Welcome to Bossy’s Poverty Party, an online support group for reining in spending, getting your finances in order, and climbing out of debt. Everyone basically knows what steps to take, but it is nearly impossible to climb that mountain alone.
So every day nearly every day over the next year, Bossy will use this space to report her spending and missteps, along with cheap recipes, savings tips, and suggested tricks and goals.
You are looking at one of the things Bossy hates more than any other hate thing in the history of Hate, and that’s a pour line on a glass.
Because it isn’t enough to suffer the injustice of spending for that one glass of wine what Bossy typically pays for a bottle — and when you read that impossible sentence, please imagine Bossy drinking straight from that bottle while still in its paper bag, preferably with railroad tracks involved.
Of course everyone knows it’s the bar tab that really pushes a restaurant bill right over the cliff, which is why it’s such a good idea — if forced to go out for a lite bite — to limit yourself to eating establishments with a bring-your-own policy.
This post brought to you by Do As Bossy Says Not As She Does. Thank you.
Lora says
September 8, 2009 at 8:51 amPre-game, Bossy. Pre-game.
It’s the only way.
MidLifeMama says
September 8, 2009 at 8:51 amOh I KNOW! I stopped going to this one place because they observed religiously the little snowflake that represented the precise 5oz. of wine they were allowed to pour, at $9 a glass at minimum. Grrrrr. If you shop at Trader Joe’s you can get THREE bottles of a very nice Shiraz for that price. That is a minimum of 36 5oz. glasses of wine. Wait…36 multiply by 9…oooooh, that is 324 reasons to charge so much for a glass of wine.
The Domestic Goddess says
September 8, 2009 at 9:06 amWe limit ourselves to ONE DRINK or we don’t drink at all and wait until we get home and have a glass.
RuthWells says
September 8, 2009 at 9:35 amI have never seen such a thing — I’ve obviously lead a sheltered life.
RuthWells says
September 8, 2009 at 9:35 amOr is that “led” a sheltered life?
kristin @ going country says
September 8, 2009 at 9:43 amI’ve never seen that, either. Obviously, I am going to all the right restaurants.
anne marie in philly says
September 8, 2009 at 9:59 ambooze and desserts are how a restaurant makes money.
you can always BYOB and have dessert at home.
agree that the price of a half glass of wine sux – I want a FULL glass!
Jenny says
September 8, 2009 at 10:06 amI don’t drink in public for two reasons…
I get drunk WAY to fast and I don’t have an ID card.
Lizzy says
September 8, 2009 at 10:07 amI prefer hip flasks like Mad-Eye Moody, God rest his soul. It’s cheap and occasionally encourages strangers to throw spare change my way.
Shelley says
September 8, 2009 at 10:54 amI think I love Lizzy for the HP reference.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a glass with a pour line. I have a secret though…I bowl, in a league, you see…and the prices for drinks border on the ridiculous. So I will buy one large Diet Coke, with free refills, and my own flask of rum. I swear I can buy an entire fifth of rum for what they charge for one small, watered-down drink. Yes, I am cheap, and I will not apologize.
In Cognito says
September 8, 2009 at 12:34 pmI have never seen a pour line on a glass before. And I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants. ::shaking head:: That’s nuts.
What has happened to the world? Once there were professionals who took pride in knowing how to pour a glass of wine and do the little flourish to make sure the smallest of drops ended up in the glass and not running down the side of a bottle. And the professionals those professionals worked for assumed (or trained) people to pour a drink.
David says
September 8, 2009 at 4:37 pmBossy’s Daughter’s expression seems to say “one day all this will be mine.”
Grizzly Kitteh says
September 8, 2009 at 7:55 pmOoohh… You comment about BYOB establishments reminds me of one that used to be across from my college campus. They had a patio where we could drink, so we started a wine club where everyone would bring a bottle every Wednesday night. After a while it was so popular that our student government sponsored the club’s inception as an actual student organization and subsidized field trips to wineries for group members.
21st Century Housewife says
September 8, 2009 at 9:14 pmBut you do have to love the waitron or barkeep who ostentatiously ignores the pour line.
maria from nj says
September 8, 2009 at 11:17 pmDamn, I went to the wrong college!
The Cheap Chick says
September 9, 2009 at 8:44 amARGH! I hate weak, sad, small pours. This is why drinking at home, where the good stuff lives, is the best!
Cactus Petunia says
September 9, 2009 at 12:42 pmI’ve never actually had the guts to bring my own bottle.
We go to a local theatre where the tickets are $3 and we can get a slice of pizza and a glass of wine (a small water glass filled to the tippy top) for about 7 bucks.
Yeah. I know. I’m a cheap date. Sigh.
Bridget says
September 9, 2009 at 5:13 pmTELLLLLL me about it. And did you KNOW that they don’t even HAVE BYO’s in Boston like they do in Philadelphia? In fact NO WHERE has BYO’s like they do in Philadelphia. They simply cannot be found. WHAT THE HOLY HECK AM I GOING TO DO? I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll be the chick who shows up to dinner half crocked with a flask up my skirt.
And can we maybe have a BYO Blogger party before I do get banished to the cold and BYO-less northlands?
Emily says
September 9, 2009 at 8:36 pmNever heard of a BYO policy -must be a Philly thing all right.
Julie says
September 10, 2009 at 2:01 pmI can’t decide if Bossy’s Daughter is saying,
“Please just one little taste?”
or “Ooh! Purdy glass!”
or “Please Momma! Don’t drink away my voice lessons AGAIN!!”
Sarah Jane O'Neill @ High Heels and Reprobates says
September 13, 2009 at 10:58 amTips for ensuring a full glass from a cash-strapped Londoner:
– Handbag Hip Flask
– Distracting the waiter with your décolletage
– An enforced wine tasting (*large gulp* “I’m really sorry but I can’t drink this. May I try something else?)
– “I’m here from Time Out to review your bar”
It’s cheap and underhand, but hey times are hard.
LeahBear says
September 18, 2009 at 10:15 amHi Bossy! Remember early on in the Poverty Party when you were trying to make your way through all the food in your house before going out and buying more? I am fiiiiinally getting around to doing that at my house – http://wherearethebears.blogspot.com/2009/09/saving-money-gives-you-botulism.html, although it’s maybe not working out as well for me as it did for you. If ONLY my grandmother was a hoarder of wine – then I’d be in business!
zenmomma says
September 22, 2009 at 8:36 pmI have never seen such a thing! Cheap ass restaurants.