Cheap Passport Photos ... That Actually Look Good

I love to plan trips.

Reading the guide books, creating an itinerary, even packing-- they're almost as exciting as the trip itself.

Not really, but you get the point.

But I don't like just everything about vacation preparation. Case in point: renewing my passport.

Passport photos are a huge waste of money. They're only about $7, but that seems ridiculous when you can buy other photos for just pennies apiece.

And besides, if I have to live with a photo of myself for 10 years, I want it to look good. I don't trust a drug store, AAA or any other common source of passport photos to tell me if I look like an idiot as I'm waiting for the bulb to go off, and I doubt they're going to give me a free do-over.

So I was determined to find a better way. And I did: ePassportPhoto.

Have your photo taken with a digital camera against a white or off-white background, following a few simple rules (details are on the site). My husband and I spent about 15 minutes taking several photos of each other, instantly deleting the pictures that made us look like a doofus.

Upload the picture of your choice to ePassportPhoto, crop to specifications, and save. I had photos of myself and my husband printed at a local drugstore for a grand total of 58 cents.

I have yet to send in the photos to actually renew my passport, so I'm still crossing my fingers that they won't be rejected.

Want to see the photo? That's going to require an in-person visit to me. Even the best of passport photos doesn't make you, me or anyone actually look good ... only better.

The Perfect Pet

Item: Cat tape dispenser

Price: $12.50

Where to Buy: Pylones

Review: You've read about my love of the store Pylones. This cat tape dispenser is one of the reasons why.

And I don't even really like cats.

Despite their occasional attempts at being adorable, my ... ahem, my husband's ... two cats, Will and Grace, are always under my feet whenever they take a break from knocking over full glasses of water.

But one look at this tape dispenser and I can't help but remember how cute kitties really are.

Sometimes I wish I could turn Will and Grace into quiet, stationary office supplies. Until that day comes ...

Image from: Pylones

The Opposite of Thrifty

On this Memorial Day, I'd be perfectly happy with a well done burger covered in a good spice rub cooked on a hot Weber grill. Alas, even if we could fit a grill on our fire escape, it would probably be illegal.

For gourmands with an unlimited budget and a more sophisticated taste in hamburgers, there's always the Wall Street Burger Shoppe in Manhattan. That's where you can get a gold-flecked hamburger for $175.

That's right, readers, there's no decimal point in that price.

The 10-ounce Kobe beef patty is also topped with black truffles, foie gras and aged Gruyere.

I'm sure the burger's good, but that wouldn't stop me from feeling sick over all the money I just spent downing cow covered in gold.