To review: Totally bogarting this series idea from Centsible Living with Money Mom on the youtubes. She's awesome! Watch her.
42 A dollar a pound, all year round. This was part of hint #32 and I want to expand on it again because it really works. It's a food purchasing GOAL but not a hard line. So, what can you get this week at the local grocery stores for 1$/lb or less? USUALLY potatoes, onions and bananas are available year round so those can be staples. All are flexible. E.g. my favorite soup is potatoes and an onion. About 4 medium to large potatoes and 1 medium to large onion. Dice them up, add 4-5 cups of water. Boil until tender. Eat. It's super good when sick or tired or sick and tired (so basically every day for me since I find my fellow humans exhausting). Change it up with spices, a diced boiled egg, drop a raw beaten egg in there and bring to the boil while stirring to make potato egg drop soup. A bit of lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar in your bowl just before you eat it will make this incredibly delicious. Mexican spices, Italian, whatever you have, poultry seasoning you can never seem to use up, a knob of ginger diced up ...ANYTHING is good in here. Maybe not sugar but who knows.
The left overs turn into mashed potatoes eventually.
What else is 1$/lb or less this week?
24oz loaf of bread for 99cents...that's under 1$/lb
Pasta is right at 1$/lb and as a dried product, cooked up it is even a better savings.
Remember that principle with dried beans too if you have a way to cook them! 1lb of dry beans will make 2-4 lbs of cooked. Canned beans are often 1$/lb but not nearly as good a deal as the dried. If you don't have good cooking facilities, canned are the better deal.
Frozen veggies, 99cents/lb
2 jumbo cantaloupes for 5$...WEIGH them. You're bound to find a couple that are 2.5lbs or more making them 1$/lb or less. I'm almost ready to start carrying a little hanging scale and old onion bag so I can weigh at the Grocery Outlet and etc where fruit and veg is all by the piece or bag.
You may notice I left out all sugary drinks. Those are never a deal even at under 1$/lb because they are not nutritious. But if you must drink them (and sometimes I must), then pay less.
You probably won't find coffee and spices this low so techniques on those later in the list (probably)
43 No Plastic Days. Just TRY to spend money without acquiring plastic! You may not spend at all or you may spend less. Be mindful of packaging and of the plastic coated receipt paper! Once in a while I shop online but that is just acquiring the plastic later. Also, usually can't check mail on a "no plastic day" because of those damn little windows in the envelopes. Those CAN just be open without plastic like they used to be or your address could be on the envelope...like the old days. If only. I spend time when watching a movie or youtubes tearing those damn things out so I can burn or recycle the envelope Aggravating.
44 Write a letter. Sure, the stamp costs you something, but it takes up time you might be spending or online shopping, and you get ZERO targeted ads based on handwritten letters. Your emails, facebooks, texts and cell phone calls are scanned and you get targeted ads. If you manage to turn off the snooping on your own email/phone, etc, likely the person on the receiving end did not. And you get targeted ads. Try even talking by someone's smart phone. I like to say things like "Nutterbutter ice cream sandwich" or "artisan" and watch the ads roll in next time I'm on the internet. Creepy man. Targeted ads are more effective, that's why they do them. So get targeted for things you don't use, at least. And at best, avoid being targeted. People also love getting letters.
45 Review your insurance(s). I try to do this once a year or so and see if there are savings, if a rate deal has been dropped (e.g. I need to take another cheap defensive driving course in order to get money off my car insurance). Call the insurance agency, not just email and online. Get someone on the phone. It shocks them. They might drop it a few dollars. Maybe get some easy online quotes and see if you can get something cheaper.
46 Can you consolidate some of your items/tasks/bills and save $$? You never know. A few years back I reorganized, culled and consolidated 2 storage units into 1 slightly larger than the previous "big" unit (heh heh) which save 50$/month. I'm going to try another cull to see if I can minimize it again and maybe get down a size again...though I like the location. But you say...why have a storage unit? Get rid of that sh*t! Well, yes, ideally (see #47) I would do that. But alas, living in 135sq feet and wanting my furniture for the house being built as we type, I have it in storage. I am a genetic hoarder so have to downsize in phases. That's what works for me,
47 Get rid of crap in storage units. This saves you the storage costs. If you are lucky, you can sell some of your crap and/or share it out to people who will appreciate and use it. In #46 I get defensive about why I am keeping my crap in storage. And another thing...about a 5'x5' portion, 11' tall, of the storage is "live" storage where I keep things like off season clothes, extra food storage containers, a gift bin so I can buy gifts when they are on sale. The stuff outside that goes through periodic culls. I'm working on it. #genetichoarder!
48 Drink Tap Water. Guess what is in those bottles and gallons of water you buy...TAP WATER. Maybe it's spring water and maybe it comes from somewhere with "springs" in the name. Much of the time it's tap water. It's EXPENSIVE. Drink tap water. I bring tap water from work to my house because I haven't bothered to get the well tested (house! HA! I flatter the shed sometimes). It's not hard. You fill about 1 gallon a day and bring it home for drinking and cooking. Live on the streets? Well, then you have bigger issues. Chlorine in your water? Air it out a bit or get a filter pitcher AT A THRIFT STORE. I also generally found the filters, still packaged, at thrift stores. Also, lots of people drink chlorine water. Maybe work with your town if you don't want it in there.
So, how much is it to drink bottled water which is total BS on so many levels....at least refill the goddamn bottle.
1 qt of bottled water is about $1.50, maybe a buck. I get a gallon of distilled (for the solar batteries) for a dollar or so. We'll be nice and say 1$/day for buying bottled water. Cost of municipal tap water per gallon? $0.002 on average. That's 2 onehundredths of a cent per gallon for well water? I spent 19,000 or so on the well and solar to run it (but the solar does more). I use about 500gallons a week in the summer when watering the garden. Less in the winter or rainy season. So, let's call it 250gallons a week...250/7 = 35/day. I've used the well for 5 years and 6 months or so... 19000/5.5years = $3555 per year/365 9.45/day cost for 35 gallons. 9.45/35 = $0.27per gallon!!! Already cheaper than buying water!! Woot woot! It gets cheaper every time I use it. I don't waste it to drive down the cost. I 'm very frugal with my water usage. Aquafers are precious resources and one does not save money by wasting water.
49 Change clothes when you get home. I hate doing this but I try. Right now it's so HOT that I change into thin pants and tissue thin shirts before working around the property after work. Easier to wash those. I keep "work pants" hanging on a hook all year round. Those get washed less and are sacrificial pants. They are meant to be worn out and stained and grubbed up. Changing out of "office worthy" pants and shirts saves those. It means I've been wearing the same jeans to work for years and my office shirts last for years too. Boring, but cheap!
50 The clothes/fabric use chain. When clothes DO wear out and are not shareable, tradeable, donateable, then what? For me, they get torn into rags. Seams on jeans and the waste band are usually strong even after the fabric rots. I use them to tie up stuff in the garden. Since I wear 100% cotton most of the time, or 100% wool/linen/natural if at all possible, these things decompose into the soil eventually rather than being there as plastic bits forever (functionally forever...who knows when that sh*t goes away?). The main body of the clothes get used as wash clothes or reusable rags until they are so bad they become a 1 use rag to be trashed. These are good for engine oil checking. Or for wiping up greasy spills and then being used to start fires (in the woodstove...not just random locations). Elastic off bras and undies has various uses as well...tie up tomatoes etc. But, has to be gathered up as it won't decompose in a reasonable amount of time. I keep a bag on a shelf near the other cleaning products for clothes that need to be rags now. I fish in there for what I need when I run out of wash clothes, or am crafting, or need to start a fire and paper isn't cutting it to get the kindling going.
51 Do something while you stare at the TV/Computer/Whatever. Watching a movie or show or random youtubes? Do something. Lately I've been folding boxes for mustard samples. You probably don't need to do that, but maybe you have mending or you like to knit. I like to darn socks while I watch a movie or listen to a book. Don't have any that need darning right now but I do need mustard sample boxes. In fact, I'm blogging this during a work webinar. Maybe I shouldn't but the webinar has repetitive bits so when something is being repeated, I type. Then tune back in when it's new info.
52 Sell something you like to make/do. This is new to me, but I'm testing it out. I like to make mustard so I started selling it. I'm tracking the money to see if the cost/benefit works out in my favor. It takes time and space, 2 things I don't have lots of to spare. But, I like doing it. And so far the mustard is selling at a local farmers market. I'm just above break-even right now and had to do a price adjustment so we'll see. Some people cook meals for those without time or space, others do sewing alterations, manual labor, or whatever. It doesn't hurt and might be worth a try.
53 Keep Long Term Goals In Mind. These would be financial related mostly. Like I want to retire some day. Every day I spend half what I earn, I earn a day of NOT WORKING because I have that amount of money saved (hopefully with interest) to pay for that day of retirement. This is above and beyond my retirement fund and Social Security. Another goal is having a house, garden and land the way I want. I hasn't been super cheap getting toward that and compromises have and continue to be made, but if I keep going the way I'm going, I will get there debt free. When I was trying to buy land I had a cost per square foot so before I spent $$ on something, I figured out how many square feet of land I could buy instead. It wasn't totally accurate but it helped keep the spending down.
54 Gratitude moments. I take a moment now and then when I get discouraged with the thrift and just want a giant expensive meal out or a 7$ iced coffee on a no spend day. I use that moment to think through things in my personal life that I am grateful for. Many of them end up having to do with being debt free and having my spending mostly under control. Like I'm always grateful for being debt free. A bad day at work is less bad when you know you COULD stomp out in a huff and not come back and still not lose your home. So far that has meant I did not have to stomp out because I had a better perspective on things. It keeps me on track.
55 Everything is a choice. You are not a victim of your debt, your costs, your job, people/charities begging you for money, any loans you've given. Everything you've done, including inhaling, was a choice. So, move on. Make a new choice. Choose to pay the debt off. Choose to forgive the loans you handed out unwisely or to openly ask for the money back or to sue the bastards. Do it. Choose to learn boundaries and enforce them with money.
56 Free Fruit! Nice segue. Or not. Fruit is getting ripe right now. Time to put the apple picker in the car and the eyes peeled for random fruit trees along the road, in people's yards, in parks. Always ask if the tree looks like someone owns it or in a town park. And be mindful of pesticide and herbicides that might be on them. People spit pits out windows for generations so lots of apples and pears along highways, old RR beds, trails. Many are delicious. Some are crap. Taste them if you feel comfortable. If it looks like the area has been sprayed (lots of dead veg and/or few bugs) then I pass it up. But often I pick them. You get pesticides on grocery fruit too. Wash it. Make your own choices (see #55). A friend has a cherry tree and calls people to pick each year. I go and I share out the fruit and eat some. Spent yesterday evening picking serviceberries (which are late this year) and eating them. Some went into vinegar which will preserve them and flavor the vinegar. I'll get more for several evenings in a row here. Other berries are getting ripe. Pick them. When someone offers you their home grown fruit say yes, and thank you and enjoy and share something back sometime.
57 Free meat! I help a friend butcher chickens and ducks and will help her butcher whatever comes up next. I learn something and always get a bit of free meat with the new skills. Sometimes I invest in meat with her, like when she bought ducks so grow and butcher. I paid in for some of the ducks and helped with the meat production. That wasn't free, but was cheap. Some people grab roadkill. I haven't yet, but I'm all for it and someday hope to run across a fresh kill when I have my knife and something to put it in.
58 Free veg! It's zucchini time here. When someone asks if I want some, I say yes and take it. Fry it, eat it raw, dry it, bake it, put it in soup. It's good food. Eat it. If you have a freezer, shred it and freeze it. Drying is my favorite because it becomes differently delicious in soups later. Also just eating it as dried chips is good. Don't forget mushrooms and other wild food you can gather beyond the berries noted above. I know mushrooms aren't really veg but I didn't want to do another entry on this. Enough already.
59 Grow some flavor. A pot of herbs or an herb garden, some onions, garlic, peppers, or other flavory things in the garden or a pot will help with all that free zucchini. And with flavoring that potato soup or other cheap food soups. Herbs and spices are expensive, buy some seeds or learn to start them from cutting. I hear you can root bits of basil from plant cuttings. Maybe. I have thyme, chives, tarragon, oregano, fennel, horseradish, radishes, 2 types of sage...no 3 types of sage, garlic, walking onions, sorrel (wild and garden), and probably more that I'm not thinking of. Those all really help when I am grabbing a handful of greens to fry up or make salad. Grab the herbs or garlic tops or an onion leaf (are the green things on onions leaves? Blades?) Anyway, it's cheap and healthy. I have so much thyme I can dry it for the winter and have tasty soup all year.
Showing posts with label debt free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debt free. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Monday, September 2, 2019
New Favorite Old Show
So, I don't have a TV and hence am behind the times on shows.
I've probably blogged about my hoarder show issue. Well, I found a healthier way to satisfy my yen for thinking others are more messed up than me.
"Til Debt Do Us Part" which I am watching on youtube with a mobile wifi hotspot I checked out from the library for free.
This is a Canadian reality show. The Canadians are generally more realistic in their reality shows than the 'Mericans are. This one features a financial advisor who goes to a family with financial woes and works with them for 1 month. If they behave well, have a good attitude, and demonstrate major life/money changes, they get $5000.00 (Canadian presumably). Not the huge pay off that 'Mericans would expect. Like much of Canada, it's toned down and more modest.
Each week there are the predictable plot points which I love in reality TV. The genre reminds me of the old Batman series in reruns during my childhood. If it was 5 minutes in to the show, you KNEW the villain would show up, half way and the dynamic duo is trapped in a ridiculously easy to escape predicament, and then it all resolves nicely.
In this show, the premise is that money is a mystery to most people. Corollary premises (premia?) are that talking about money is taboo, people are unaware of what they spend, that people estimate income based on gross (ignore taxes and other deductions), and outgo based on net (ignore interest paid on credit cards and loans and the expense of ownership for things like vehicles and pets and kids and homes). The advisor states that the primary reason for divorce or break up is money. So, facing money issues and being open and solving them together sorts out the relationship as well as the debt problem.
The couples in each show discuss what they THINK is going on. Some are realistic, most are NOT. Most also blame each other for the issue. The advisor goes through months of expenses and tells them what is actually happening. She includes how much more they spend each month than they bring home. She shows them where they will be in 5 years if they don't change. It's a good point. Not so distant in time that people think they can sort it out late, but not so overwhelming that they give up before they start.
Then, Gail, advisor,she cuts up cards (credit and debit). She shows them a budget that will work for them each month. Then she puts money in jars, cash money, for area of expense and they have to make it through the month on that. That's week 1/day 1.
Each week for the month they have an assignment. The first week is usually dealing with debt. Some call credit card companies to get lower interest, some have to get a consolidation loan put on their mortgage to get rid of the credit card debt.
The next week they generally have to show how they can cut expenses more and/or bring home more money.
During relationship assignment week they have to usually talk to each other about money. Sometimes they get to do research like how much it would cost for a stay at home parent to go back to work vs what that work will bring in NET (not gross). Often, with 2 or more kids, they can save more with a stay at home parent cooking and maybe taking in a kid to babysit, they come out ahead of a full time job. Sometimes, turns out the spouse has to go to work.
In the end Advisor Gail gives them $5000 or less. If they are turds or think they could do better than her and hence don't do their tasks, they get less. One couple that I've seen so far, got bupkis. Nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. They did nothing and were snotty little twerps. It's like the one time Batman and Robin didn't defeat the villain and you knew that one was still out there...haunting.
I am surprised EVERY EPISODE (like 40 so far) that people are SOOO unrealistic about their $$. Of course, I'm single and thrifty as crap. There are things in my life that I don't want to face (we won't be blogging about those so bite me), but money isn't one of them.
Most couples, or at least one of the pair, just can't be honest with themselves about their money and where it goes or how much there is. Geez! It's like the hoarders who can't see the hoard or the folks on "My 600lb Life" (another of my favorite shows to binge watch), who can't see that they are eating enough to support 600lbs...must be glandular? The money must be evaporating? The hoard is "good stuff" that is useful in the immediate future...etc.
I think it's rewarding for me to watch because I have work3ed on most of the issue presented already in the past or don't have a tendency toward those particular vices.
It's nice to see what I already do or know that the advisor points out. I also get some validation on things I've advocated but not done, and encouragement to keep following my own money choices even if something else MIGHT be more profitable. I'm doing fine, I don't have to be rich. I pay my own freight and am prepared for the occasional mid level crisis cost. It also shows me the stress I no longer have since the debt is gone. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nil. Bupkis.
So, things I do that got validated:
1) Write down what I spend on a daily basis. I do that MOST days. Once in a while I miss a day or forget to bring a receipt home to record. I try to write down 10-15% more than I guesstimate the costs to be. Most people underestimate spending (and calorie intake) so I bump it up just in case.
2) Have a planned monthly budget. It fluctuates and since expenses are fluctuating with construction and life...I write up a target for each category each month. I "WRITE" with pencil on graph paper. That works for me. I don't want to turn on an electronic device to track my money. It isn't "in the cloud" and when the computer or whatever device craps out, I still have all my information.
3) Each month I try to shave down an area that is creeping up in costs. Last month I spent too much on food in all categories: Groceries (which is just food, not TP or soap or etc), dinner out, work lunches out, and coffee out. I suspect I will be able to cut groceries but with visitors and lots of work trips, will probably not be able to cut the dining out. So, I cut the grocery $$ and made a list of what I have on hand and a few things I could make with what I have. I left the dining out lines high this month because being realistic makes for better success than being in fantasy land.
4) I plan for income interruptions or decreases. It's happened in the past and could happen again. Best to live on less than I bring in and get used to it.
5) I do NOT borrow to invest. CRIPES! I can't believe people do that but apparently it is common. Actually, right now I don't borrow for anything.
6) I live mostly on cash. She makes people live entirely on cash and I have done that. Right now I use the credit card for gas, travel, storage unit bill, and a few other things that I may choose to buy online. Otherwise, cash (or check) and immediately put it on the budget sheet. I pay the credit card off weekly and I never buy material rewards, I just wait until I can get a credit put on the card. Thus, I do not pay interest (ANY interest at this moment) and instead I take that 1% credit card points deal and put it back on the card. That's 1% off my gas and storage bills. I don't put those cash back things in the budget sheet. I also don't put savings interest on the income on the budget sheet. The total of those two is under 400$/year most years. If times get tight, I will put those things on the sheet and track even more closely.
7) I track my income on the budget sheet. When I get paid at work, get a tax refund, or a windfall, it goes on the sheet. I leave off the stuff noted in #6 for now. At the end of the month I total up the income and the outgo on the same sheet of paper and see the difference.
These last three the advisor hasn't recommended in the episodes I've seen, but I them and they work for me:
8) I not only track the monthly totals, I do a daily running total and a daily average.
9) Each month I have a target for the number of "no spend" days. Those are days with zero money going out. It makes me remember to gas up on days I'm already doing errands...and it makes me skip the occasional trip to town if it means a fuel up on a day that is otherwise "no spend." I can usually get 10 no spends. With more focus, I can get it up to 15.
10) I get a real paycheck and deposit it. I just had someone tsk at me for doing that and I lashed out a tad. She said something about my living in 1989 for not having direct deposit. I said something about being the only one in the general vicinity with no debt and no current financial woes, hence I will just keep doing what works for me.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Retirement?
There is a question mark on that because the discussion is so often presented as "must save 1million dollars!
It's as if f Dr. Evil were in charge of retirement planning...
There is no way in heaven or hell, or even in places that actually exist, that I will have 1 million dollars for retirement. Not happening.
So, can I retire?
What about Social Security? I hear that it might go bankrupt any minute. But will it? Just because less will be coming in, fewer workers per retiree etc, doesn't mean it immediately heads to zero or that we can't start taxing the wages above whatever the current top limit is for SS tax (seriously, there is a top limit...I'll never hit it). But, what if it DOES still pay out at something near the current rate.
Here is a spot to find out approximately what you'll get:
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/
You can see it in today's dollars or future dollars. It did NOT say "zero." I will get something.
I have a retirement plan at work, 401k type. I contribute to get the maximum match from my employer.
I could contribute more but I'm going a different route.
I'm cutting expenses.
IF I can get expenses down below my estimated social security payment, then my work retirement account will be there to cover slack and unexpected expenses.
First, I do not currently have any debt and I take drastic lifestyle measures (to some, they don't seem drastic to me) to avoid debt. E.g., I live in a shed and a camper. I paid cash on the barrel head for my current car. For my land. I have a small solar system for which I paid cash. Same with the well. My only recurring monthly out of pocket expenses at the moment are my cell phone and a storage unit with the stuff I hope to put in the future cabin I hope to build without debt. Annually I pay car insurance and a healthcare/fitness program that I choose to fund and find worth the expense at this time. The healthcare/fitness could be dropped if I lose some income. As could the cell phone. There is no TV expense, no internet, no utility bill of any kind (no utilities...like I said, some might find that drastic).
And of course, taxes on the land which I am working to keep to the minimum, like everyone else.
I do spend on travel, gifts, and other things. Those expenses can be minimized or eliminated if need be.
Food...I'm going to need that. I'm always trying to find ways to be cost effective with food. Eating crap processed foods...which I do...is not the best. While it can seem cheaper up front, one is not healthy on that. And, turns out it's not cheap. So, I try to eat as much whole food, cooked from scratch, as possible. I'm also working on growing more food. I have space, but not much decent soil so it takes time to get that going. I do have 2 apple trees, some berries, and a small garden. I have access to a cheap fishing license and stocked trout ponds which I could take better advantage of.
In the coming months, I'm going to focus back on eating whole foods, more fruits and veg and working to get my "added sugars" down to the recommended levels (6 teaspoons a day...which is 24 or 25 grams). Since it's hard to tell how much of the "sugar" on a food label is added, the easiest way is going to be by not eating food that comes with nutrition labels! Hello produce aisle, farmers market, and maybe a CSA. And of course, gardens, sprouting jars, and the like.
I doubt I can totally eliminate packaged or restaurant food (much added sugar there too) or that I want to, but as I eat up what I have and even throw out some of the worst, I'll focus on replacing it with actual produce and meat.
It's as if f Dr. Evil were in charge of retirement planning...
There is no way in heaven or hell, or even in places that actually exist, that I will have 1 million dollars for retirement. Not happening.
So, can I retire?
What about Social Security? I hear that it might go bankrupt any minute. But will it? Just because less will be coming in, fewer workers per retiree etc, doesn't mean it immediately heads to zero or that we can't start taxing the wages above whatever the current top limit is for SS tax (seriously, there is a top limit...I'll never hit it). But, what if it DOES still pay out at something near the current rate.
Here is a spot to find out approximately what you'll get:
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/
You can see it in today's dollars or future dollars. It did NOT say "zero." I will get something.
I have a retirement plan at work, 401k type. I contribute to get the maximum match from my employer.
I could contribute more but I'm going a different route.
I'm cutting expenses.
IF I can get expenses down below my estimated social security payment, then my work retirement account will be there to cover slack and unexpected expenses.
First, I do not currently have any debt and I take drastic lifestyle measures (to some, they don't seem drastic to me) to avoid debt. E.g., I live in a shed and a camper. I paid cash on the barrel head for my current car. For my land. I have a small solar system for which I paid cash. Same with the well. My only recurring monthly out of pocket expenses at the moment are my cell phone and a storage unit with the stuff I hope to put in the future cabin I hope to build without debt. Annually I pay car insurance and a healthcare/fitness program that I choose to fund and find worth the expense at this time. The healthcare/fitness could be dropped if I lose some income. As could the cell phone. There is no TV expense, no internet, no utility bill of any kind (no utilities...like I said, some might find that drastic).
And of course, taxes on the land which I am working to keep to the minimum, like everyone else.
I do spend on travel, gifts, and other things. Those expenses can be minimized or eliminated if need be.
Food...I'm going to need that. I'm always trying to find ways to be cost effective with food. Eating crap processed foods...which I do...is not the best. While it can seem cheaper up front, one is not healthy on that. And, turns out it's not cheap. So, I try to eat as much whole food, cooked from scratch, as possible. I'm also working on growing more food. I have space, but not much decent soil so it takes time to get that going. I do have 2 apple trees, some berries, and a small garden. I have access to a cheap fishing license and stocked trout ponds which I could take better advantage of.
In the coming months, I'm going to focus back on eating whole foods, more fruits and veg and working to get my "added sugars" down to the recommended levels (6 teaspoons a day...which is 24 or 25 grams). Since it's hard to tell how much of the "sugar" on a food label is added, the easiest way is going to be by not eating food that comes with nutrition labels! Hello produce aisle, farmers market, and maybe a CSA. And of course, gardens, sprouting jars, and the like.
I doubt I can totally eliminate packaged or restaurant food (much added sugar there too) or that I want to, but as I eat up what I have and even throw out some of the worst, I'll focus on replacing it with actual produce and meat.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Frugal Reset
With 2 moves in 2 months, a 2 week trip home, a trip to the coast, another vacation coming up next month (I have to cram travel into about 4 months of winter due to job duties in the field season), an out of town conference or two, and perhaps random laziness....my food costs shot up.
Too much eating out. Too much road food. Too much prepared food.
Another factor was canning season. Once I got back into a place with a kitchen, the apartment I have for the winter, I wanted to get some things put up for winter. I couldn't really do that in the camper with such limited space and stove smaller than the canner. I didn't get outdoor accomations arranged.
So, food costs shot up. It's easy to have that happen. When traveling, entertaining, having visitors, etc and especially when working more than 3 blocks from home now that I commute, it seems easier to just buy something for lunch or hit up the local cafe for a sandwich.
But alas, those lunches, about 2 a week on average, were costing me 10$ a shot, double that if I was treating a friend. That adds up compared to bringing lunch.
I have made SOME effort to have lunch ready at the office. I found cheap soups at Grocery Outlet. When I remember to eat them I'm spending $1.50 to $4.00 per lunch (because I don't JUST have soup...a piece of fruit or meat or bread or crackers to go with completes the meal).
So, what would I save if I cut back on the store and restaurant lunches and made more of an effort to have my lunch pre-planned and brought it in?
Turns out there's an app for that. Actually a calculator:
Too much eating out. Too much road food. Too much prepared food.
Another factor was canning season. Once I got back into a place with a kitchen, the apartment I have for the winter, I wanted to get some things put up for winter. I couldn't really do that in the camper with such limited space and stove smaller than the canner. I didn't get outdoor accomations arranged.
So, food costs shot up. It's easy to have that happen. When traveling, entertaining, having visitors, etc and especially when working more than 3 blocks from home now that I commute, it seems easier to just buy something for lunch or hit up the local cafe for a sandwich.
But alas, those lunches, about 2 a week on average, were costing me 10$ a shot, double that if I was treating a friend. That adds up compared to bringing lunch.
I have made SOME effort to have lunch ready at the office. I found cheap soups at Grocery Outlet. When I remember to eat them I'm spending $1.50 to $4.00 per lunch (because I don't JUST have soup...a piece of fruit or meat or bread or crackers to go with completes the meal).
So, what would I save if I cut back on the store and restaurant lunches and made more of an effort to have my lunch pre-planned and brought it in?
Turns out there's an app for that. Actually a calculator:
Lunch savings calculator
Even with 0% return, if I ate 20 lunches from a brown bag (or you know, from groceries etc) for an average cost of $3.00 per lunch, vs eating out and buying grab-n-go stuff at the store for an average cost of $10.00, I would save $1680.00 per year! OK, not quite that since I don't eat 30 lunches out per month right now. Even if it's half that, $840.00 per year, that's pretty damn good. $70.00 per month. Probably double my utility bill.
Good to know too. These sorts of reminders help me reset the frugality meter. Daily small choices got me the money to buy that land for cash. It's still easy to forget how much those small things add up.
That said, today's lunch was left over baked salmon, elk jerky, and 1/3 of a box of soup. The soup cost $1.99 for the quart box (organic carrot ginger soup made without dairy!). So about $0.66 for that. The left over salmon and elk jerky were from a community dinner last night so those were basically free. I'm also having a cup of tea so whatever one tea bag (actually, I reuse them so a fraction of one tea bag) costs. Let's call it $0.75 for lunch today. And it was REALLY GOOD lunch.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
They Just Don't Get It.....Seriously
OK, so apparently people think I'm denying myself something, many things, possibly "important" things. What the hell? I'm one of the only people I know who has everything they want. There are more things I wouldn't mind having (like if anyone has a spare Johnny Depp lying around going unused....that would be fine).
So, here's how this came up today:
I got a call from a colleague this morning asking if I was coming to a group work event. I said that I was stranded on the wrong side of the mountains by weather, 6 hours from home, so nope. She asked if that was a problem and I said, thinking she knew me well, that nope, I had a plenty of savings at this point in my life for these sorts of little "emergencies" so it was no hardship to find a budget hotel and spend a night in Portland Oregon (actually...it's really fun with the cheap efficient public transit and the Powell's bookstore and the amazing food).
She said something like, "but you deny yourself so much to get those savings"
.......I am still sort of stunned. I have everything I need! And most of what I want. In my mind I don't deny myself anything. I wanted to say, "But I'm talking to you from a one bedroom apartment in Seattle (that I rent instead of a hotel room because it's cheap and private and I enjoy having a kitchen when I travel), and I'm on my way to Portland to wait out a storm while I find books on my list (resource material for things I WANT to do on MY land) and eat delicious food (just because I WANT to...). I mean for cripes sake, I went to Paris for Christmas (thanks Unca Pat for the room!) because I wanted to. Then I went to Amsterdam for New Years because what the hell, I was already in Paris.....oh the denial of not staying in Plummer...boohoo.
This woman has been connecting me with inexpensive resources and whatnot since I've bought land so I sort of thought we were on the same page, but I guess not.
Part of it is that long ago I started sorting my wants from my real "needs" and setting priorities for both. Once that was sorted, the rest started fall in place financially. For example, I "need" somewhere to live. I want privacy so I have lived alone in low cost housing. Decor and fashion and large amounts of space are not things I want, so not having them isn't "denial" to me, it's cool. I didn't want or need debt the last several years so I paid it off. That's not denial...that's awesome for my financial goals. I want savings. I have some. I need clothes...don't car about fashion...so I get 2nd hand clothes. Back to the savings and debt pay off priorities with the left overs. I wanted to ask her if she understood that I wasn't denying myself anything that interests me. I wonder if people who buy into the mainstream wants, or who maybe just don't get that we all want different stuff, will never get that for those of us who are outliers from the norm. I have friends and relatives who have much more gracious and spacious homes. My assumption was that that was what THEY want, not what EVERYONE wants. Some people really enjoy fine art. I think it's great. What I choose to spend my money on and get the most enjoyment out of is art by someone I have a personal connection with. Some day I'd like to own a Jim Denommie. I already own a Carly Bordeaux, a Gerald Nailor Jr (thanks Marcie!), an Erika Greenwell (hi Erika!). Sometimes something grabs me like the handmade plate I saw in New Mexico...I do know the potter now so in that case the art came before the personal connection. But you get the theme. These aren't all high dollar items but I really like them. I LOVE my original Bree (Hi Bree) and my Jon Hostager (Hi Jon!) and my Annnnnggggela (Hi Ange!) and my Laurie Koenigs (Hi Laurie!). I have several Pamela's (Hi Pam). Where's the denial?
I wanted to go on a canal boat trip. So I did. I wanted to see ancient Roman and Druid ruins. Saw both on the way too and from the canal boat in Wales. Wanted to see Paris again. So I did. Wanted to spend the night in Portland rather than make a long and dangerous drive through ice and snow and freezing rain. So I did. Wanted to buy land for cash. So I did. I want to live in a home of my own design. So I'm working on a design. I want to learn to build things so I've taken classes and now that I bought land, I can start putting those things into practice. I want to know if I can build a home without debt. So I am giving it a shot. I want to live with a low impact on the environment, so I bought a composting toilet and started thinking about how to implement it's use. I wanted to learn about gardening so I built a couple of raised beds.
Perhaps my loyal readers could clue me in on what I'm denying myself. I can't think of a thing (as I sit in my hotel, typing on my new computer, eating organic dark chocolate covered edamame beans from Trader Joe's and drinking delicious homemade chai from my purple stainless steel designer French press travel mug (hot water from my teal stainless steel Stanley thermos) wearing my organic cotton jammie pants and t-shirt (all of the things were bought at thrift) and wearing a lovely silver ring a friend just gave me after a giveaway/funeral on the reservation For breakfast I've got an assortment of organic goodies to supplement the complimentary breakfast.
Seriously, where is the huge gap in my life I should feel bad about? The part where I don't worry about whether I can pay my bills? The part where I pay some giant corporations huge amounts of interest for credit? The part where I stress about losing my job because of the crushing debt hanging over my head? The part where I would lose my home and car if I lost my job? The part where I'm 1 paycheck from desperation? The part where if an opportunity comes up I can't afford to take advantage of it? The part where I can't help people because I have no savings? The part where ...I got nothing.
So, here's how this came up today:
I got a call from a colleague this morning asking if I was coming to a group work event. I said that I was stranded on the wrong side of the mountains by weather, 6 hours from home, so nope. She asked if that was a problem and I said, thinking she knew me well, that nope, I had a plenty of savings at this point in my life for these sorts of little "emergencies" so it was no hardship to find a budget hotel and spend a night in Portland Oregon (actually...it's really fun with the cheap efficient public transit and the Powell's bookstore and the amazing food).
She said something like, "but you deny yourself so much to get those savings"
.......I am still sort of stunned. I have everything I need! And most of what I want. In my mind I don't deny myself anything. I wanted to say, "But I'm talking to you from a one bedroom apartment in Seattle (that I rent instead of a hotel room because it's cheap and private and I enjoy having a kitchen when I travel), and I'm on my way to Portland to wait out a storm while I find books on my list (resource material for things I WANT to do on MY land) and eat delicious food (just because I WANT to...). I mean for cripes sake, I went to Paris for Christmas (thanks Unca Pat for the room!) because I wanted to. Then I went to Amsterdam for New Years because what the hell, I was already in Paris.....oh the denial of not staying in Plummer...boohoo.
This woman has been connecting me with inexpensive resources and whatnot since I've bought land so I sort of thought we were on the same page, but I guess not.
Part of it is that long ago I started sorting my wants from my real "needs" and setting priorities for both. Once that was sorted, the rest started fall in place financially. For example, I "need" somewhere to live. I want privacy so I have lived alone in low cost housing. Decor and fashion and large amounts of space are not things I want, so not having them isn't "denial" to me, it's cool. I didn't want or need debt the last several years so I paid it off. That's not denial...that's awesome for my financial goals. I want savings. I have some. I need clothes...don't car about fashion...so I get 2nd hand clothes. Back to the savings and debt pay off priorities with the left overs. I wanted to ask her if she understood that I wasn't denying myself anything that interests me. I wonder if people who buy into the mainstream wants, or who maybe just don't get that we all want different stuff, will never get that for those of us who are outliers from the norm. I have friends and relatives who have much more gracious and spacious homes. My assumption was that that was what THEY want, not what EVERYONE wants. Some people really enjoy fine art. I think it's great. What I choose to spend my money on and get the most enjoyment out of is art by someone I have a personal connection with. Some day I'd like to own a Jim Denommie. I already own a Carly Bordeaux, a Gerald Nailor Jr (thanks Marcie!), an Erika Greenwell (hi Erika!). Sometimes something grabs me like the handmade plate I saw in New Mexico...I do know the potter now so in that case the art came before the personal connection. But you get the theme. These aren't all high dollar items but I really like them. I LOVE my original Bree (Hi Bree) and my Jon Hostager (Hi Jon!) and my Annnnnggggela (Hi Ange!) and my Laurie Koenigs (Hi Laurie!). I have several Pamela's (Hi Pam). Where's the denial?
I wanted to go on a canal boat trip. So I did. I wanted to see ancient Roman and Druid ruins. Saw both on the way too and from the canal boat in Wales. Wanted to see Paris again. So I did. Wanted to spend the night in Portland rather than make a long and dangerous drive through ice and snow and freezing rain. So I did. Wanted to buy land for cash. So I did. I want to live in a home of my own design. So I'm working on a design. I want to learn to build things so I've taken classes and now that I bought land, I can start putting those things into practice. I want to know if I can build a home without debt. So I am giving it a shot. I want to live with a low impact on the environment, so I bought a composting toilet and started thinking about how to implement it's use. I wanted to learn about gardening so I built a couple of raised beds.
Perhaps my loyal readers could clue me in on what I'm denying myself. I can't think of a thing (as I sit in my hotel, typing on my new computer, eating organic dark chocolate covered edamame beans from Trader Joe's and drinking delicious homemade chai from my purple stainless steel designer French press travel mug (hot water from my teal stainless steel Stanley thermos) wearing my organic cotton jammie pants and t-shirt (all of the things were bought at thrift) and wearing a lovely silver ring a friend just gave me after a giveaway/funeral on the reservation For breakfast I've got an assortment of organic goodies to supplement the complimentary breakfast.
Seriously, where is the huge gap in my life I should feel bad about? The part where I don't worry about whether I can pay my bills? The part where I pay some giant corporations huge amounts of interest for credit? The part where I stress about losing my job because of the crushing debt hanging over my head? The part where I would lose my home and car if I lost my job? The part where I'm 1 paycheck from desperation? The part where if an opportunity comes up I can't afford to take advantage of it? The part where I can't help people because I have no savings? The part where ...I got nothing.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Landed Gentry
Well, one goal of all the frugality was to buy land...where upon I could live "simply."
I just bought land (check). And now for the living simply.
It's all seeming a tad complicated at the moment.
I've got 36 acres. Basically bare. There is a constructed pond of dubious quality, but it does have water in it. There is a creek. Near the road so I'm not drinking out of it. The next step is figuring out what I need and want to do, to have, to live in, etc.
Do I get a well drilled? I think so.
What do I live in? Well...and underground house would be nice but drainage, soil type, depth of bedrock (I'm not up for blasting in bedrock), etc. Once I pick a house type, were do I put it? The flat bit by the road is well...RIGHT BY THE ROAD and soaking wet part of the year so not there. I do think I'll put a garage/shed there so when it's crap out, I can snow shoe to the house rather than spend a lifetime shoveling or working to afford some mechanical device to clear the drive.
The place is mostly hills so I'm going to be getting in shape one way or another.
Here's an aerial photo of the land:
I added the yellow bit all by myself. That's not the exact boundary. Parabolas are not normal boundaries in this country. The dark blot at the top is the pond. You can sort of make out the three hills or at least the two gulches dividing the hills. It has been in hay and you can just make out the tractor near the tight circle in the lower middle of the picture. Well, you can if you see it zoomed in on google.
The middle hill melts first, is not so far from the driveway, and has good south and east exposure and some shelter from the north and west, which are the windy sides. So I'm thinking of that as my first try for a housing site.
Jonny (HI JONNY) will be here next weekend and he's an architect and sh*t so he can tell me what to do and I can do it and it will be all his fault if I don't like it.
I'm going to keep trying to do this without debt (hear me knocking on wood?). Let's hope I can handle that.
I decided that a first and easy step is to sort through my stuff, it's winter after all and I'm not moving to bare land in the winter (weak). I'm going to try to cull back to 50%. I got rid of about 1/3 of my crap last year so this is the second cull. I've pretty much burned out my shredder since Jan. 1. Reduced 7 file boxes down to 3 half filled boxes. Old paperwork can be culled again. Then photos and books.
Then furniture and kitchen items. I'll probably end up with things in storage for a year or two until I can build something with a fairly stable interior temperature and weather proof. I see a trailer in my future...or a shanty. Something CHEAP to live in until I can get a house built. It could take a few years. I'm going SMALL since that is more cost effective in both the short term and the long term. As much passive solar as I can get and as much earth sheltering as I can get. A root cellar rarely freezes. Not freezing is good.
If I can swing it, a summer kitchen would be great. Maybe a summer kitchen with attached shower room to start with. I could live in that. We'll discuss potty options after I've read the county regs more thoroughly.
Wish me luck!
I just bought land (check). And now for the living simply.
It's all seeming a tad complicated at the moment.
I've got 36 acres. Basically bare. There is a constructed pond of dubious quality, but it does have water in it. There is a creek. Near the road so I'm not drinking out of it. The next step is figuring out what I need and want to do, to have, to live in, etc.
Do I get a well drilled? I think so.
What do I live in? Well...and underground house would be nice but drainage, soil type, depth of bedrock (I'm not up for blasting in bedrock), etc. Once I pick a house type, were do I put it? The flat bit by the road is well...RIGHT BY THE ROAD and soaking wet part of the year so not there. I do think I'll put a garage/shed there so when it's crap out, I can snow shoe to the house rather than spend a lifetime shoveling or working to afford some mechanical device to clear the drive.
The place is mostly hills so I'm going to be getting in shape one way or another.
Here's an aerial photo of the land:
The middle hill melts first, is not so far from the driveway, and has good south and east exposure and some shelter from the north and west, which are the windy sides. So I'm thinking of that as my first try for a housing site.
Jonny (HI JONNY) will be here next weekend and he's an architect and sh*t so he can tell me what to do and I can do it and it will be all his fault if I don't like it.
I'm going to keep trying to do this without debt (hear me knocking on wood?). Let's hope I can handle that.
I decided that a first and easy step is to sort through my stuff, it's winter after all and I'm not moving to bare land in the winter (weak). I'm going to try to cull back to 50%. I got rid of about 1/3 of my crap last year so this is the second cull. I've pretty much burned out my shredder since Jan. 1. Reduced 7 file boxes down to 3 half filled boxes. Old paperwork can be culled again. Then photos and books.
Then furniture and kitchen items. I'll probably end up with things in storage for a year or two until I can build something with a fairly stable interior temperature and weather proof. I see a trailer in my future...or a shanty. Something CHEAP to live in until I can get a house built. It could take a few years. I'm going SMALL since that is more cost effective in both the short term and the long term. As much passive solar as I can get and as much earth sheltering as I can get. A root cellar rarely freezes. Not freezing is good.
If I can swing it, a summer kitchen would be great. Maybe a summer kitchen with attached shower room to start with. I could live in that. We'll discuss potty options after I've read the county regs more thoroughly.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Paying Off That Mortgage
This post, on The Dollar Stretcher (excellent website for thrifty types), does a better job than I have in explaining why I think it's pretty much a good idea for almost everyone to pay off their mortgages.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04apr12c.cfm#.UWQynKw86So
The tax write off is not enough motivation since you only get 25-30% of your interest money back. In the long run, paying off early, even just over paying a bit each month, can save you more than 25-30% of that interest.
And think about what you could do with that money WITHOUT a mortgage payment. Save it. Pay off other debt. Improve you health insurance. Travel. Buy better food. Quit your job in a huff. Avoid losing your house if you lose your job. Less debt means you are less of a wage-slave.
So, that sort of logic is why I'm saving saving saving and hope to buy my next home without a mortgage. If I pay cash, I'll save a TON on interest. I already did that by paying cash for the car. My interest cost was exactly $0.00. Nice.
According to an online interest calculator, if I'd gotten a 4 year loan at 5% interest I would have paid nearly $2000.00 in interest. Instead, that money is in the bank. I also paid no loan fees or costs.
I should look back at my old mortgage papers and see what my closing costs were. I know the interest, if I paid the loan off in the 30 years with no over payments or pre-payments, would have been pretty much 2 times the cost of the house...yikes.
End of today's rant.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04apr12c.cfm#.UWQynKw86So
The tax write off is not enough motivation since you only get 25-30% of your interest money back. In the long run, paying off early, even just over paying a bit each month, can save you more than 25-30% of that interest.
And think about what you could do with that money WITHOUT a mortgage payment. Save it. Pay off other debt. Improve you health insurance. Travel. Buy better food. Quit your job in a huff. Avoid losing your house if you lose your job. Less debt means you are less of a wage-slave.
So, that sort of logic is why I'm saving saving saving and hope to buy my next home without a mortgage. If I pay cash, I'll save a TON on interest. I already did that by paying cash for the car. My interest cost was exactly $0.00. Nice.
According to an online interest calculator, if I'd gotten a 4 year loan at 5% interest I would have paid nearly $2000.00 in interest. Instead, that money is in the bank. I also paid no loan fees or costs.
I should look back at my old mortgage papers and see what my closing costs were. I know the interest, if I paid the loan off in the 30 years with no over payments or pre-payments, would have been pretty much 2 times the cost of the house...yikes.
End of today's rant.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
WTF!?
Apologies to the sensitive for the implied cussage in the title but seriously...WTF!?!?
I was reading one of my favorite websites, www.dollarstretcher.com and came across this link
I can't get the table to copy over here because it is too big, BUT, I find it fascinating. Scroll to the bottom of the article to see it.
In the US we don't have the highest use of credit cards, but we're up there. The average American in 2010 put $4,236 on credit. Good lord! I put about 1500$ on credit cards between flights and hotels and gas (because I'm too lazy to run inside and pay ahead and then go back in and get my change) but I always pay it off before the end of the month. I can't remotely compete with that figure.
In China the average person put $297 on a credit card in 2010. That's for the whole year. Obviously that is skewed since many folks in China may not have access to credit cards.
France wins with only $267 on average per person on credit for the year! They DO have access to the same sorts of banking institutions that we do. In fact, many of the same banks. They seem to prefer debit and pay-pal for online purchasing and cash or debit for in person purchasing.
The line that column that caught my attention next was the number of credit cards in circulation...in the US in 2010 there were 686 million credit cards. That's more than 1 for every man woman and child alive! Jesus. Assuming that toddlers don't have their own and fewer than half of middle schoolers have their own credit card...that's enormous. I know plenty of people here who don't have credit cards or even bank accounts. I think I have 2 or maybe 3 that would be counted. Both from banks where I have savings accounts. I used to have a citibank card but hated the service and fees and whatnot so quit using it and one day they sent me a letter saying "charge crap or shove off." Shortly after they sent a letter saying "sorry, don't shove off" but I never heard from them again. I suppose I should do another credit report on myself and see if that closed. If not, I'll close it. I know that will affect my credit score but credit scores are only important if you need credit. I don't. (Yes, they also check them for car insurance but I doubt the liability insurance on my 1 year old vehicle changes much based on one canceled credit card with a zero balance for the last decade.)
ANYWAY, back to the fascinating table of debt.
The final column is also intriguing.
In China, remember 297$/year on credit, they have a savings rate of 37.9%. Wow! I don't think I'm there yet. That rate is from 2007.
In the US our savings rate is....4.3%! What do you people think you're going to live on in your old age? The profits from selling that truck with the fancy rims you put on your credit card? That's AVERAGE which means lots of people save less.
On the upside, Japan only saves 2.3% of household income so we aren't the worst.
I would like to see the chart on average credit card and other unsecured debt in various countries. I'd also like to see the average amount, both in dollars and as a percentage of household income, each of these countries spends on debt service (interest, fees, etc). As both of my readers know, I don't like to pay those sorts of things.
I was reading one of my favorite websites, www.dollarstretcher.com and came across this link
How different cultures handle credit cards
I can't get the table to copy over here because it is too big, BUT, I find it fascinating. Scroll to the bottom of the article to see it.
In the US we don't have the highest use of credit cards, but we're up there. The average American in 2010 put $4,236 on credit. Good lord! I put about 1500$ on credit cards between flights and hotels and gas (because I'm too lazy to run inside and pay ahead and then go back in and get my change) but I always pay it off before the end of the month. I can't remotely compete with that figure.
In China the average person put $297 on a credit card in 2010. That's for the whole year. Obviously that is skewed since many folks in China may not have access to credit cards.
France wins with only $267 on average per person on credit for the year! They DO have access to the same sorts of banking institutions that we do. In fact, many of the same banks. They seem to prefer debit and pay-pal for online purchasing and cash or debit for in person purchasing.
The line that column that caught my attention next was the number of credit cards in circulation...in the US in 2010 there were 686 million credit cards. That's more than 1 for every man woman and child alive! Jesus. Assuming that toddlers don't have their own and fewer than half of middle schoolers have their own credit card...that's enormous. I know plenty of people here who don't have credit cards or even bank accounts. I think I have 2 or maybe 3 that would be counted. Both from banks where I have savings accounts. I used to have a citibank card but hated the service and fees and whatnot so quit using it and one day they sent me a letter saying "charge crap or shove off." Shortly after they sent a letter saying "sorry, don't shove off" but I never heard from them again. I suppose I should do another credit report on myself and see if that closed. If not, I'll close it. I know that will affect my credit score but credit scores are only important if you need credit. I don't. (Yes, they also check them for car insurance but I doubt the liability insurance on my 1 year old vehicle changes much based on one canceled credit card with a zero balance for the last decade.)
ANYWAY, back to the fascinating table of debt.
The final column is also intriguing.
In China, remember 297$/year on credit, they have a savings rate of 37.9%. Wow! I don't think I'm there yet. That rate is from 2007.
In the US our savings rate is....4.3%! What do you people think you're going to live on in your old age? The profits from selling that truck with the fancy rims you put on your credit card? That's AVERAGE which means lots of people save less.
On the upside, Japan only saves 2.3% of household income so we aren't the worst.
I would like to see the chart on average credit card and other unsecured debt in various countries. I'd also like to see the average amount, both in dollars and as a percentage of household income, each of these countries spends on debt service (interest, fees, etc). As both of my readers know, I don't like to pay those sorts of things.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
To Gift or Regift, That Is The Question
Now that I've confessed to giving the occassional used gift, let me admit to the occassional regift.
Rest assured that I have NEVER regifted anything from anyone who could ever possibly read this blog. You are all wonderful, thoughtful people who gift the perfect gifts.
That said, I'm not above regifting something if it doesn't suit me AND I know someone it would suit. I think the first time this happened it was really more of a trade. My brother has had, in the past, a tendency to give my sister and I the exact same gift, though often in a different color. Most years that was just fine. For example the year we both got kitchenaid mixers...that was fine (OK, I'm not sure that happened but someone gave me a mixer). Or the year we both got floor lamps, probably from cabelas. I'm still using mine.
But in the early years, it didn't always go so well. One year Pam (the aforementioned sister) and I opened Stan's (the aforementioned brother) gifts simultaneously. I had received a yellow sweater. Pam got a fuschia one. If I wear yellow it looks like I have end stage liver disease. Pam in any shade of pink is redundant. So, we just traded sweaters right there. No one was offended. I wore that thing forever. It was bullet proof acrylic. No namby-pamby handwashery necessary. Throw it in with a load of jeans, hang it up or leave it wadded on the floor. It wasn't going to mildew as there is no known lifeform that eats acrylic. Eventually the pills were larger than the contiguous sweater bits and I must have chucked it (these days I would have used it to scrub stubborn stains off the floor or something but that was before my recycling days).
Sometimes I'll get scented candles from co-workers that smell like butt. I regift them to people I don't like much or give them to a thrift store.
I think regifting is fine and I know I've been a recipient. I don't mind at all as long as it's something I can use or send on.
On the theme of gifting...if the friends and relatives could give me SOME idea what they would like this year, that would be super.
Rest assured that I have NEVER regifted anything from anyone who could ever possibly read this blog. You are all wonderful, thoughtful people who gift the perfect gifts.
That said, I'm not above regifting something if it doesn't suit me AND I know someone it would suit. I think the first time this happened it was really more of a trade. My brother has had, in the past, a tendency to give my sister and I the exact same gift, though often in a different color. Most years that was just fine. For example the year we both got kitchenaid mixers...that was fine (OK, I'm not sure that happened but someone gave me a mixer). Or the year we both got floor lamps, probably from cabelas. I'm still using mine.
But in the early years, it didn't always go so well. One year Pam (the aforementioned sister) and I opened Stan's (the aforementioned brother) gifts simultaneously. I had received a yellow sweater. Pam got a fuschia one. If I wear yellow it looks like I have end stage liver disease. Pam in any shade of pink is redundant. So, we just traded sweaters right there. No one was offended. I wore that thing forever. It was bullet proof acrylic. No namby-pamby handwashery necessary. Throw it in with a load of jeans, hang it up or leave it wadded on the floor. It wasn't going to mildew as there is no known lifeform that eats acrylic. Eventually the pills were larger than the contiguous sweater bits and I must have chucked it (these days I would have used it to scrub stubborn stains off the floor or something but that was before my recycling days).
Sometimes I'll get scented candles from co-workers that smell like butt. I regift them to people I don't like much or give them to a thrift store.
I think regifting is fine and I know I've been a recipient. I don't mind at all as long as it's something I can use or send on.
On the theme of gifting...if the friends and relatives could give me SOME idea what they would like this year, that would be super.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Some Great Frugal/Eco Blog Entries Out There
This blog entry is just because I noticed that there are some good entries in my favority frugal/eco/simplicity blogs of late.
I'll link them so you can enjoy, rather than stealing their ideas which was my first thought:
Living in 100 square feet on The Good Human
This is about living in TINY homes and includes a couple of videos.
I've been fascinated with these particular tiny homes, Tumbleweed homes, for a while. I don't think I'll ever buy one because of the cost, but you never know. I will take design ideas from them.
My friend Laurie's shop, Flyright Gifts, is interesting in it's own right so please visit her blog. AND it's been featured on Apartment Therapy!! Another of my favorite sites because they focus on tiny apartments and homes and how they can be fabulous.
Why do I like the tiny? It's simple and it's frugal. You don't pay as much to heat/cool/clean/maintain/build a small home. AND it's simpler because you have less stuff than a big home can hold. You choose what to put in a small home (though some will always choose more than others) more carefully than what to put in a large home. My trailer is about 1000 square feet, but no basement, no attic, no extra storage. Thus, I had to choose fewer things to go in it than went in my house. The house had similar square footage on the main floor, but ALSO had a basement, attic, and garage to store more crap. Now it's in Pam's basement...sorry Pam.
The apartment is also small, though large for the price, and has 2 closets and a sort of storage area in the stairwell. So, less stuff (though more stuff than I need).
Anyway, here are a couple more interesting blog posts on frugality and simplicity:
SquawkFox, a blog about frugality, has an interesting call for input in this entry: What are your three worst financial decisions. Interesting how many people say "buying a house." There are also interesting comments about how the worst financial decision can be the best personal decision.
And I'm going to mention one blog that is no longer active, but it's the one that got me inspired to start blogging. It's Frugal for Life. The author brought herself out of deep debt and wrote about enjoying the freedom of debt free living. She's not adding to it anymore, but the posts are still up and she only retired it a few weeks ago so the ideas are fresh.
That's probably enough for now. I'll leave the "why the tanking economy doesn't scare me" stuff for another day.
I'll link them so you can enjoy, rather than stealing their ideas which was my first thought:
Living in 100 square feet on The Good Human
This is about living in TINY homes and includes a couple of videos.
I've been fascinated with these particular tiny homes, Tumbleweed homes, for a while. I don't think I'll ever buy one because of the cost, but you never know. I will take design ideas from them.
My friend Laurie's shop, Flyright Gifts, is interesting in it's own right so please visit her blog. AND it's been featured on Apartment Therapy!! Another of my favorite sites because they focus on tiny apartments and homes and how they can be fabulous.
Why do I like the tiny? It's simple and it's frugal. You don't pay as much to heat/cool/clean/maintain/build a small home. AND it's simpler because you have less stuff than a big home can hold. You choose what to put in a small home (though some will always choose more than others) more carefully than what to put in a large home. My trailer is about 1000 square feet, but no basement, no attic, no extra storage. Thus, I had to choose fewer things to go in it than went in my house. The house had similar square footage on the main floor, but ALSO had a basement, attic, and garage to store more crap. Now it's in Pam's basement...sorry Pam.
The apartment is also small, though large for the price, and has 2 closets and a sort of storage area in the stairwell. So, less stuff (though more stuff than I need).
Anyway, here are a couple more interesting blog posts on frugality and simplicity:
SquawkFox, a blog about frugality, has an interesting call for input in this entry: What are your three worst financial decisions. Interesting how many people say "buying a house." There are also interesting comments about how the worst financial decision can be the best personal decision.
And I'm going to mention one blog that is no longer active, but it's the one that got me inspired to start blogging. It's Frugal for Life. The author brought herself out of deep debt and wrote about enjoying the freedom of debt free living. She's not adding to it anymore, but the posts are still up and she only retired it a few weeks ago so the ideas are fresh.
That's probably enough for now. I'll leave the "why the tanking economy doesn't scare me" stuff for another day.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Simplicity and Frugality 102....
The sequel...
Since I got so much response on the previous post (3 different commentors! wow!), I thought maybe we could have the advanced course today.
So, what does one do in the second semester?
How does English 101 relate to English 102? Anthropology 101 to Anthropology 102?
Well, I guess more of the same.
So let's pretend we've moved on to the 200-level course and started talking about motivation.
Here are some of my personal motivations for simplifying and frugalizing.
Firstly, I'm loving the debt free lifestyle. More and more each day. I see all these home foreclosures and whatnot, and know that I'm OK. I have 2 homes...both rented and both pretty darn securely rented since I'm a good tenant who pays on time and doesn't trash the place.
Also, I tend to be very focused on future goals and being frugal works with that. I can feel an immediate reward for saving or not spending since I know it's getting me closer to the dream of buying land and a goat and yelling at people who try to set foot on my little homestead.
Of course there is the environmental aspect. The less I use, especially the less chemical-based stuff and the less new stuff, the smaller my impact on the planet. The allows me to have that lovely self-satisfied feeling when I see the horrible slideshow about plastic bags killing the planet..because I know that I'm not contributing much to the plastic-bag-waste-stream. It's a petty motivation, but it's there. Also, I actually give a crap about the planet and realize that I can only really control my own contribution to the problem/solution.
And part of the motivation is being an atheist or agnostic (I'm not sure which right now). I don't have a "do-over" or afterlife to look toward and be my moral compass. I have to make the most of this life right now and in some ways that means making the least mess with this life. I don't think I'm doing to great of a job yet...but it's something to shoot for.
That's enough pontificating for now.
I'll just go to bed on the mattress on the floor bought from a thrift store, and use my milk crate night stand and the other nightstand which was donated by a friend, read my library book, watch my videos on the public computer dial up....on the computer which was unfortunately newly built....oh well.
Since I got so much response on the previous post (3 different commentors! wow!), I thought maybe we could have the advanced course today.
So, what does one do in the second semester?
How does English 101 relate to English 102? Anthropology 101 to Anthropology 102?
Well, I guess more of the same.
So let's pretend we've moved on to the 200-level course and started talking about motivation.
Here are some of my personal motivations for simplifying and frugalizing.
Firstly, I'm loving the debt free lifestyle. More and more each day. I see all these home foreclosures and whatnot, and know that I'm OK. I have 2 homes...both rented and both pretty darn securely rented since I'm a good tenant who pays on time and doesn't trash the place.
Also, I tend to be very focused on future goals and being frugal works with that. I can feel an immediate reward for saving or not spending since I know it's getting me closer to the dream of buying land and a goat and yelling at people who try to set foot on my little homestead.
Of course there is the environmental aspect. The less I use, especially the less chemical-based stuff and the less new stuff, the smaller my impact on the planet. The allows me to have that lovely self-satisfied feeling when I see the horrible slideshow about plastic bags killing the planet..because I know that I'm not contributing much to the plastic-bag-waste-stream. It's a petty motivation, but it's there. Also, I actually give a crap about the planet and realize that I can only really control my own contribution to the problem/solution.
And part of the motivation is being an atheist or agnostic (I'm not sure which right now). I don't have a "do-over" or afterlife to look toward and be my moral compass. I have to make the most of this life right now and in some ways that means making the least mess with this life. I don't think I'm doing to great of a job yet...but it's something to shoot for.
That's enough pontificating for now.
I'll just go to bed on the mattress on the floor bought from a thrift store, and use my milk crate night stand and the other nightstand which was donated by a friend, read my library book, watch my videos on the public computer dial up....on the computer which was unfortunately newly built....oh well.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Deflating Lifestyle, pt. 2
On to how my lifestyle has deflated....
I used to be a college professor. Now I'm not. I make more money now, in exchange for working all year rather than 9 months. I've joined the working class (though college professors are working class now according to some very relevant criteria outlined by Joe Bageant in his book Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War (2007, Crown Publishing)).
This made it easier to deflate. In my current position, I am not expected to conform to some ideal of intellectual elitism. As a professor I was expected to live in a place that other professors would like to come to for dinner. I ended up buying a small bungalo. The fact that it was a "fixer upper" bothered some colleagues. These are the colleagues who vote on your tenure. If they find you "odd" they don't vote for you. I was not willing to live above my means so I did my best with the low level home ownership. A condo or apartment in a modern complex would have been more acceptable to them, less so to me. Now I live in a crap rental trailer, people find it odd given my income and the status of my job. Their opinions do not have an effect on my continued employment. Now I'm an amusing eccentric, not a person in peril of losing a job because she is an amusing eccentric.
I'm able to live in one place all year. As a professor I was in the midwest during the school year and off doing research in a remote location (the one where I now live and work) during breaks and summers. This meant keeping a second home for 4 months a year, repeated cross country trips by car or airplane, and keeping connections going in multiple communities. By living in one place (with the short term caveat of my current double housing situation discussed in the previous post), I am more connected to one community. I usually maintain one household that is a "lower level" of housing than my previous housing.
In selling my home and moving out west, I was also able to pay off all of my debt. Being debt free has dramatically simplified my life. The pressure to keep my job has decreased and my reasons for keeping my job have changed.
I am able to travel more due to the increased pay and lack of debt. Now it's travel for pleasure. I've been to Europe for 10days each year for the last 3. I've spent this time traveling with friends and family and improving those relationships. The travel has all be "slow" and not research related. You'll have to trust me that that simplifies the issue! By slow travel I mean I rent one place with a kitchen, bed and bath. Once it was an apartment and twice it has been boats. We stay there and do day trips but get to meet and talk to neighbors, shop keepers, and fellow travelers. By cooking at the place, I save money, reduce my environmental travel impact, while still acknowledging that my travel is an environmental impact no matter what, and connect with the local residents.
I've been able to have a container garden! Hoping to upgrade to an actual garden, maybe next year. When I lived in the midwest September to May, and out west June-August, I couldn't have a gardent. It would be unattended in the midwest, or planted to late and unharvested out west. Growing part of my own food has been very rewarding.
With a "9 to 5" job rather than a professorship I've been able to pursue interests like drying and canning food for preservation, vegetarian cooking, and beadwork. Professoring meant giving up many (maybe most) evenings and weekends to duties the tenured faculty didn't care to take care of. Advising student clubs, running campus events, teaching night classes, grading papers, working on committee duties. My job is still demanding and there are days when I'm on call sun up to sun down, but it is STILL less taxing on my personal time and interests than professoring, especially in an untenured capacity. Last fall I put up over 100 jars of jam of mostly gleaned fruit. I gathered from fruit trees that were not harvested by their owners. My christmas presents were expensive to ship, but very much appreciated. I'm still using the jam at home and giving it as gifts when others do me favors. At my city apartment the downstairs neighbor is in a CSA that sometimes provides her with too much fruit and veg. When she gives me some fresh produce, I return the container with a jar of jam. We're both happy.
I also dried enough produce from my harvest and the farmer's market to know that with the addition of a few pounds of beans, I have enough food to eat for months! There is an emotional security in having enough to eat that I've never experienced before.
By learning to cook more vegetarian meals I'm saving money, becoming more fit, and taking care of the planet. I haven't gone vegetarian yet, but I may in the future.
I used to be a college professor. Now I'm not. I make more money now, in exchange for working all year rather than 9 months. I've joined the working class (though college professors are working class now according to some very relevant criteria outlined by Joe Bageant in his book Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War (2007, Crown Publishing)).
This made it easier to deflate. In my current position, I am not expected to conform to some ideal of intellectual elitism. As a professor I was expected to live in a place that other professors would like to come to for dinner. I ended up buying a small bungalo. The fact that it was a "fixer upper" bothered some colleagues. These are the colleagues who vote on your tenure. If they find you "odd" they don't vote for you. I was not willing to live above my means so I did my best with the low level home ownership. A condo or apartment in a modern complex would have been more acceptable to them, less so to me. Now I live in a crap rental trailer, people find it odd given my income and the status of my job. Their opinions do not have an effect on my continued employment. Now I'm an amusing eccentric, not a person in peril of losing a job because she is an amusing eccentric.
I'm able to live in one place all year. As a professor I was in the midwest during the school year and off doing research in a remote location (the one where I now live and work) during breaks and summers. This meant keeping a second home for 4 months a year, repeated cross country trips by car or airplane, and keeping connections going in multiple communities. By living in one place (with the short term caveat of my current double housing situation discussed in the previous post), I am more connected to one community. I usually maintain one household that is a "lower level" of housing than my previous housing.
In selling my home and moving out west, I was also able to pay off all of my debt. Being debt free has dramatically simplified my life. The pressure to keep my job has decreased and my reasons for keeping my job have changed.
I am able to travel more due to the increased pay and lack of debt. Now it's travel for pleasure. I've been to Europe for 10days each year for the last 3. I've spent this time traveling with friends and family and improving those relationships. The travel has all be "slow" and not research related. You'll have to trust me that that simplifies the issue! By slow travel I mean I rent one place with a kitchen, bed and bath. Once it was an apartment and twice it has been boats. We stay there and do day trips but get to meet and talk to neighbors, shop keepers, and fellow travelers. By cooking at the place, I save money, reduce my environmental travel impact, while still acknowledging that my travel is an environmental impact no matter what, and connect with the local residents.
I've been able to have a container garden! Hoping to upgrade to an actual garden, maybe next year. When I lived in the midwest September to May, and out west June-August, I couldn't have a gardent. It would be unattended in the midwest, or planted to late and unharvested out west. Growing part of my own food has been very rewarding.
With a "9 to 5" job rather than a professorship I've been able to pursue interests like drying and canning food for preservation, vegetarian cooking, and beadwork. Professoring meant giving up many (maybe most) evenings and weekends to duties the tenured faculty didn't care to take care of. Advising student clubs, running campus events, teaching night classes, grading papers, working on committee duties. My job is still demanding and there are days when I'm on call sun up to sun down, but it is STILL less taxing on my personal time and interests than professoring, especially in an untenured capacity. Last fall I put up over 100 jars of jam of mostly gleaned fruit. I gathered from fruit trees that were not harvested by their owners. My christmas presents were expensive to ship, but very much appreciated. I'm still using the jam at home and giving it as gifts when others do me favors. At my city apartment the downstairs neighbor is in a CSA that sometimes provides her with too much fruit and veg. When she gives me some fresh produce, I return the container with a jar of jam. We're both happy.
I also dried enough produce from my harvest and the farmer's market to know that with the addition of a few pounds of beans, I have enough food to eat for months! There is an emotional security in having enough to eat that I've never experienced before.
By learning to cook more vegetarian meals I'm saving money, becoming more fit, and taking care of the planet. I haven't gone vegetarian yet, but I may in the future.
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