"bargain" news and stories

Well, T.G.I.F. has finally arrived, but today's economic news continues to be T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. Used to be Friday was a chance to kick off the weekend party; now it just seems like the best day of the week to start drowning your sorrows.

About a month back, I pondered the idea of a post on the best bargain beers. Logistically, the project seemed like a nightmare: So many cheap beers come in 30 packs, and did I really want 29 Natural Ices clogging up my fridge? Plus, unlike typical beer reviews, reviewing cheap beers is subjective on two fronts -- not only what you consider "good," but also what you consider "cheap." Maybe you consider Miller Lite an extravagance when there's a perfectly good case of Milwaukee's Best on the shelf? I've yet to walk a mile in your shoes (though it is on my "to do" list).

So I figure, Friday afternoon, Slashfood readers are trying to whittle away the last hours of the work week, let's open it up to you guys. During the Great Depression fellow Americans bonded together to help one another. Let's help each other find some good drinkin' deals!

What do you consider to be the best cheap beers? What's a good bargain for the flavor of which you're a craver? Let us know in the comments! (Seriously guys, don't let me down: This post is nothing without your feedback!)

The holidays can get pretty expensive, with gifts, food and entertaining expenses piling on until after the New Year (especially if you want to hit one or two after-Christmas sales), so it is always great to find a way to save some money without loosing out on quality. Food is one area where it is difficult to cut back, since price and quality are often closely linked. Paying more will usually get you better meats, cheeses and chocolates, for example. When it comes to wine, however, price are quality are not necessarily as closely inked - not unless you're talking about $100+ bottles of wine, anyway. Since AOL Food has a much larger staff than we do, they went through many bottles of wine to find five great ones that are $5.99 a bottle or less, perfect for serving with holiday dinners or bringing along as a hostess gift to a party because they are guaranteed to taste good without breaking the bank.

1. Trader Joe's Coastal Cabernet ($4.99)
2. Amaicha Torrontes ($4.99)
3. Banrock Station Shiraz ($5.99)
4. Barefoot California Merlot ($5.99)
5. Barefoot California Chardonnay ($5.99)

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When it comes to cooking, grills are no more than tools. As long as the tool you have is functional, it's how you use it that counts when cooking. A taste test between rib-eye steaks cooked on a $1,600 Firestone Legacy grill and a Big Green Egg charcoal grill/smoker that was less than half of that price confirms this theory: almost all tasters preferred the meat cooked with the Egg.

Of course, the reason that tasters preferred the Egg steaks was because they had a slightly smoky/woodsy flavor from the charcoal, which was not present with the larger gas grill, and the tasters liked their meat that way. The point is that both grills performed well, cooking the steaks evenly despite their differences in price. The specific flavor preference of the tasters, while an interesting addendum to the gas vs. charcoal debate, has nothing to do with the functionality of the grill.

I'm sticking with my gas grill because I like the way it works and am not a huge fan of charcoal flavors in my everyday foods. But whether you like charcoal or gas, as long as you buy a well-made grill and not necessarily an expensive one, you are bound to have more than a few good meals.

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