought maybe a beer would be OK.  It was more than OK!  The light fizz and the creamy consistency soothed her tummy as well as that pink stuff could. Plus she won $100 from the half-time score, reconfirming that it is OK to be watching football and drinking beer with a belly bug.  (But please, try this at home.  It probably isn't a smart idea to road test the theory at a party with a lot of people you don't know like The EconoMuse did.)

Less is the new More

EconoMuse, here!

Welcome to all you Recessionistas out there.  Our time has finally come.

If you are like me, that last decade of unprecedented growth in the Dow--while welcome to your pocketbook--left you a little queasy.  Maybe you were never comfortable parting freely with money.  Or you were raised by thrifty parents.  You know the type: Mom made your prom dress (complete with elastic waistband because it was easier to sew). Or your parents only bought clothes for the first born, and by the time they were handed down to you--the fourth--you still had to wear them, even if you were the only daughter.  Or perhaps you had to mow the lawn, like Ms. EconoMuse's husband, who was paid $10 to mow for the job--which seemed like a good deal in the 1970s, until he realized that it was a 10-hour job that he had to do every weekend.  Mr. EconoMuse quickly learned about the beauty of compound interest since he was too damn tired to spend his money.  Or maybe you're simply the responsible type who thought you should save your money in case times turned bad.  (Smart thinking, Girl!  Color you psychic!)

So while the last decade was good to the EconoMuse and her husband, she has to admit that her inner thrift always battled with her outer consumer.  And, no, Ms. E-Muse is not cheap.  She just hates to waste money.  So while her gal pals were out plucking Pradas from Neiman's, Ms. E-Muse was combing the racks at Marshall's, looking for something that said "Expensive Italian" (at the same time that it said "Last Season.")    And on those rare occasions when Ms. E-Muse finally decided to splurge, it would takes weeks of agonized shopping to find just the perfect item that she was sure to get her money's worth from.  And in the end, she would often not pull the trigger (except for the full-retail Cole Haans that ended up sitting in the back of her closet because she was afraid to ruin them, confirming forever to Ms. E-Muse all that is wrong with her spending more than $250 on shoes.)  In short, Ms. E-Muse felt like a poseur.  She knew she just couldn't wear expensive clothes like she was born to it.  She figured no matter how much she spent, her outfits would scream, "Clashing!  Can't mix expensive fashions with practical nature!"

But to all you Recessionistas out there, no matter how you came by the moniker, know this: every cloud has a silver lining (or in our case, silver-plated, but that's no matter).  Our time has come.  Thrift is in. Overconsumption when friends are getting laid off is gauche.  Potlucks are now "quaint."  Repurposing is higher up the food chain than recycling.  Less is the new More.  And this economizer no longer hides in the racks at Marshall's when she sees fashionable friends wander in.  After all, they are now shopping there too.