Catch me tomorrow morning on WTHR Weekend Sunrise at 7:45 AM! Here’s a sneak peek of some of the money saving tips I’ll share.
I see you there with your Uncle Sam hat & sparklers in hand. I know you want to celebrate the red, white, and the blue but you want to keep all your green in your pocket. In fact, let’s keep your bank account a non-festive color of black this week. You can enjoy the sites & sounds, you can throw a big bash, but you don’t have to spend all your cash. Let’s chat about ways to keeping you financially independent while celebrating independence day.
1) Skip the Dollar Section. This is not unlike my tips for Christmas stockings & Easter baskets. The dollar store or section can be an incredibly useful tool and save you plenty if you know what you should be shopping for. However, when it comes to holidays, you’ll probably end up purchasing a lot of items you won’t even want to look at in a week. You know, like those awesome bobber headbands that will lay broken on the floor by this time next Sunday (um, is that just me?). So if you HAVE to have a novelty item or two, stare it down and ask the hard “Do I really want to throw this away in a week’s time? Is it more cost and time effective for me to simple throw George Washington’s likeness straight in the trash can?” questions. If you can reply in all seriousness that you need it (or have the cash budgeted for such items), then knock it out of the park. Otherwise, simply move along, nothing to look at here.
2) Buy Red Decor & Party Goods. I crank this suggestion out all. the time. Solid red is the absolute best color to purchase large bowls, baskets, and other decor items. You can use the items almost every holiday (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July) and for several birthday, sporting team, party themes, too! Typically you can pick them up on the cheap after a holiday but even if you purchase something prior to the 4th, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to use it more than once a year (as opposed to the cute flag items you’ll see at the stores right now).
3) Skip the Fireworks Tent & Head to the FREE Fireworks & FREE Events, instead. I’ve compiled a great big ‘ole list on Doing Indy of FREE 4th of July Events for you to check out. I have a rant or two I could go on about purchasing fireworks (what other time of the year do you purchase something with the intentions of literally blowing it to smithereens . . . then again, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know). I love you. I want to have a hard conversation right now. You should NEVER buy fireworks if you’re in debt. You are literally burning money. If you’re out of debt and you want to light up the night sky and drive your neighbor’s dog insane, more power to you. 😉 If you can’t wait, buy your fireworks now (with cash of course) but I’m telling you, those boom, crack, shiny toys will all be half priced next week. Delayed gratification is a virtue. FREE Events you don’t want to miss: Eiteljorg FREE on the 4th from 10 am to 5 pm, Indiana History Center FREE all day with concerts, special 4th performances, family activities & more, and of course the downtown fireworks with plenty of great free entertainment for all ages and then the big show late on the 4th (check out the details here).
4) Decorate with Food. I can’t think of a better way to add a splash of color to a table than with something that you eat (nom nom nom). Whether it’s cute Red, White, & Blue Star Marshmallows, a ripe watermelon, or a festive cake, you can light up your table without spending a lot of cash on extras like flags, table cloths, or centerpieces. And I have a hunch your guests will enjoy the edible decor much more.
That brings us to the recipe o’ the morning. I wish I could claim credit for creating this on my own but of course I found it on Pinterest (what isn’t on Pinterest?! You can follow my boards here.). You can make the Uncle Sam Punch Pictured above simply and quickly by following the steps below:
Ingredients:
1 cup Cran Apple Juice
1 1/2 cup White Cherry Powerade
1 cup Blueberry-Pomengranate G2
Ice to fill Pitcher or Cup
1) Purchase Red, White, and Blue Beverages with Differing levels of Sugar. This is incredible important because the more sugar there is in a beverage, the “heavier” it is. So you’ll want your beverages to separate and this will only happen if you have a gap between their measurements. I used Cran Apple Juice (32 g Sugar per 8 fl. oz.), White Cherry Powerade (14 g Sugar per 8 fl. oz.), and Blueberry-Pomengranate G2 (5 g Sugar per 8 fl. oz.).
2) Measure 1 Cup of Your Heaviest Liquid & Pour it in the Bottom of the Glass or Pitcher. For me, this was the Cran Apple.
3) Fill the Remaining Space in the Pitcher or Cup with Ice. This is incredible important. I tried to create the drink without ice and it does not work. It simple turns purple (as you might expect).
4) Pour 1 to 1 1/2 cup of White Cherry Powerade Into the Glass or Pitcher. Pour it very slowly and evenly over the ice & first liquid.
5) Pour 1 cup of Blueberry-Pomengranate G2 Into the Glass or Pitcher. Again, pouring slowly is the key!
The Uncle Sam Punch will remain separated as long as it is cold. If you want to serve it and drink of its delicious combination, mix it with a spoon just before you pour it. Otherwise, all of the blue will pour out first. The combination of flavors is rather fantastic!
Have a fantastic week celebrating America’s birthday!
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