Going To Town

When I was growing up, Saturday was the day we "went to town".  Which is kind of funny, because for most of my childhood we lived "in town" and my mom stayed home. Any day of the week could have been "go to town" day.  Anyway, Saturday was the day I went with Mom to buy groceries, go to the dime store (in the days before Wal-Mart), and do whatever other errands needed to be done. 

I loved Saturdays as a teen.  I could usually talk Mom into buying me a magazine (Teen, Seventeen, Young Miss or even Cosmo) and a bag of the (then) new nacho-cheese flavored Doritos.  Once back home, I'd devour both while watching American Bandstand on TV.  I kind of miss those days.

Lately, I've set aside Thursdays as the day I "go to town".  On a typical Thursday, I drop Kat at daycare or school, depending on the time of year, then I make the short rounds to our recycling dumpsters to dump glass, plastic and paper items.  Then I meet up with my "egg lady" in the grocery store parking lot to buy free-range eggs, which I put in one of those insulated reusable bags with one of those re-freezable blue ice packs.

After that, if there are errands I need to do in other parts of the city, I head there first and do those.  If I'm in the mood on the way home, I will stop at thrift stores, garage sales and maybe at the "dented can" (freight salvage) store.  Finally, once I'm back near my house, I do my grocery shopping.  Depending on the ads, I will shop at 1 to 5 different stores, getting just the things that are on sale.

If I'm still out at lunchtime, sometimes I will take myself to lunch, usually with a coupon for a fast food place. I'd say I do that about half of my Thursdays. Finally, I come home and get things put away, often just in time to leave again to get Kat.  Once in a while, like today, I'm home early to spend a lazy afternoon at home.

Thursdays are my day out to do my own thing.  I'm thinking that, once winter is here again and there aren't so many tempting garage sales*, they might be a good day for me to do the crafting that I never seem to have time to do.

Does anyone else have a day set-aside just for themselves?



* It's not entirely unusual here to see a garage sale now and then in the middle of winter.

**********

July Grocery/Pantry Challenge:

Items Purchased Today (store brand unless indicated):  2 dozen eggs from local farm, 1 gal. whole milk, 8 oz. cream cheese, 4 lb. sugar (won't need until next week, but on sale this week), 2 lb. dry pinto beans, 1 small jar sliced pimientos, 1 bell pepper, 2 lbs. green grapes, 2 large tomatoes, 3.25 lbs peaches, 1 lb. radishes and about 1/3 cup each of sliced mushrooms and celery from the salad bar. 

Amount Spent Today (including tax): $23.65

Amount Spent To Date in July (including tax): $58.39

Wisdom In A Cup Of Coffee

It's Your Decision To Make

Just minutes after I published my post yesterday, I read someone else's post about buying non-feedlot-raised meats and chicken, and buying locally. Whether it was the writer's intention or not, I felt as if she were passing judgment against those who buy food produced outside their local markets or foods that aren't organic.

Ideally, we would buy our food locally from farmers with humane and ecologically sound practices. Unfortunately, we either have trouble finding the locally-raised food (especially meat) or we have trouble affording it when we do find it. The meat we found at the Amish shop was the first affordable and readily available non-feedlot meat we'd been able to find this year. Unfortunately, buying a side of beef was out of our budget, and the shop was unwilling to sell it by the quarter. They would sell individual cuts, but those were MUCH more expensive than the $2.49 per pound sides they were selling.

My point is this: it's never a bad thing to buy locally grown or raised produce and meat. The food is likely of better quality and your money stays in your local economy. BUT...you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes you have to buy what's readily available and sometimes you have to stretch those dollars as far as they will possibly stretch.

If you can afford to eat all organic, all local produce and meat, then buy all means, do so. If you can only afford a few organic or locally grown items each week, then buy those and enjoy them. And if you simply can't work organics into your budget, then don't worry about it and don't feel guilty about it. You can always start working them in later as your situation changes.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to living frugally and/or living simply. Only you can decide what's right for you. I hope my posts never come across as condescending or as sermons. I hope instead their seen simply as suggestions or tips for those who do want to lead a simpler, more frugal lifestyle.

Closet Synchronicity?

According to the dictionary, synchronicity occurs when two things happen, exist, or arise at precisely the same time.

Saturday I got fed up with the amount of clothing in my closet. I'm not a clothes horse by any means, but by all means, I'm a garage sale addict. That means I've wound up with too much clothing in my closet that I bought on the cheap.

I decided to try an experiment. I took more than half of my clothing out and folded it into large Rubbermaid totes, then had Shane carry the totes down to the basement (a tote full of jeans is HEAVY).

As I did this, I explained to him that I'd read more than once that most people only wear 20% of their clothing in a regular rotation, leaving the rest to be worn only occasionally, if ever.

An hour or so later, my free copy of Frugillionaire by Francine Jay came in the mail. (Click here for my quick review of the book.). I had to laugh as I thumbed through the book and landed on Tip No. 176. Here's what Francine Jay wrote:

176: Remember the 80/20 rule
According to the 80/20 rule (otherwise known as the Pareto principle*), we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. That means the majority of our clothes languish in our closets, rarely worn....

How's that for timing. She goes on to explain how paying heed to the 80/20 rule can save money. For me, it was mostly about saving space. My closet was packed and I was having trouble finding what I wanted.

I'm not getting rid of those clothes just yet. They fit and are in basic -- not trendy -- styles, so I'll be able to wear them when something currently in my closet gets stained, worn beyond repair or just too tiresome to me. I'm loving the extra space in my closet, too.

What do you think? Does the 80/20 rule apply to you and your clothing? Do you think you could get buy with half as many clothes as you have now?

Just Some Thoughts

Kat and I are home sick today. Both of us are feeling under the weather a bit, but I just wanted to direct your attention to another blog post I read this morning by Karen at Living Well On Less. She writes about finding your own optimal comfort zone when living a frugal lifestyle.

This is something I think about often. In living a frugal lifestyle, Shane and I encounter opposition (for lack of a better word) from two distinct camps: those who "get it" and those who don't.

We know plenty of people who just don't get it. They don't understand why we strive for the best value on everything we buy, or why we deprive ourselves (in their eyes) of things we want because we refuse to put our latest whims on credit. They don't understand our goal to become entirely debt-free by retirement, if not sooner. They don't understand that often, less is more. Many of the men Shane works with fall into this category.

On the other side of the coin, there are those who do get it...in a big way. Sometimes they are even harder to deal with, because frugality suddenly becomes a competition. Nearly everyone in my family is frugal, but unfortunately some have become very competitive about it. To me, the competitive nature cheapens (pun intended) the concept of being frugal.

I guess my point is....there's no wrong way to be frugal. Use coupons or don't. Shop at garage sales or don't. Focus on smaller savings or just the larger ones. It doesn't really matter, as long as you are working toward the goals YOU set for YOUR family and situation, and that you try not to judge others who choose to go a different route.

I think Karen says it better than I can. Check out her post here.

Staying In

While hordes of consumers will be out – or have already been out – for hours today shopping for bargains, we’ll be keeping warm and cozy at home.

You know I’m all for bargains, but I’m all against crowds. And pushing and shoving. And long lines.

Which is why Kat and I are staying home today.

While Shane is at work today (an unusual occurrence on the Friday after Thanksgiving), Kat and I will probably put up her small Christmas tree this morning. We’ll eat some of yesterday’s leftovers for lunch, and if we’re in the mood, we might venture out this afternoon to do the grocery shopping for the next couple of weeks. When Shane gets home, we’ll eat leftover turkey sandwiches – arguably the best part of Thanksgiving – and settle in to watch a movie.

Otherwise, it will be just another day. Perhaps a little lazier than most, but I don’t suppose there’s anything wrong with that.

I'm Done Shopping

We finished up our Christmas shopping over the weekend, easily meeting our goal to be done before Thanksgiving. I set aside a few dollars each week from Shane’s paycheck throughout the year and had more than enough to pay for everything holiday-related.

We aren’t a religious family. But Shane and I do try to make family, rather than gift-giving, the main focus of the holidays. Luckily, our extended families on both sides think similarly and are more than happy to share some food and fun together in lieu of exchanging gifts. Also, this year Shane and I have decided not to buy gifts for each other. All in all, our gift list was short and sweet.

That said, I still feel as if I may have gone overboard, especially with Kat’s gifts. This is something I struggle with annually. Now, one person’s idea of overboard may be drastically different than another’s. What I consider adequate or even abundant, another might see as quite minimal. Yet another may see it as over-the-top.

The money spent is not the issue. I budgeted for Christmas, shopped wisely and didn’t go over my allotted amount. It’s the number of gifts that I think is excessive. This is one area where my general philosophy of "less is more" goes by the wayside. If my count is right, there will be a dozen gifts under the tree for Kat, plus trinkets in her stocking. Even that amount might be alright if that was all. But there will also be gifts from her mom Jeanne, some of her great-grandparents and even her mom’s boyfriend’s mom.

Oh well. I guess I should try not to worry about Kat being spoiled and instead try to remember that much of the joy is in the giving. I know it holds true for me. I enjoy giving as much, or even more, than receiving. Who am I to spoil someone else’s fun by suggesting they don’t buy so many gifts for Kat?

Anyway, all of that is neither here nor there in regard to the title of my post. Which is… I’m Done Shopping. All the gifts have been bought. We send a few holiday cards; they’ve been bought, along with stamps. We aren’t buying any new decorations this year. There’s an outside chance I’ll need more wrapping supplies, but I think even that’s covered (heh...covered) for this year. There will be a few baking needs to buy, but according to our budget those fall under “groceries”, not “holidays”.

Having set the money aside throughout the year made shopping so simple! It’s good to know that from now until December 25, the only things I have to worry about is when I’ll wrap gifts and what I’ll bake. It’s nice to know that I can go to the mall just to enjoy the sights and smells of the holiday without stressing over what to buy. And best of all, it’s great to know that none of the holiday expenses were paid with a credit card.

So, how are you coming along with your holiday shopping? Did you save for it ahead of time or will you “charge it”? Do you, like me, ever worry about excess, or do you go all-out?

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I'm the first to recommend some quality down-time to any of my friends who are stressed out, overworked, and generally too busy with life. I try to tell them that life is short, there are more important things than working day in and day out, that they're working away hours they'll never be able to get back and so on and so forth.

When I give this advice, I'm not talking about family time or couple's time, although those are very important as well. What I'm really talking about is some good, healthy time alone. A bit of time set aside each day, or as often as possible, to do whatever it is that makes them feel relaxed and happy. I'm always so happy for them when they take my advice.

Is it surprising to know that I don't follow my own advice? After all, I'm a SAH-wife and should have plenty of time for relaxation, right? Wrong. I never seem to have enough hours in the day to do what I think needs to be done, let alone time to do what I want to do for fun and relaxation. Shane gets onto me often, telling me to slow down, quit working so much and let things around the house go a little.

That's easier said than done for me, but last week I started doing something I hope will become a habit. I've promised myself (and Shane) to take 1-2 hours a day, during the day while it's nice and quiet here at home, to do anything I want to do. I've also promised to enjoy those hours without concerning myself over laundry, errands, cooking or anything other than my chosen distraction.

So far, I've been crocheting during my "me time". Over time I'll probably do some reading and cross-stitching and knitting and even napping. It doesn't matter what I do, just that I do it and do it without guilt.

How much time out do you take just for yourself? Has it had a positive effect on you? Please share.

Decluttering Days 59 through 75

Yes, I'm still decluttering. In the last 17 days I've:

• sold two books, one VHS tape and one CD on half.com
• sent out three requested books from my Frugal Reader account
• sold a Crock Pot BBQ Pit and a jar of facial scrub on eBay
• sold a free-standing adjustable basketball goal on craigslist
• finally sorted through the literature and freebies we got at the state fair and was able to recycle most of it
• sorted through a week's worth of Kat's Kindergarten papers and was able to recycle most of them
• bought a few new tops for myself and removed an equal number of old ones from my closet to be donated
• found an organized, but temporary, place to store all of the items we’ve purchased for our bathroom remodel so far

The other three days? Honestly, I don't remember. But I'm sure I organized or got rid of something.

I'll continue on with this challenge, because the decluttering needs to be done. But the clutter isn't going away fast enough for me. I'm thinking of putting more things out at the curb for free this weekend, advertising it on craiglist, and getting rid of a lot at once.

6 Weeks Already?

I can't believe I've been doing the 365 Day Declutter Challenge for more than six weeks already! If you'd asked me, I'd have guessed half that. The summer is flying by!




Day 37 - Bought a dozen small plastic crates for Kat's room. Helped her organize her small toys into them and, in the process, tossed out the broken odds and ends.

Day 38, 39, 40 - Between doctor appointments for Kat and myself, not feeling well, and straightening out a time-consuming problem with the computer program I use for budgeting, I didn't do any de-cluttering or much of anything for that matter. I'm not worried, because some days I declutter more than just one or two things.

Day 41 - This was more of a clutter day than a declutter day. I hit the garage sales on my way home from taking Kat to her mom. I was careful and bought only things I knew for certain we would use (like work jeans for Shane) and a large lot of books am 100% certain I can resell. But until I do resell them, they are clutter. :(

Day 42 - Returned a borrowed book to my daughter. Got caught up on laundry that was cluttering up the basement floor (see Days 38-40).

Day 43 - Didn't get rid of anything, bought a bathroom trash can with foot-controlled lid to keep the kitten from dragging the trash all over the bathroom several times a day. It's working!

Day 44 - Shane took many unneeded home improvement supplies back to Home Depot for refund.

Day 45 - When Shane finished installing the new kitchen sink, he took the old one directly to the truck to be disposed of in the scrap heap at his job site. It didn't clutter up the basement or garage for even a day.

Day 46 - Cleaned out mine and Shane's closet. Removed some clothing and shoes (17 pieces in all). Most went in the donation box.

Another Update on the Declutter Challenge

I'm still keeping up with the 365-Day Declutter Challenge. I just haven't kept up with posting about it.

Day 26 - Set the frame to Kat's old metal swing set at the curb along with the last of a few things our recently-moved neighbor didn't want to take with him. All items were gone by the end of the day.

Day 27 - I went through my "household notebook" and removed any clipped recipe, menu idea, expired coupon or unneeded business card I found there. Kept and filed what I needed, threw away what I didn't.

Day 28 - We held an impromptu garage "no-sale". Gave away many, many things.

Day 29 - Sold a book on half.com; shipped it.

Day 30 - Kat outgrew a pair of Crocs-type shoes after two wearings. They were navy and red (Spiderman colors) so I passed them on to Kat's babysitter for her son.

Day 31 - Threw away a small basket of sea shells that our neighbor had brought back from their vacation to give to Kat. She hasn't looked at them since she received them months ago.

Day 32 - The outfit Kat wanted to wear today is now too small. Put it in a box for future thrift store donations.

Day 33 - Noticed a drinking glass was cracked. Threw it away before it broke and cut someone.

Day 34 - Away camping, nothing decluttered.

Day 35 - Unpacked from camping, threw out trash, park maps, etc., before they made it into the house.

Day 36 (today) - Straightened medicine cabinet and bathroom closet. Removed nothing, but they are now organized and not so cluttered looking.

Clutter Challenge Update

It's been so long since I did a 365 Day Clutter Challenge update that I'm giving it a post of its own.

Day 19: Day 19 was the 4th of July and Kat's birthday; the only thing removed from the house was gift wrap taken out to the trash bins.

Day 20: I started a box of kitchen gadgets I no longer use; I'll be posting them on craigslist for cheap or free within a day or two.

Day 21: I sold a book on half.com and shipped it.

Day 22: I sold another book on half.com and shipped it.

Day 23: I cleaned out my email inbox. Yes, that counts as clutter control.

Day 24: This may be double-counting, but the stuff I'd gathered up for thrift in the past three weeks and put in the car to donate? I finally donated it.

Day 25 (today): I sold a CD on half.com. I will put it in today's mail.

A Challenge

As much as clutter and mess bother me, I tend to be a bit of a pack rat. I hang on to things that might be useful someday, might sell on eBay, might be passed on to a friend or family member who could use them, might be donated to charity, etc.

That's all great. Reusing and recycling as much as possible is a noble goal, in my opinion. But if you pack rat long enough, the clutter begins to take over. That's why I'm taking the 365 Day Clutter Challenge to sell, donate, or toss at least one item a day.

This kind of challenge can be found all over the Internet, including at the Flylady forums, and just who started it doesn't seem clear. That seems beside the point to me; the point being...getting junk out of my house even if it takes playing games with myself to do so. I saw it first at See The Woods and The Trees, who picked it up from SAHMmy Says, so that's the challenge (and badge) I've decided to take for myself.

I'll be posting the day's (or days') flotsam and jetsam at the end of my regular posts. We'll see if I can keep up for a full year. Play along if you want...unless, of course, you're not a pack rat like me.

**********

365 Day Clutter Challenge - Day 1: Put a 10x14 picture frame that I intended to use for a cross-stitch project into the thrift store donation box.

I've Been Waiting All Winter For This

A day nice enough to hang my laundry. Although the lady next door has hung hers out several times already, and one of my sisters hangs her laundry out year 'round -- anytime it's not raining or snowing.

Unlike my sister, I don't hang my laundry in cooler weather. We have an electric dryer and a converter to vent the warm moist air back into the basement during the winter.

Few things can beat sleeping on sheets that were dried outside. To me, there's also something peaceful, wholesome even, about seeing laundry swaying in the breeze. So much so that one of our factors in choosing where to buy a house was that it be in an older neighborhood where clotheslines are still allowed.

It seems that everyone who hangs laundry has their own peculiar methods. For example, my mom hangs shirts by the tails and jeans by the ankles. I hang jeans by the waistband and only hang shirts that will be tucked in by the tails. Some people like to sort their laundry as they hang it, putting all their towels together, all their t-shirts together, etc. I prefer to sort mine by the line. I use one line for Shane's clothes, one for mine, one for Kat's and one for the house (towels, sheets). Then I sort and fold them as I take them off the lines.

I'd venture to say that most of us wear underwear, but it seems some people are just too embarrassed to hang them outside. I usually don't hang our whites outside, either, but it's not the underwear that embarrasses me, it's Shane's socks. White socks in brown leather work boots all day get really nasty looking and the dye just doesn't come out. A large majority of our white load is made up of socks and kitchen towels, and a few t-shirts. I usually just pick the shirts out to hang with the next load and throw the rest in the dryer.

I know some people think softness (or the lack of it) is a problem with line-dried laundry, but we don't pay much attention to it. Even the stiffest of jeans will soften up after wearing them for about five minutes, and many of the wrinkles will fall out as well. Line-dried towels have an invigorating texture. And besides, we don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets, because we don't like the smell or the way it builds up on fabric, so we aren't used to ultra-soft clothing anyway.

In addition to that wonderful fresh smell, there are other benefits to line-drying clothing. Clearly, the free solar-powered dryer saves on utility costs. Clothing that is line dried lasts longer than dryer-dried laundry (think of all that dryer lint...that is your clothing literally falling apart from the heat and friction of the dryer). It's also good, cheap exercise. Carrying wet laundry up the basement stairs, through the kitchen and down the stairs on the back deck, then back in when it's dry is great weight-bearing exercise for me, since I have osteoporosis. Bending and stretching to hang clothing is good exercise for just about anyone.

OK, I'll admit that having a dryer is a convenience I'm not likely to give up entirely, but I'll glad give it up for 5-6 months out of the year. But don't even ask me to give up the washing machine.

Mixed Basket

Today we went out to lunch with Shane's parents, then stopped at K-Mart on our way home to pick up a couple of things for Kat's Easter basket. We keep things simple for Easter (as we do for most holidays), so her basket, a nice sturdy wooden one with pink ribbon, is reused each year. In it this year are a jump rope, some sandbox toys, some sidewalk chalk and a few pieces of candy. The candy is very limited this year because she still has candy left from Valentine's Day, Christmas, and yes, even a piece or two from Halloween.

We also have a tradition of giving Kat a new spring outfit at Easter. Nothing dressy; this years outfit is a pair of denim shorts, a t-shirt and some new tennis shoes. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon, because she'll want to wear them right away.

*****

While we were at K-Mart we noticed they had a lot of end-of-season clearance items that were 50% off of the already marked-down prices. We found a hoodie for me (I wear one almost daily at work) for $5, and we found a winter coat for Kat that can be worn four different ways (with or without the fleece liner, which can be worn by itself with either side out). We picked it up for just $15. We're pretty sure we found a size that will fit her next fall, but we'll leave the tags on it, and if it doesn't fit, we can surely get our money back by selling it on eBay or craigslist.

On a similar end-of-season sale last fall, at Target I think, I bought a couple pair of suede flip-flops ($2 a pair) and four pairs of denim and khaki capri pants ($4 each) for me, and some water shoes for Kat ($1.75). I can't wait to get these out in a few more weeks when it's warm.

*****

I saved a lot of time today by renewing our truck license plates online. If you're in Missouri and you have valid insurance, a copy of your most recent property tax receipt (the last two years' receipts if you want a two-year renewal), your inspection slip, and there is a PIN number at the top of your renewal notice, then you can probably renew online. Check here to see if your county participates.

If you aren't in Missouri, check your state's Department of Revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles website. I'm sure many states have the option to renew online.

Letting Go

If you'll remember this post, I have a problem with recipes. As in, I have an addiction to them. However, I've made headway toward recovery this month.

My beloved Taste of Home magazine recently changed their style and started taking advertising, which was just the excuse I needed to cancel my subscription (and ask for a refund on the unused portion).

I sorted through all of my recipe cards and clippings, getting rid of dozens (maybe even hundreds) of recipes and condensing them all into one file box.

I culled out a box full of more than 60 recipe booklets and cooking magazines, then listed them for a pittance on craigslist. If they're still here by the weekend, to the thrift store they'll go.

I'm taking it one day recipe at a time.

The Kitchen Is The Heart Of The Home. And The Brain.

Here it is...Operations Central.

These four lists are posted on my fridge 24/7: my monthly menu plan, my daily chores (divided into morning, afternoon and evening), my weekly chores (divided by day of the week) and a list of other chores that I've decided need to be done once every couple of months.

I've become so dependent on them that I don't think our household would function without them! I used to keep them somewhat out of sight in a household notebook but "went public" with them few months ago when I was doing temp work away from home. That way Shane can take a quick look and know what still needs to be done (he helps a lot, with the evening chores especially).

The lists are based largely on the FlyLady system*, but I've adapted it to fit our household needs better. It works well for me whether I'm working or staying home.

My house isn't spotless, and it isn't always as organized as I'd like, but my lists help me keep things "under control". Sometimes that's the most you can ask for.


*There are a lot of homemaking "systems" to try, but I like the FlyLady because the system is direct, effective, secular and doesn't allow for excuses. Some think it's too "in your face", but it really works. Then once good habits have become routine, it can be adapted to better fit your own style.

Reminiscing

When I was a young girl, going to Grandma's and Grandpa's house was an adventure. For the first 10 years or so of my life, my grandparents didn't have indoor plumbing.

When we were thirsty, we all drank from the same ladle that rested in a big pan of water that was hauled in from the well house. When we needed to use the bathroom, we went to the outhouse. Or maybe not. If it was too cold out, or the middle of the night, we'd use the old paint can that was a fixture in each bedroom.

Their house was a lot like the one in the picture, and Grandma and Grandpa heated it with wood, closing off rooms downstairs and the entire upstairs whenever they didn't need them. By the time I came along, Grandma cooked on a gas stove, occasionally making a pot of beans or a pan of pork cracklins on the wood stove, but my older siblings can remember when she cooked on the wood stove exclusively.

Their house was as hot in the summer as it was cold in the winter, and of course, they didn't have air conditioning. The upstairs ofThe kitchen must have been very warm, since it seemed like Grandma was always cooking, but it was still the room where we all liked to gather. We tried to keep cool by running a few electric fans (yes, they did have electricity) or hand-held paper fans they'd gotten for free as advertising or at church. There were huge shade trees, too, to sit under out in the yard.

Meals were big if Grandma didn't know you were coming, and absolutely huge if she did know ahead of time. After we finished eating, everything was covered with a tablecloth until we were ready to eat again. No one worried much about food-borne illnesses then, and I don't remember anyone getting sick from eating the late-day leftovers. For our drinks, sometimes there was ice in the old-fashioned metal ice trays. Other times it was chipped from a block of ice with an ice-pick. The coffee, which was made on the wood stove, was ground fresh in a hand-cranked grinder.

Just as for cooking and drinking, the water for laundry and bathing had to be hauled in and heated on the stove. Because we lived an hour or so away, I don't think I ever actually witnessed the laundry being done, but I remember an old ringer washer on the back porch and clothes lines in the back yard. I'm sure the ringer washer had at some time replaced a washboard.

Few things were thrown away in my grandparents' house. I'm sure they hadn't heard much about the concept of recycling; they were just using their common sense when they kept things to be reused later. Instead of buying something new, they would often just paint something they already had. My grandma was known to paint a lot of things, including her refrigerator!

By the time I was in my teens and early adulthood, my grandparents had not only installed plumbing in the farm house, but had left there and moved "to town". The had what they considered "modern conveniences", such as central heat, indoor plumbing, a window air conditioner and a phone that wasn't on a party line. But the old ways were hard for them to give up. When my grandma's dryer gave out, she went back to hanging her clothes on a line in the house, and used the defunct dryer as extra storage space. I remember her pulling a couple unopened bags of potato chips out of it one time.

Going to Grandma's and Grandpa's was one of the most fun things we could do as a kid. Most of my cousins on Dad's side of the family would be there, and we'd explore the upstairs and attic of the house (a furnace in the summer and frigid in the winter). Maybe we'd go for a long walk down the gravel roads or play in the creek that wasn't far away.

Everyone was happy, child and adult alike. Even without modern conveniences, and maybe because we were without them. It was a simpler time, and I miss it.

The Grand Illusion

I'm showing my age here, but I'm sure there are some of you out there who remember The Grand Illusion by Styx. The album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality in order to affirm one's genuine value.

I listened to that album countless times as a teenager, but I don't suppose I ever paid close attention to the title song until recently.

Welcome to the grand illusion
Come on in and see whats happening
Pay the price, get your tickets for the show
The stage is set, the band starts playing
Suddenly your heart is pounding
Wishing secretly you were a star.

But don't be fooled by the radio
The TV or the magazines
They show you photographs of how your life should be
But they're just someone else's fantasy

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because you never win the game
Just remember that its a grand illusion
And deep inside were all the same.
Were all the same...

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because your neighbors got it made
Just remember that its a grand illusion
And deep inside were all the same.
Were all the same...

America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition
Get yourself a brand new motor car
Someday soon well stop to ponder what on earths this spell were under
We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are.

It reminds me of the sentiment that inspired this blog: That maybe it's time to stop competing to have all, be all and do all in order to impress others (or ourselves). I imagine, at the end of the day, none of it will matter, and we'll find that deep inside, we really are all the same.

*****

A Little Thing To Save Money and Time: Distance yourself from advertising. Mute the TV commercials, throw away the catalogs and cancel your subscriptions to the glossy ad-laden magazines. Be who you really are and not who Madison Avenue says you should be.

Little Things Mean A Lot

There isn't a lot we can do on a daily (or even weekly or monthly) basis that will result in a substantial, immediate improvement in our financial situation. We're planning to refinance our home in a few months to a get a better interest rate, and I'll be going to work in January, adding substantially to our income. Unfortunately, those opportunities don't come along every day, and it sometimes feels as if we're just treading water instead of moving forward toward our goal to become debt-free.

Therefore, we spend a great deal of our time focusing on the small stuff. I plan meals ahead of time to save a few dollars a week on groceries. I take time to monitor our monthly utility usage to make sure we aren't using more resources than necessary. We recently switched bank accounts to earn a couple of dollars in interest each month. Unfortunately, because the impact of each small change is so subtle, many people don't believe the effort expended toward small savings are worth the payoff.

I disagree. Small savings add up over the long run. Opportunities for small savings happen daily, several times daily, in fact. They are easily performed and controlled. They are risk-free investments. Generally, all they cost is a little bit of time and forethought.

Not only do small savings help us feel as if we're doing something to improve our lot, they help us develop other frugal habits and they allow us to practice good stewardship. We believe both skills are valuable in our fight against debt. Little things often have a positive impact on our environment, as well.

As a new feature here, at the bottom of each post, I'm going to list one "little thing" either Shane or I did to save money that day, and one "little thing" one of us did to either save time or make our lives more simple.

*****

A Little Thing To Save Money: When the dishwasher hit the dry cycle, I opened the door, letting warm air and much-needed moisture out into the cool, dry house.

A Little Thing To Save Time: After grocery shopping today, instead of putting my meat purchases into the freezer, I went ahead and cooked four entrees, cooled them and packaged them for the freezer. I had time to cook today; we'll enjoy my efforts on a day when time is at a premium.