Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Economizing via the Liquor Cabinet

So the economy is bad. Yeah, we get it. Right now we are debating whether or not we will need to get rid of one of the cars due to the lovely economy. We have been cutting back for so long, my knives are dull...ba dum bum...

Tonight, I felt the need for a drink while we approached the subject yet again. P agreed seeing as how I fly into fits of rage when we have the $ talks. It was then I saw there were only 3 beers in the fridge and they weren't particularly good ones and then I realized, we might have to cut back on beer too (my wine budget had been cut about two months ago). I looked at P and then looked at our liquor cabinet. Ok, it's a shelf not a cabinet, whatever. We have a TON of liquor; Jack Daniels, rum, gin, bad vodka, a decent scotch. "Saved!" I thought. Then I really thought. "I really don't know what to do with this stuff."

Don't get me wrong, I like me a good gin and tonic but that is not a difficult mix. I also like my vodka martinis but it HAS to be Grey Goose ($$) with gooooood olives. I don't know how to do anything with rum other than a frozen drink. I have had Jack but only with Coke. If I mixed scotch with anything my uncle would sense it, show up at my house and smack me in the head. So internet, in the spirit of true economizing, give me some suggestions on easy stuff I can mix at the end of a day of watching the markets fight it out all day so that I can briefly forget that I may be forced to share a car with P, ride to work with him and quit Lottery Yarn.

BTW, I am drinking a Jack and Ginger Ale at the moment. Seems to be doing the job.

Edit: Please understand...I am not doing the drinking now...I was doing it last night when I wrote the post. I scheduled it for 7:00am this morning. :)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I, too, have had to economize in this area. I haven't tried Grey Goose yet, but I've heard it's the best. Unfortunately, I won't be buying any for a while. I'm even to the point of stopping the DirecTv...kids should like that one...

Wish I could help ya out, but I drink the same things you do, so....when you get some good ideas, let me know!!

Mama Dawg said...

I can't help you. I'm a straight tequila shooter or a beer drinker or a wine drinker. I love martini's but I dont' make 'em.

Los said...

There are some decent cheaper vodkas out there, but I don't know if you want to take a chance on them - Svedka is very good for the price (it probably doesn't quite compare to Grey Goose, though).

You can always start making moonshine in the bathtub ... just a thought.

Anonymous said...

I'll just take my vodka straight please.

Amy said...

I don't drink much so there goes my failure to economize. I will have to find some other way.

sj said...

two vodkas that are pretty decent and cheaper (i'm usually a ketelone drinker myself): three olives and vox.

i actually have the most random alcohols in my cabinet, because i do a lot of baking. peachtree?

i highly recommend making rum balls. there's a super easy recipe that doesn't require any baking (so the rum doesn't bake off!) and they are *good.* i'll post it soon.

i've tried to curtail my sephora addiction into an elf addiction. still new lipstick, but 2.50 instead of $20.

Cristin said...

I'm no good with the hard stuff. I like wine, the good stuff.. which is too expensive so I settle for the OK stuff.. which happens to do the trick.

FunnyGal KAT said...

Ha, I like how you clarified that the post was written the night before! Although, in this economy, who could blame you if it took a drink or two to get yourself out the door in the morning?

I'm a fan of Citron and 7-Ups, which can be made with any lemon vodka. I also highly recommend chocolate martinis, which can be made with cheaper vodka (plain or vanilla), chocolate liqueur and the cheap version of Bailey's Irish Cream. Or you can, you know, stick to beer, which I'm sure is cheaper in the long run.

BS5 Blogger said...

I liked the knives joke!

Please keep us updated with good cocktails!

The verification word for this comment was Mater, so maybe ask your Mom about cocktails - perhaps it was subliminal!

Jen said...

I so know what you mean. I am fighting like hell to keep the wine in budget, we really don't need heat right!?!

Anonymous said...

We're working on keeping the pub in the budget.

Jack and Seven is one of my favorites. I can mix rum with any fruit juice...it's great with pineapple juice and a dash of soda. Best of all, buy a bottle of banana or coconut rum to mix it with. Might as well double up on the economizing!

Maddness of Me said...

I have a habit of pretending I'm coming down with a cold and my remedy is to mix some Jack into my hot tea.

Now if I really am getting sick, I will put some honey and lemon in there too.

I don't know if you can listen to a Midwesterner tho', we put mayonaise on our hamburgers.

Nina said...

I wish my husband would have the money talk. He doesn't ever cut back and it drives me nuts. I pinch pennies all day and he spends them. I gave up long ago.
Good luck with the car... I would hate sharing a car.

Muffy Willowbrook said...

Vodka cranberry juice is a good mix, and it's good for you, too! Sha-right...

I personally like my rum and diet coke. It's an automatic when I'm making dinner. Otherwise, is Two Buck Chuck out of the budget??

Anonymous said...

Haha glad you're not drinking at 7 AM. That would worry me.

Rhea said...

I don't know drinks. I rarely drink...although it's definitely sounding more and more appealing these days.

As Cape Cod Turns said...

When you get down to the dregs of the liquor cabinet/shelf, you just have to start doing shots.

honkeie said...

In desperate times I dont mix, just take the bottle to the head and chase it with a beer. And as far as rum goes....it will mix with just about anything: juice, any type of soda or even just plan old air!

~Sheila~ said...

Well, that's one way to "cut back" on liquor. I go to Mexico to get liquor cause it's cheaper by the gallon there....YES, I said GALLON!

Live.Love.Eat said...

Hah. Rum & Coke with a twist of lime is good too! Unless you had light rum. I could come up with something for that too.

There's this great site where you plug in what you do have and they give you choices.