March 2011 - The Outlier Model

Doing what you love for less

Doing what you love, wine classes, wine courses, studying wine, drinking wine

Brian / March 30th, 2011 / 6 Comments

By now, you’ve heard about my passion for wine. I recently took the first step to formalizing this hobby by completing the Level 1 WSET course. Today, I’d like to talk more about how I can afford to pursue this passion without compromising my finances. Following your passions In 2005, I spent three months working and living in Paris. This was my first real introduction to wine. It was...

Posted in: Career and Work, Philosophy Tagged with: passion, vancouver wine festival, wine blog, WSET

Spring cleaning and the abundance of waste

Spring cleaning, alley, gold in the alley, trash in the alley, used stuff in the alley

CF / March 28th, 2011 / No Comments

It’s spring cleaning time and I’m not too embarrassed to admit it – I’ve found a lot of cool stuff in the alley. Once, my ex and I found an IKEA coffee table in perfect condition, complete with all the screws and hardware in a Ziploc bag. We dragged it home and replaced our hand-me-down from the 60s. I’ve also found a cute side table , speaker stands, plant pots, kitchen items and boxes...

Posted in: Minimalism and Frugality Tagged with: free, spring cleaning

Using medical deductions in your tax return

medical deductions in your tax, medical benefits, tax deduction, tax return, health benefits

CF / March 26th, 2011 / No Comments

Many people are fortunate enough to have benefit plans which completely cover their health and dental needs. But many other people only have partial coverage and still many others are not covered at all. I used to be fortunate enough to have all of my medical and dental needs covered at 100%. But after going back to school and taking a work placement, my benefits have evaporated. Luckily, Brian’s...

Posted in: Money Tagged with: medical expenses, refund, tax credit

Kitchen tips: How to keep herbs fresh

keep herbs fresh, basil, fresh herbs, herbs, kitchen tips, kitchen herb

CF / March 21st, 2011 / 1 Comment

I love having fresh Thai basil on hand for soups and stir-frys. But if you stick them in the fridge and don’t use them within a few days, they tend to wilt and then I feel bad about wasting money. A great way to keep Thai basil fresh is to treat it like a flower. Cut off the ends of the stems and stick it in a glass of water. Put the glass in an area that gets indirect sunlight, like your...

Posted in: Food and Grocery Tagged with: basil, herbs, how to, kitchen, mint