VIA apartmenttherapy.com

• Host a small dinner party and use these ideas for setting the table on a budget.
• Throw a cocktail party stocked with inexpensive supplies. Choose one or two signature drinks and hors d'oeudvres to keep the cost of food and liquor low.
• Have a buffet-style potluck and invite your friends to bring their favorite recipes.
• Have some friends over for movie night, and choose the drinks accordingly. Serve martinis (shaken not stirred) and olives at a James Bond party; for a Godfather party, give your guests cannolis and godfather cocktails.
• Throw an all-white party and keep your decorations inexpensive: paper snowflakes, basic white china, white carnations.
• Host a holiday brunch rather than a dinner party. Brunch fare is generally less expensive than a dinner menu, you won't have to spend as much on drinks, and the casual mid-day vibe keeps things low-key.
• We love those old photos of our grandparents decked out in suits and cocktail dresses for their regular card parties. Why not revive an old tradition and have friends over for game night? If you're not a Bridge fan, try Scrabble (you can pair off in teams to accommodate more people), Monopoly, or Trivial Pursuit.
• Host a craft party where everyone makes something together, whether it's cookies, ornaments, or knitted scarves.
• Throw a wine and cheese party. Each guest brings a bottle of wine, you supply a selection of artisanal cheeses, and guests can try pairing them together.
• Swap Parties are a great way to declutter your home, find new things for free, and hang out with friends.

 

Ok so most of you have heard of “2 buck chuck” other wise know as Charles Shaw, but here comes a new cheap-O wine making its way to NYC. “A California company called The Wine Group is selling a merlot, a cabernet sauvignon and a chardonnay - for just $3.99 a bottle. And New Yorkers love it.” New York Post

At Gotham Wines located on 94th St. it’s the best seller, as people look for more and more deals, $3.99 is unbeatable. With all the varied wines, makes great gifts for the holidays, especially since Wine Group is not a household name (as of yet); you’ll come out looking like a hero with 3 bottles of wine in your hand.

As I plan to move away from our tiny closet of an apartment in Chinatown, I have been packing little by little, not able to take everything with me to my new place, I planed on throwing it out. Until a friend informed me of Beacons Closet located in

Williamsburg Store
88 N. 11th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211

and

Park Slope Store NEW LOCATION
92 5th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215

I stopped by the Williamsburg Store, to dropped of my stuff and banked $75 for my old ass shit that would have be trashed, might be a great cheapass way to make some extra cash for the holidays. ‘

Here is how it works
 
We continue to buy daily, without appointments, during all hours of operation up until a half an hour before closing. during peak selling seasons, however, cut off times may be earlier, particularly at the park slope location. please feel free to give us a call to find out about projected wait times. we will evaluate the items while you wait, or you may drop them off for your convenience. any items that we pass on can be left in the store and will be donated to charity. items left by customers and not selected for resale, will be donated to charity if not retrieved by the customer before closing the same day that clothing is dropped off. this is due to restrictions on storage space and the volume of clothing that we receive. if items are selected for resale, we will require your government issued photo i.d. as the customer is our vendor. sorry, no exceptions. this is for tax and documentation purposes only. your information will not be shared with other companies or used for any kind of promotion. we receive no tax deductions for items left by customers, as these items do not constitute a part of our inventory. we accept donations on behalf of other charities only as a service to our customers and to participating charities. customers are encouraged to return the day that clothing is dropped off, or to bring their items to a charity of their choosing, should there be any concern regarding their journey.

charities
Due to the volume of clothing that we receive, we are always looking for new charities, with not-for-profit documentation, that are able to pick up from us on a regular basis. If you are affiliated with such an organization, please contact us at service@beaconscloset.com. currently, our donations are picked up by the following organization(s):

dominick's mobile ministry – a not-for-profit mobile service established in 1995, which distributes customer clothing to the needy, homeless, and to churches throughout new york and pennsylvania. items are both given away directly to individuals, and sometimes sold with a request for donations, to pay for this not-for-profit's operational expenses. this clothing is distributed through churches and through the mobile unit. any proceeds which this charity collects go toward fulfilling the mission of its own organization... director, joseph dominick.

financial contributions
we regularly donate a portion of our profits to the following charities: b.a.r.c. (brooklyn animal resource coalition, a no kill animal shelter based in williamsburg), unicef, doctors without borders, coalition for the homeless, poplar springs animal sanctuary (a 400 acre non-profit refuge for farm animals and wildlife located in maryland), and habitat for humanity.

www.beaconscloset.com/ 

Thanks to Foodies R Goodies blog, we find out that boo-ritos at chipotle are free on Halloweens. "Ha ha, I know I know, you must be wondering 'Whoa! Gen, don't you get tired of Chipotle?' ... well, I have to say 'No' and you Chipotle fans knows how addictive it can be ... hahaha! Anyway, since Halloween is right around the corner meaning next Friday October 31, they have a 'BOO RITO' special on that day, all you have to do is dress up as a Chipotle burrito, taco, bowl or salad and you get a FREE BURRITO between 6pm to closing time. Have fun!!!! I am going to get my flu shots on that day so it'll probably be a BOO HOO HOO day for me ... heh heh."  foodiesrgoodies.blogspot.com

 

Thanks GEN!!!

 I never knew it was possible to get some cheap ass eats by Mario Batali, but I believe that pig have grown wings and are flying high. The holiday “pop-up” stores have appeared starting from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. A marketing ploy from Bon Appétit magazine’s to sell company’s products, they will be dishing up plates from $2-$12. A very merry lunch by the jolly Mario Batali and Tyler Florence not bad, check it out, the location is at 221 West 57th Street. Lunches from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Oct. 27 from noon to 7 p.m., a pop-up store will open at 79 Walker Street (Broadway), devoted to the products of Divine Chocolates. 

The New HaagenDazs single serving ice creams are perfect for one, not only are these little guys economical, they are also waist-friendly. For $1.50 one serving of chocolate ice cream has 18g of fat, 11g of saturated fat, 21g of sugars, and 5g protein, this is portion control at it’s best. I know if I get the pint, half of it is going into my belly in one sitting. Definitely, if that chocolate craving is kicking in, head to your nearest bodega for a little one on one.

**spoon inside, an added bonus!

 

 

Date: 10/12/2024
Location: New York, NY
Discipline: Famous Famiglia Pizza
Total Prizes: $14,000

Hot of the Presses, this is one recession special that everyone needs keep an eye on. As of September 15 at 12:00pm EST registration for Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship will open on Monday, September 15 at 12:00pm EST. The prize money is a whopping $10 grand to the winner who can ingest the most pies. Here are the rules and regulations: *All applicants must be 18 years of age or older and fully acknowledge and understand the inherent dangers and risks associated with participating in an eating contest. The applicant further acknowledges and understands that the MLE/IFOCE coordinates with event sponsor(s) to select and approve eligible participants, and that the MLE/IFOCE shall decide, at its sole discretion, whether an applicant is eligible to participate in any eating event, and/or related activities. The MLE/IFOCE may revoke an applicant’s eligibility to participate in the eating contest, or related activities, at any time, for any reason, at its sole discretion. The MLE/IFOCE and the event sponsors reserve the right, at any time, to change any and all details concerning the event, including, e.g., time, duration, location and prize structure.

 
Farmers Markets are moving with the times, as families rely on food stamps more and more. The Farmers' Market Federation of NY states “that food stamp sales have grown to $90,000 in 2007 from $3,000 in 2002 (helped in part by wireless technology that allows the farmers to accept payments by food stamp debit card)” gothamist.com  

46 states have at least one farmer's market accepting EBT cards, NY offers “Fresh Checks”, giving food stamp families $5 coupon incentives for spending a minimum of $5. And things are looking even better for New Yorkers, 40 markets accepted food stamps in 2007, and  2008 to 87 markets,  approximately 400 markets are equipped to sell food to families using the EBT cards.

US Airways announced that they will charge coach passengers $2 for soft drinks, bottled water and $1 for coffee or tea on all its domestic flights. As if ticket hicks weren’t bad enough now they are charging for water, what’s next tokens for the restrooms?!!    
As New York Times reports, “The other major carriers have yet to follow US Airways’ lead — though it may just be a matter of time. But some airlines are finding creative ways to up the ante, by adding new nonalcoholic beverages to their offerings, like Monster Energy drinks and Vitaminwater, and charging for them. Meanwhile, all domestic airlines but Continental have replaced free meals in coach on flights in the United States with at least some food sales.” MICHELLE HIGGINS NYT

Lucky for us the NYTimes puts it all in perspective:

American

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; beer, wine and cocktails are $6.

Snacks: Nuts, cookies or cheese and crackers on flights of two hours or more are $3 or $4; chips are offered after 10 a.m. for $3.

Meals: Light meals — like a turkey bagel sandwich, Italian wrap or turkey-and-cheese ciabatta sandwich — are available for $6 on flights of three hours or longer. Boar’s Head sandwiches with chips are $10 on flights to and from Hawaii and on transcontinental flights.

Mealtimes: No specific times.

 

Continental

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; for beer, wine and cocktails, $5.

Snacks: Free peanuts or pretzels, after 10 a.m., on one-to-two-hour flights.

Meals: Free on flights of two hours or more, including a muffin for breakfast, turkey sandwich with carrot sticks or chips and candy for lunch, or a meatloaf sandwich, a salad and sweets for dinner.

Mealtimes: Breakfast, 7 to 9 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; dinner, 5 to 7 p.m.

 

Delta

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $3 for Vitaminwater; $7 for alcoholic beverages, including margaritas and pomegranate martinis.

Snacks: Free peanuts, cookies or peanut butter crackers. Chocolate bars, potato chips and other snacks are available for $2 or $3 on flights of an hour and a half to two hours.

Meals: From $4 on flights of more than two hours, including a strawberry cream cheese crepe ($4), mushroom pea orzo ($8), and grilled shrimp Caesar salad ($10).

Mealtimes: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

JetBlue

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and tea; $3 for Vitaminwater; $5 for beer, wine and cocktails.

Snacks: Free Terra Blues chips, Frito-Lay Munchies, cookies, cashews, biscotti or animal crackers.

Meals: None.

 

Northwest

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $5 for alcoholic beverages.

Snacks: Pringles, M & M’s, Twizzlers or trail mix are $3; snack boxes with crackers, cheese, cookies, trail mix and either beef sausage, chicken salad or tuna are $5. Fruit and cheese or vegetables with ranch dip, $7.

Meals: $10 for a breakfast sandwich and fruit salad with a breakfast cookie, or for a deli meat sandwich and salad with a chocolate bar.

Mealtimes: Meals are available only on “select flights” like those from its hubs to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico. Fresh snacks are offered only on such flights as well.

 

Southwest

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $3 for Lo-Carb Monster Energy; $4 for beer, wine and cocktails.

Snacks: Free peanuts or pretzels on flights about two hours long. Honey Maid Snack Bars and Cheese Nips on flights three hours or longer; Oreos, Wheat Thins or Ritz Real Cheese crackers on the longest flights.

Meals: None.

 

Spirit

Drinks: $2 for water, coffee or tea; $3 for soda or juice; $5 for alcohol.

Snacks: $2 to $4 for Pringles, animal crackers, M & M’s, and other snacks.

Meals: None.

 

United

Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $6 for beer, wine and cocktails.

Snacks: $5 for snack boxes with bagel chips, vegetable cheese spread, granola, diced pears, cinnamon twist pastry, toffee and mints, or other assortments.

Meals: $7 for salads and sandwiches like a smoked turkey chipotle wrap or a Santa Fe chicken salad.

Mealtimes: Breakfast is available on flights departing before 10 a.m. Lunch and dinner, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

US Airways

Drinks: Coffee and tea, $1; bottled water, juices, and soda, $2; beer, wine and cocktails, $7.

Snacks: $5 for boxes of chicken salad, crackers, trail mix, a fruit bar and cookies on flights over two and a half hours.

Meals: From $7 on select flights over three and a half hours, including a turkey croissant and yogurt, chef salad or chicken Caesar sandwich.

Mealtimes: From 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

 

+++image by Ron Barrett