Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Frugal living or not - two sides of the coin

I came across a website the other day that challenged everyone to eat on $1.50 per day for five days - http://livebelowtheline.com/

So I gave it a shot.  You can see how I did on a thread at the Simple Living Forum - http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?2731-My-personal-Live-Below-The-Line-Challenge

Kara (Treehugger on the Simple Living forum) commented on that thread that she budgets $100 a month for both her and her husband.  Wow.  That's $1.66 each per day.  Every day!  She doesn't have chickens, and it sounded like she didn't get much from the garden this year. She explains how she does it on the thread. And I thought I was doing pretty good by staying under $250 a month for the two of us, with a goal of $200 a month. I think she's my new hero.

You might think that $1.66 per person, per day is easily attainable.  What surprised me in the $1.50 challenge was how much all the extras added to the total - things like butter, sugar, seasonings, even tea, coffee or a glass of milk.  It wouldn't be much different in the $100 a month budget, either.

Now then, the flip side.  Some people we know dropped by the other day.  She's definitely not into the frugal living/make-it-from-scratch lifestyle.  Look in her refrigerator and you'll see a wave of take out containers AKA doggy bags, most of them with food that's not exactly edible.  Once in a while she throws it all away and starts over.  I always thought it was kind of comical and I'd tease her about it.

So the conversation was about the guy applying for a better paying job.  I said that my goal was to live well on less than $1000 a month. (A moment of silence - then lots of laughing and 'good luck with that' with some 'you poor dear' insinuated.)  They said that they need $7500 a month to live!  I didn't know my jaw could drop that far.  They don't live in a McMansion and have talked about financial problems in the past, so I know they have a boatload of debt.  What's scary is that they're 65-ish, so time isn't on their side any more.

So she's sitting there eating some of my homemade yogurt, almost yelling in her best 'holier than thou' tone:
I WANT to take my credit card to the store to buy what I want,
I WANT to use my credit card when ever I want, etc.

Me: *blink blink* (thanks, OFG).  I didn't say much but I was thinking that I kinda didn't like her any more.

It's all about choices.  Personally, I'd rather not have the pressure and I don't want Bill to have to work forever.  So my choice is to stay on the frugal side of life, challenge myself to lower the grocery bill each month without having to buy Beano (can I get it to $50 per person??) and pay off debt.  And of course - to enjoy the journey along the way!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Low Tech Termite Traps

Here in Kansas, termites are the norm.  When we lived in town, if one house in the neighborhood had their place treated for termites, the following year the neighbors had to, then down the street it went.  When the cycle started in the neighborhood of our friends, they had the outside of their place treated right away and signed a contract for monthly checks of bait traps.  I don't know how much they pay each month, but this has been going on for several years now.  I bet he's spent $1000 for those monthly checks by now.  Ouch.
Edited to add:  I talked to my friend yesterday.  She said they spent $800 to $1000 just to have the Tox-eol bait traps put around their house.  The cost is determined by the number of traps they say you need based on how large your structure is.  Now they pay $250 a year to have the traps checked monthly.  Double ouch.

The termites serve a purpose in nature, being part of the decomposition cycle.  That doesn't mean that I like them.  And even though I try to do the green thing, I'm not willing to risk my home and hard work by spraying with soapy water and keeping my fingers crossed. Termites were in a couple areas on our property when we bought it, so we considered it a 'known termite area' and acted accordingly.

After we got our foundation done, I bought several boxes of borax (20 Mule Team, Borateem) and threw it all over the crawl space area plus inside and outside of the foundation (before and after backfilling).  One neat thing about borax is that it keeps working for 2-3 years after it gets wet vs. DE that is ineffective after it gets wet.  A couple years later we were in the crawl space and saw one spider, that's it.  I was impressed. 

Fast forward two years and we're adding on to the side of the house and attaching to the old garage.  Bill thought he saw active termite activity on the back of the garage.  *Sigh*  So we called the local pest control guy and paid him $700 to treat the outside of the house and garage.  Come to find out, it wasn't termites that Bill saw.  I wished I would have done the borax thing around all the outbuildings and then just kept an eye on them, you know?  But at the time, we thought we'd be tearing it down in the future.

I learned from the termite guy that ants hate termites.  In the areas where we know there was active termite activity, there was also major ant activity.  He also told me that the purchased termite baits were 'iffy'.  Sometimes they worked, other times they didn't.  Well, he also makes a living spraying and doesn't live in the cheap seats in town, either.  But if they are 'iffy', I might as well make my own and check them myself.

So, instead of doing commercial bait traps, here's how to make your own.  Simple stuff.  First, dig a hole at least a foot deep, about 6' away from your building.  Throw in a chunk of wood, like a hunk of scrap 2x4.  Put a short piece of 1" PVC or any kind of metal pipe in the hole.  You want it to be long enough to reach the wood yet short enough so it's not really sticking out of the ground too far.  Pour sugar water on the wood, let it soak for a bit, then fill the hole back up with the dirt. The only reason for the pipe is so you have some way to add some more sugar water every once in a while.  PVC will degrade over time in the sun, but use what you have around there.  If your bait trap is in an area where you mow, obviously you want it short enough to mow over it, or have it stick way out and mow around it.

If there are termites around there, they will be attracted to the wet wood.  The sugar will attract the ants initially and they'll take care of the termites.  Next year, dig up one and see what ya got.  No termites and ants?  Good deal.  Put the trap back together.  Repeat on the next trap. The traps aren't going to create termites, but hopefully if there are any in the soil, they'll aim for the trap instead of your house.

Is this a sure fire thing?  No.  Will termites that are already in your building leave for the homemade trap?  No.  But it's cheap, green and it might save you a few bucks.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

And even more ways to save money

Here's a few more things to save money - I don't think I've listed them before, but a million other bloggers have...

Crank out the vacuum cleaner and hit the things you normally don't think about vacuuming - the refrigerator and freezer coils, anything with a fan.  This one I probably have listed before.

Canned air is great for some things, but not always great for your computer.  I use the vacuum instead (sucks dust out instead of blowing it deeper inside of some sensitive parts) BUT use some caution.  You don't want to suck out any sensitive part, either.  I put my hand loosely over vented areas and then vacuum on top of that hand.  Bill (on the other hand) just goes to town with the vac.  He had to retrieve his keyboard's G key from the bag one time.

Replace the furnace and a/c filters often.  We buy the cheaper ones and try to remember to replace it once a month.

Save your sugar and flour bags.  Cut off the bottom and up one side and you have a heavy, flat sheet that can be used to drain bacon, etc.  I was using a coffee filter for a while, but it's just not quite big enough.  We have bacon a lot during tomato season, so now I'm going to save all those bags during the baking season.

Do you buy cold cereal in boxes?    All of the following I found at http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/ .  The link is to her home page.  It's a pretty interesting read.

Here's what you can do with the wax paper liner:


Store bread ends for bread crumbs
Cut to the size of your cake and then put the frosted letters on the liner and freeze, then peel off the letters and place on your cake
Roll into a funnel and pour your spices into the little jars
Crush nuts and graham crackers in them
Use as a cover for nuking items in the microwave
Line the top of cabinets that don't go to the ceiling for easier cleanup
Cover your cutting board with a liner or two to cut down on meat juice soaking into the cutting board
Wrap a piece of liner around the cork to cooking wine for easier removal
Use in freezer to protect food products from moisture and preserve freshness
Easy to wash and reuse due to their sturdiness
Freeze meat in them
Place food on to cool, such as cookies
Use for your lunch to place your sandwich in
Roll out your pie or cookie dough on an opened bag
Use to separate meat, cheese and other food products
Cover your hand and push down rice krispy bars


Now as for the cereal boxes here are a few items to try:

The standard use as a magazine holder. Just cut diagonally in half.
Cut them up into hundreds of bookmarks, punch a hole in the top and add a ribbon
Open them up, tape the creases open and you have a temporary placemat or something to color on.
A mystery gift box for clothing
Fill with shredded paper and use as a lightweight box filler when shipping
Give them to kids for playing house and shopping
Great for the block builder in your family, and cheaper too.
Cut off the back and flaps and use as a temporary tray
Store your plastic bags, printer paper and other desktop items
Use them as backing in frames for posters and pictures
A quick file folder or mouse pad

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Switchel - A different way to drink that ACV

I first saw this recipe on the Sufficient Self website.  I tried it, tweaked it for my own personal taste (less ginger and for sure NOT the oatmeal) and now I'm hooked on the stuff.  I also use my homemade apple cider vinegar as it has a bit more apple-y taste.

I'm doing a copy and paste from Hillbilly Housewife:

Switchel
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (yes vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup sugar or honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup oatmeal (optional)
  • tap water to make 2 quarts
This is a very old recipe, imported from our Yankee neighbors to the north, and before that, from Nova Scotia. Did you ever wonder what folks used to drink in the days before soda pop, and when lemons were out of season? Why Switchel of course. Instead of lemon juice, it uses a tangy combination of flavorful apple cider vinegar, molasses and ginger to make a summertime treat which will whet your whistle better than any modern thirst quencher I’ve ever run across.

First get out a two quart pitcher. Measure the vinegar, molasses, sugar or honey and ginger into it. Add cold tap water to fill. Stir to dissolve everything and serve in tall ice filled cups. Traditionally, oatmeal was also added to the mixture, to give it a little body, and improve the flavor. I am ashamed to say I have never prepared it with the added oatmeal, so if anyone does, please let me know what you think. This beverage takes a little getting used to. It is strongly flavored, nothing bland about it. It tastes best when it has mellowed overnight, blending the ginger with the molasses. It does quench your thirst better than anything else on a hot summer day though, and of course, costs next to nothing to prepare. I have also tried heating it in the winter time and drinking it as a hot toddy, it is actually quite delicious this way.

Barb:  Blogger still has issues (that might never go away!!), so I'll continue to add my comments up here. 
Yes, I use a lot less ginger than the recipe, too.  I was even thinking that maybe this winter I'd try it heated (without the ginger) and add some cinnamon to a cup.  My theory on stuff like this is that it can't be any worse than bad.  :o)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Links for frugal recipes AKA eating on the cheap


“The remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” ~Calvin Trillin  (Copied from another site, but I forgot where I saw it!)
______________________________________________

http://www.leftoverchef.com/  Wonderful site that lets you type in what ingredients you have around the house, then gives you recipes of what you could make with them.

http://busycooks.about.com/  Tons of info and recipes here.  One of my favorite sites to get the recipes to make your own convenience foods and so much more.


http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/  Lots of recipes and information for the frugal minded.



These links should keep you busy for a while.  I'll post more as I come across them.  Let me know if you have some that are favorites of yours!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Cost of Working Calculator

Years ago I was working a job that I truly hated, but felt I had to keep since we needed the extra paycheck.  It was one of those things that I couldn't even enjoy my two days off, as one of those days was spent in dreading the following work day.

Then we did our taxes.  I was in the middle of check registers and paper shuffle when it hit me.  I went through the check registers (pre-debit card and computer era), adding up everything that I had spent for the year that was even remotely associated with my job.  Most of it was eating out because I was too tired and too disorganized to put a meal together.  There were a few checks written for clothing and I figured in the extra gasoline.

So, how'd I fare?  Drum roll please....I was actually clearing $1.35 an hour.  That sucked.  I don't know that it would have felt any better if I had actually loved the job.  I stuck it out for a few more months until I decided that I'd rather sit out on the curb with a 'will work for food' sign.

Here's a nifty little calculator that will help you decide if it's worth working a crappy job, or any job for that matter.  Make sure you subtract what you pay in taxes before you enter your amount in the 'net income' field.  http://www.anycalculator.com/costofworking.htm

This still won't give you the total picture.  There's the wear and tear on your vehicle to consider (oil changes, tires, tune ups).  Sure, you'll still have those expenses whether you work or not, but a set of tires will last you many years if you're only driving 5000 miles each year.  Okay, maybe you aren't in hermit mode like I am.  Last year I drove 1750 miles.  But you see what I'm talking about.

There's also the flip side to consider.  If your employer pays for part of a health insurance plan, you probably get cheaper rates from the group insurance plan.  Buying health insurance on your own is really expensive.  Or you can go without it.  Many people can't afford it.

Would you go nuts staying home?  I thought I would, but I was going nuts working crappy jobs, too.

Things are different today than what they were years ago.  The internet has tons of information available with some mouse clicking.  I could have learned how to save that couple hundred bucks that I was actually clearing each month and not stressed about it. 

Maybe this will help you decide if it's time to quit working for someone else, live a more self sufficient lifestyle, or if it's time to look for a better job.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

How much am I actually saving?

A while back a friend asked how much money I was actually saving by doing all the ‘weird things’ that are so typical in my life now. He has stressed a few times that even though I make things from scratch, I still have to buy something. He’s right to a certain extent. My usual answer is ‘that’s not the point’. Here’s my take on it:

Saving money at the grocery store - Usually making something from scratch is a lot cheaper than buying convenience foods, but not always. I could buy a cheap brownie mix for $1.07, but the homemade recipe I use is so much better although it probably costs as much or more to make. If I used a more generic recipe, it’d be cheaper.
Bread is another thing that I don’t feel guilty about buying, especially in the warm months. We like several types of ‘bird seed bread’, like 12 grain, etc. I don’t want to buy a bunch of different grains to make that. But during the winter we also have homemade white, whole wheat, oatmeal, skillet bread, etc.

Keeping as much plastic and other packaging out of the waste and recycle stream - Plastic can be recycled only so many times before it becomes toxic. I switched to real butter sticks instead of plastic tubs of margarine, make grape jelly (one aluminum can from shelf stable grape juice vs. three plastic jars to recycle), etc.

Not having to drive into town as often to get groceries - It’s a full gallon of gas round trip. Need I say more? I can make tons of things with just staples I keep on the shelf so there’s no running to the store to pick up a couple of things.

The ability to make pretty much whatever I want or need from the staples I keep on hand. - Now this is where the ‘make it from scratch’ really shines. I hate the taste of powdered milk, but it’s great for cooking and mixes. I use it in cream of chicken (or mushroom or celery) soup mix, flavored coffee creamers, all kinds of substitutions like sweetened condensed milk sub, on and on. The cream of whatever soup mix is stored in a smallish glass jar, and makes the equivalent of 9 cans of condensed soup. You’re just making your own convenience foods. It really doesn’t take that long to make the mixes and most use just simple ingredients.

So how much am I actually saving by doing all my ‘weird things‘? I tried to figure it out about 6 months ago. Although the numbers would vary month to month, it was $197 for that month.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Cost of Doing Laundry

Mr. Electric has a bunch of little energy calculators to help you understand how little or how much power you use for typical day to day living.  Most of us here in the US use a washer and dryer.  You can see how much it costs to do a month's worth of laundry at your place by going here:
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/laundry.html

I have been using homemade laundry soap for months, but sometimes I wash grungy work jeans in Simple Green, or add $0.10 worth of baking soda to the wash.  I also have a private well, so every time I use a bunch of water, the pressure tank kicks on, using electricity.  Ditto for the well pump. On the flip side, my Fisher-Paykel washer uses 1/3 less water than a standard washing machine. So my numbers aren't exactly accurate.

I'm okay with hanging clothes, but I hate stiff clothes, so I do the 5 or 10 minute dryer thing with a couple of dry towels, then hang everything to finish drying.

So, how did I come out?  Drum roll please....  My cost by using homemade laundry detergent, cold water wash, 10 minute dryer time and 4 loads per week = $2.41 a month.  Wowser!

He does a have blurp about putting a wet towel in with your clothes that have sat in the dryer, then turning the dryer on again.  Why do that?  Does it matter if your underwear is wrinkled?  Just hang up your shirts, whatever, then give them a few light sprays of water and let them dry for a little bit.  You could also hang it in the bathroom while you take a shower.  The steam will relax all the wrinkles, and it will be good to go by the time you finish getting ready.  You might want to hang it outside of the bathroom when you're drying your hair, etc.  I did this all the time when I was traveling with my job.  Sometimes I had to finish 'drying' a heavier dress, pants, whatever by using the blow dryer for a minute, but most things were dry enough to put on. 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Cost of Using Your Coffee Maker

According to the propaganda, I mean newsletter from the local electricity company, the average annual cost of using your coffee maker is $80. Too bad it doesn’t say if the cost was figured from just brewing, or how long the warming burner was on. Since a lot of coffee makers have a two hour auto shut off, maybe that time was factored into the cost. I drink a lot of coffee, especially when the weather is cold, so my coffee maker gets a workout. In an effort to get a more accurate read on my coffee maker, I went to Mr. Electricity - http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

He has a nifty table that you can plug in your own numbers, electric rate and hours to get your 'real' numbers.  Holy Mama!!  My coffee maker annual cost is almost $200 a year for the amount of time that I usually have it on. $16.44 a month.  Wow.  Can't be.  Now I'm sure that there's more power consumed during the brew stage, but hey, I want coffee without having to build a fire outside.  I originally set the energy calculator for 5 hours daily usage, but like I said, I'm sure the 900 watts (which is the most it will use) is for the brew cycle and nothing is mentioned for the warming element.  BUT, by setting the calculator to just 5 minutes (brew time only), it brings my monthly cost down to $0.28.   I'm not sure that's right, either.


According to the smart people at http://www.nppd.com/My_Home/Product_Brochures/Additional_Files/electric_usage.asp , using the brew cycle on my coffee maker once a day is costing me $1.17 a month.  My electric rates are higher than their list, so I busted out the calculator.  But this sounds reasonable.

I bought a Thermos brand carafe for $13 and pour the freshly brewed coffee into that.  The coffee maker gets clicked off right away.  Besides less electricity used, my coffee maker may last longer and the best thing is better tasting coffee later.  Worth every cent and short payback period.

*Note - this brand does not hold an entire pot like my previous Wal-Mart el cheapo carafe that I hated.  It was a battle to get the lid screwed on correctly every time I used it.  I was glad when it bit the dust.  The new Thermos brand carafe is definitely better.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Ways with Whey - what to do with it

I just had another failed yogurt experience.  Sure tastes good though. This time I used whole milk and an envelope of unflavored gelatin.  I'm now convinced it's because of my old, old slow cooker.  It heats up just fine, but not insulated at all, so it doesn't keep the yogurt warm enough during the resting phase. I did use vanilla yogurt instead of plain as the starter culture so that might have had something to do with it. I also just learned that you can 'incubate' it for 12-14 hours and it will be thicker and have a tarter flavor. So I turned on the slow cooker for 10 minutes and will let it sit for another 2 or 3 hours to see what happens.

If you didn't read my first post about homemade yogurt, I used Steph's recipe from her blog at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

Most of this batch was destined to be yogurt cheese anyway. I'm going to put it in a colander lined with one of Bill's hankerchiefs (bleached, rinsed well and from now on designated to the kitchen - he doesn't use them anyway) and drain the whey.  We love that stuff (the yogurt cheese, not the whey) and there's plenty of bagels around.  I especially love it with canned or fresh pears and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

The smart people at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html  say that the gelatin inhibits whey seperation.  Bummer. I'll see what happens. (Later:  Some of the whey has drained off and now it has the consistancy of a respectable yogurt.  I used a spatula to scrape along the edges of the cloth so the whey will continue to drain.)

I also found this great toubleshooting blog page (and recipes!) - http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/skinny-secrets/healthy-homemade-greek-yogurt

Okay, what to do with the whey?  If you used whole milk to make your yogurt, a half cup of whey has approximately 30 cal., no fat, 1 gram protein ,7 grams carbohydrates, 130 mg calcium (according to the Dannon yogurt people).  Whey also contains many of the most important vitamins and nutrients in yogurt.

Although I could add some to the dogs' chow, I kinda want to take the 'people first' route.  I tried drinking some of it and frankly you have a stronger constitution than I do to get that stuff down just the way it is.

Here are the best suggestions I have found so far:

Pour it into ice cubes and freeze it to use in baking. You can use it in place of buttermilk in any recipe. It gives the same flavor and richness with none of the fat. It is supposed to make the best "buttermilk" biscuits and pancakes.  Use it in place of water in any bread recipe.  This is what I'll probably do with whey from now on.

You can use it in other fermented food recipes like sauerkraut or WAP ketchup (what's that?)

Soak your grains or beans in it. Soaked grains (oatmeal, rice, quinoa) and beans take less time to cook, are easier to digest and allow our bodies to utilize more of the nutrients. Add 1-2 T of whey to your water and soak overnight.  Maybe this will help cut down on the 'whiffy' side effects of beans later.

Season your whey with garlic or other spices and use it as a marinade for meat. This works especially well with frozen meats. The enzymes will help bring out the flavor.

Make some homemade ricotta cheese.  I tried this one time and was happily surprised.  The ricotta has a real fine texture. I didn't have enough and since I usually use cottage cheese in lasagna, so I mixed the two.  Good stuff.

Add some to a smoothie. (See note above about having a strong constitution.)

And of course, give some to the dogs and chickens.  My hens looked at me like I was green and had horns when I tried giving them some whey.  They just walked off.  After I put some oatmeal in the whey, they finally did eat some of it, but I might as well have just dumped it on the compost pile.

AND today (11-4-11) I discovered a list of 18 ways to use whey at Paula's 'Salad in a Jar site:
http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/recipes-with-yogurt/18-ways-to-use-whey-a-by-product-of-greek-yogurt

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Even MORE ways to save money and end up with money

Put your debit card away.  It's pretty easy to grab that thing and use it, huh.  You're less likely to buy impulse items if you have to dig out the check book or use cash.  Vow to never get cash from the ATM that charges you a fee.  If your bank charges you fees for checking, look for another bank.

Now that you have the checkbook in your possession again, there are some things you can do.  First, start a coin can.

Write the check at the grocery store to the next highest dollar so you get some change back.  When you get home, put the coins in your new 'savings' can.  Every time you have a few coins in your pocket, add them to the can.  A lot of people save $300 a year doing this simple thing.

Use coupons?  Rebates? Put that money in your coin can when you get home.

Talk yourself out of buying something extra at the store?  Put that money in the coin can.

Got an expensive habit, like tobacco or alcohol?  Try to cut it in half.  You're already used to the money leaving your pocket, so put the 'saved' money in the coin can.

If you usually have cash in your wallet, can you add a dollar a day to the can? Or even just a dollar a week?

Now that you have your own little stash at home, use it to your advantage. Do the debt snowballing thing to stop paying interest.  If you saved up $30 in your coin can this month, take it to the bank and then pay an extra $30 on your credit card payment, car payment, etc. You can get a good idea of how much your loan is costing you (and how much you'll save by paying a little extra each month!) by using an online 'what's missing' calculator like this one - http://www.hughchou.org/calc/missing.cgi  .  Hugh has a ton of different calculators to help you.

Round up to the next dollar when you subtract the check amount in the register. Write a check for $39.03?  Subtract $40.  By the end of the year, you could have another $300.

You can also write 'saved' amounts on a calendar. This comes in handy when you get back from the store and only used $2.15 worth of coupons, or decided not to buy that bottle of water from the convenience store.  Put that amount on your calendar.  At the end of the month (or sooner!), make an extra online payment on  your credit card.  Seems like another bill going out, doesn't it.  But it's money that you would have spent in your previous lifestyle.  If it's just a few dollars at the end of the month, add it to your usual payment.

Need to buy a car?  Buy a used one instead of the new hybrid you really want.  The money you'll save over all by lower cost, insurance and taxes will more than offset what you'd save in gasoline costs.  I hate this one, but it's true.

Sometimes you have to look at quality over cost.  We could save $500 by buying a used riding lawn mower, but by spending the extra, we'll get a three year warranty and know that we aren't buying someone else's problem. We'll take good care of it, so it should last us for as long as we're here or will need one.

Rent a movie instead of going to the movies.  More popcorn, whatever drinks you want and as much as what you want, plus you won't miss part of it if you need to make a pit stop halfway through.  Write down what you normally would have spent on the calendar.

Try more private label stuff at the grocery store.  Some of it is lousy, but many items are just as good as the name brands. Jot down the price difference, then add it up when you get home.  Put the difference in the can, or write it on the calendar.

Every two years, check around for insurance rates.  Insurance companies have a way of sneaking the rates up.  Look for an insurance broker that doesn't represent just one company or look online.

Ideally, come April 15th, you don't want to have to send a check, but you also don't want to use the IRS for a savings account, either.  But some people qualify for money back that they didn't send to them to begin with.  Don't go buy that new computer!  Pay off your debt or put it in a savings account.

Just got a raise at work?  Lucky you!  Use that extra money to pay off debt or save.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The One Dress Protest

There really are some great blogs and information on the net if you take the time to sift through the crap.  Today on the Frugal Village forum, someone posted this gal's blog - One Dress Protest, Fasting from Fashion.  She's going to wear the same dress every day for a year.  All I can say is that my hat's off to her!

You can read her blog and follow along here - http://onedressprotest.com/2011/01/this-week-in-the-dress-and-on-the-web-3/

My personal fashion habits, or lack of them, is based pretty much on whatever shirt I grab from the closet.  I'm not picky, I just want to be covered.  Most of 'my' clothes in the closet are Bill's clothes, too.  We have gotten fat together so we still can wear the same jeans and shirts, all 'mens'.  That helps a lot.  I have no problem wearing mens clothing, but he might have a problem wearing 'womens', ya know?

We used to get a lot of t-shirts from the company we work for, so there's been quite an accumulation through the years.  We used to have eight identical t-shirts, but I think we're down to three of those.  Our boys know to bring their donation bag to Ma and Pa's first, so we can dig out anything 'new' or needed first.  Then we take the rest to the DAV or wherever.

Honestly, I don't miss the fashion bug at all.  My every day clothes are my work clothes, designed to get dirty.  I don't mind wearing them on the days that I'm not planning on gardening or basic slaving away.  If I happen to suddenly change my mind and start playing in the dirt, it's no big deal.  I don't have to come in the house just to change clothes.

And I have been known to hit the grocery store wearing shoes that still had some chicken pucky stuck on the bottom.  Oh well.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bone Broth - the good stuff

The first time I ever heard anything about bone broth was on the Sufficient Self forum.  I figured it was just boiling up the leftover bones from chicken or turkey to make stock.  I was wrong.

According to the knowledgable people on that forum, you need a glug of ACV in with the water and bones to make bone broth.  The vinegar pulls out the nutrients from the bones and makes the most yummy tasting broth!  It looks much richer than the pale, watery stuff I used to make (that I thought was so good) or the really pale stuff you get from Swanson's in the grocery store (which is just a step up from plain ol' water).  An added bonus is that if you cook it long enough, the bones get really soft.  So soft that you can take the leg bone and just mush the end of it between your fingers.  And no, you don't taste any vinegar.

The first time I tried it was in my old pressure cooker.  I used turkey bones.  Holy momma, that was good stuff.  To make the bones soft enough that I felt safe in mixing them with homemade dog/cat chow, I had to pressure cook it for 2-1/2 hours.  I loved the idea of using the bones, but not the idea that I had to have the range on for that long.

The next time I just did it all in my big slow cooker.  I used chicken bones that time.  Plunked them all in the Crock Pot, added water to cover and a glug of apple cider vinegar (a glug is a technical term used in some kitchens).  I put the cooker on low, and forgot about it until the next day.  When I checked it, all the bones were easily mushing up.  Since this batch was just for dog/cat food, they got all the broth and marrow-y goodness from the mushed bones.  All the four legged critters gave it two paws up!

I'm already saving chicken bones in the freezer for the next batch. I'll keep the rich broth for a pot of chicken and noodles this time.  Who knew that simple ACV could make such a difference?

If you have never cooked with stock or bone broth, you're in for a treat.  Once you start using it, you'll never go back to using water.

I found this great site that lists more details on how to make bone broth with beef, chicken and pork bones:
http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/recipes/recipe21.php

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Making ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar

I have my first batch of apple cider vinegar (ACV) cooking.  Not really cooking, but doin' it's thing on top of the frig.  For some reason, this appeals to the inner scientist in me.  Let's try this and see if it works.

I had read on Earth Clinic over 120 posts from people saying that ACV helped lower their blood pressure (15 said it didn't work for them).  You had to slug down as much as two tablespoons of organic ACV that had the 'mother' in it on a regular basis.  Nasty stuff, I'm tellin' ya.  The crazy thing is that 30 minutes later, my blood pressure was over 10 points lower.  I did the trials twice a day over the course of two weeks, taking my BP readings before and after AVC.  I kept an eye on my activities prior to and following, so I would have a more accurate trial.  By cracky, it was working!  I wasn't taking my BP medication, yet my BP was pretty reasonable and gradually dropping.

But I had to stop.  Besides bringing tears to my eyes, it felt like it was stripping off a layer of skin in my gullet and left me gasping for breath.  Didn't make my stomach feel any too good, either.  HOW do people do this???   Eventually I tried it again, and again had the same results.  Blood pressure was going down, anxiety about having to drink it was going up.  Maybe my blood pressure reading would have been lower if I had better tolerance of the vinegar?  I tried all the things mentioned on the Earth Clinic site, adding honey, adding water, etc, etc.  Yeck.

Okay, so then I went to a lot less ACV, about a teaspoon or so with some water, 3 times a day.  I survived, wasn't too bad to get down and my BP still stayed reasonably controlled.  Yay!  But I was still taking one BP pill every other day (I had stopped the other one).  Hey, I am okay with this.

I like to buy locally if I can.  I don't want to order stuff that has to be shipped, either.  But the only organic ACV was 35 miles away and $7 a quart at the health food store.  I wish I could say that making ACV is the green thing to do, but actually I'm making it because I'm cheap.  And I'm hoping it tastes better, too.

So, after some research, Q & A's on the Sufficient Self forum, there's this big jar of weird stuff sitting on my refrigerator.  I started with some $3 organic apple juice and the bottom inch of dregs and vinegar from the pricey stuff, Braggs.  I put a clean hankerchief over the top of the jar, secured with a rubber band.  From what I read, air is very important, so my jar has probably a 4" opening.  I stir it every other day.  It's been sitting there for a couple of weeks and the changes to it are....well, interesting.

It started to get this slimy, jelly type goo on the top. Of course, I figured it was mold. Yeck.  Not that the rest of it looked any better.  The organic juice had solids in it, and then I added more from the vinegar bottle.  But it smelled like apples and vinegar, not icky like moldy stuff.  More reading.  That big, honking lugie was actually the 'mother'.

I finally got brave enough to taste a bit of it today.  Nice, apple-y tasting vinegar, not real strong.  I think it still tastes more like apple juice than vinegar, so I'll leave it a bit longer.  After I strain it through a coffee filter, it should look better.  If your vinegar ever has that acetone smell, kind of like nail polish remover, it needs more oxygen.  So stir it once or twice a day and the smell should go away in a few days.

And the 'mother'?  I read that women used to keep it in a jar in the cupboard so they'd have it to kickstart another batch of vinegar.  They would also use it to help heal small cuts and wounds.  It does appear to have some antiseptic or healing properties.  I'll probably get another bottle of organic apple juice and get some more vinegar going.  I might save a bit just to try on a cut or something. too.

Edited to add on 4/10/11 - The vinegar is wonderful!! I tried to strain it through a coffee filter, but it was taking too long.  But that half cup of strained vinegar was gorgeous.  I finally decided that I could live with some solids, so I poured off some from the top of the bigger jar.  Of course, I fished out the loogie, I mean, mother, first.  That went into the compost can by the sink (red Folger's coffee cannister).  I figured that since I was going to be adding more apple juice to the old stuff in the big jar, I'd still get more mother brewing.  I did put the jar of somewhat strained vinegar into the frig, mostly because I'd rather drink cold or hot, rather than room temperature.  I wondered if it would keep getting stronger, too...and I like it as it is now!

Oh, and putting mother on cuts?  It works!  I had this painful, annoying little tear in a cuticle.  You know the kind.  They aren't big enough that anyone gives you any sympathy, but you're very aware if it because you bump it all the time.  So I pinched off a bit of mother/jelly and rubbed it on the cuticle.  Dang, the pain was gone in a couple seconds!  Unfortunately, it was back right after I washed my hands.  I think I'll keep some vinegar brewing all the time, so hopefully I'll always have some mother to put on minor cuts, etc.  Besides that, it's always fun to watch the expression on people's faces when you show it to them.  :o)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tips for figuring out what you really want to do

Goal setting.  I hate those words, mostly because I didn't do any of it for most of my adult life.  I just struggled along, doing the same things day after day, hoping that something wonderful would magically appear and change everything for the better.  On my 40th birthday, I remember thinking that I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up...and I was already 'up'.  I had a lot of angst when I hit my 50th birthday and was still thinking the same thing!  As soon as I accepted that I really was happier with a different way of living, life was better!

If you want some changes in your life, you have to be willing to make some changes.  Now, I love those words.

First things first.  Make a list of 20 things you like to do.  Sounds easy, but by the time you get to #15, you might be struggling to figure out the last five.  Some things might cost a lot, but there should be some that are either free or cheap.  You might not presently be able to do everything on your list, but you should be able to do some of them right away. 

After taking some time to ponder the things you like to do, take another look at your list.  Do you see any kind of pattern there?  What makes you happy?  I realized that I was happy when I was doing anything creative or gardening.  I just loved getting my hands dirty with some project.  I loved making something wonderful from trash or junk that other people would throw away.  (I had a blast one day making little denim looking pots with dryer lint clay.)  But I digress.  Again, what makes you happy?  You would probably be happy in a related field of work.  The trick is having the job that makes you happy and living within that income, but you can do it.  Like I said in the previous post, don't compare yourself to others.  Focus on your own goals, your own situation and look for ways for improvement.

Now make a list of what you need to get some more things on your 'happy' list. This is the goal setting part.  By the way, winning the Lottery is not a goal.  Pick a couple smaller goals to start with. Which thing do you have to have first, the one thing that will help you get the next one?  Sort out the list and write it down. 

Repeat after me:
If you want some changes in your life, you have to be willing to make some changes.

Break those smaller goals down into even smaller, more manageable steps. Then after each one, write down all the different ways you could obtain each one.  Write down all the silly, impractical ways, too - beg, borrow, barter, rent, steal.  That might help you come up with new ways of acquiring what you need.
Use your local library or computer to research step one, then step two, etc.  Use words like 'open source' or 'free' in your keyword search phrase.  Be specific about what you need or want.  If you're still researching the same steps after a month or two, then you're just procrastinating.  You can be the most well read person about what you'd like to do, but it doesn't amount to anything if you just read about it.

Now act on it.  Then do the next step.

Spending hours on Facebook playing FarmTown every day might be loads of fun and leave you full of satisfaction, but five years from now, you'll still be sitting in the same chair, working the same crappy job and wondering why life isn't any better.  I loved my son's comment when I asked him how he got so much 'free' money for top notch education and travel.  He said, "Some people get on the computer and play games.  I get on the computer and look for deals."  Point taken.  One of his goals was to visit every continent on the planet Earth.  He's currently teaching overseas, travels extensively...always with an eye on the next goal. 

I chose a different path.  I finally have my little 4 acres in the country, a boatload of critters to care for, as much garden space as I would ever want or need and places to do my sloppy creative projects while living in a construction zone.  I try to be as self sustainable as possible so the money I make from my business website will be all I need for a job - working just a few hours a month. For this I gave up a crappy sales rep job complete with high heels and two hours of doing my fingernails every weekend. 

And my chosen lifestyle?  I've never worked harder in my life...or been happier.  But I do miss Farmtown.

Monday, February 14, 2011

More ways to save money

And hopefully the list will keep going on and on, right?

Instead of buying those cedar blocks to hang in your closets, pick up a cedar fence board at the lumberyard.  First, sand the rough parts off the board. Then count all your closets, cut the board to that many pieces and drill a hole in the top of each one.  Sand off any rough edges.  Hang a chunk of the board on each closet rod with heavy wire (fashioned like the top of a clothes hanger), loose wire tie (zip tie), heavy string or cord, etc.  Every few years, hit it with some coarse grit sandpaper to bring the scent back again.

Use vinegar in the Jet Dry do-hicky of your auto dishwasher instead of Jet Dry.  There's a rinse or two after it's dispensed, so you won't smell any vinegar at all.  The dishes come out sparkly-clean and it keeps any soap crud out of the dishwasher plumbing parts.  Don't buy that auto dishwasher cleaner as the vinegar will take care of any funky odors that suddenly appeared and hard water deposits.

Now that you're using vinegar in the dishwasher, set the timer so you know when to beat a path to the kitchen and open the dishwasher door.  My newer dishwasher's heated dry cycle wouldn't come on unless there was something in the Jet Dry do-hicky.  Twice I tried to listen for when it sounded like it was finished washing, and twice I missed it.  I timed it this morning and it took a whopping 1 hour and 15 minutes!!  Back to hand washing, I think.  I think you have to use the dishwasher once in a while to keep the seals wet and working right.  Otherwise, you end up with an expensive dish drainer.

Love those flavored coffee creamers?  You can make your own powdered flavored creamers at your convenience with just a few basic items -
1 cup instant dry milk powder
1/2 cup powdered coffee creamer
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup (about half the package) of instant pudding mix, your choice of flavor.  I like French Vanilla the best.
Blend it all together and put it in a resealable container.  I put the dry milk and sugar in my Magic Bullet (blender thing) to make it really fine, then add the rest of the ingredients.  Use 1 to 2 TBSP per cup of coffee, or to taste.  Agh, and here I told myself that this wasn't going to be a blog of recipes!

Got a neighbor that recycles, too?  You might be able to strike a deal with them to share the cost of the trash service, then take turns going to the recycle center.

If you know you're going to have to repaint a room sometime in the future, start looking at the markdown paint area at your local home improvement store.  I got most of the paint for an entire house for $5 a gallon, but lately I don't see it that cheap anymore (usually $10 a gallon).  There's probably 40 different shades of white, but if you mix three different shades in a big 5 gallon bucket, you still have white.  Mixing colors comes pretty easily to me, so I have a hard time trying to explain it to someone who struggles with that.  The best thing to do would be to stick to basic colors that you like.  Then if you don't think you'll have enough paint, add a can of white to it for a lighter shade.  Of course, if you're mixing paint like this, you have to make sure that you have enough to do your entire project.

Need a 5 gallon bucket?  Ask at the deli in your grocery store.  Most of the time they are getting something in 5 gallon food grade buckets that have lids.  Perfect for storing food and for mixing up paint!  You just can't use it for food after you mix your paint in there, ya know?

Get to thinking about creative leftovers.  Repeat after me, "there is no such thing as food going into the trash".  Any leftover corn, green beans or peas can go into a container in the freezer.  Pour the juice in there as well.  Then when you make a pot of soup, use those veggies.  I love leftover spaghetti sauce in beef or hamburger soups.  I'm not too sure that leftover cooked broccoli would make the cut in this area, so eat it up.  Or make chicken Alfredo the next night and put the chopped up broccoli in it right before you eat.  You get the drift.

Defrost or thaw frozen food in the refrigerator instead of on the counter.  Takes longer, but it's probably safer (not that I ever poisoned anyone, but ya never know) and it might help keep your frig a bit colder so it doesn't kick on as often.

Don't compare yourself to others.  There will always be people that have more money, a bigger house, the latest fashions, the newest computer, etc.  Focus on your own goals, your own situation and look for ways for improvement.

Grow some of your own food.  You don't have to live in the country to do some gardening.  Did I mention this before?  Anyway, container gardening can be cheap if you scrounge for containers like 5 gallon buckets from the deli or bakery, etc.

Buy smaller trees or bushes instead of the bigger ones and be willing to wait a year or so longer for them to get full size.  Cheaper yet would be if you could get a start from another gardener or grow something from seed.  I have three peach trees in my yard now that were grown from seed.  Will they have wonderful peaches?  I don't know.  I think the peaches that they came from were grown on a tree started from seed, so I'll probably have the same results.  But I was after shade more than I wanted peaches.  They're a bonus.

Buy seeds over plants for your garden.  I'm always surprised to hear that people will pay $2 for a couple little cucumber plants.  I could get a packet of cucumber seeds for $0.15 for a lot of years.  Now that I'm buying strictly Non GMO seed, that packet ran me close to $2.  The difference is that this year I'm planting a realistic number of seeds instead of the plethora that I planted a couple years ago.  Looked like a jungle of cucumber vines...sigh.  Picking 70 cucumbers in one day was, well...tiring.  The hens even got tired of them.  So this year, it's four hills and the rest of the cucumber seeds are stored in a zipper bag in the freezer for next year.  This year I'm going to try to save seed that can grow chow next year, too.  And they'll be free.

If you left your clothes in the dryer and now they're all wrinkled, you don't have to crank on the dryer again or buy that wrinkle release stuff.  Hang up the shirts and give them a spritz of water from a spray bottle and let them air dry.  Jeans will usually smooth out on their own after you put them on. When I was traveling, I'd hang my dress in the bathroom while I showered, then move it outside of the bathroom while I did makeup, hair, etc.  Usually it was dry and wrinkle free by the time I put it on.

When you buy socks, get the same brand, color and style.  Then there's no sorting socks on laundry day.  If one ends up in the rag bag, you still have a mate for it unless you go through all of them in between wash days.  I just stack them up instead of pairing them.

Whenever possible, use what Nature gives you.  We had to cut down several elm trees that were severely storm damaged.  With some work, we got some lousy firewood that will do fine in our wood burning stove when it's not freezing cold, but we still need some heat.  The smaller branches were hauled to the back to be used as kindling when it's time to burn.  Instead of buying shredded bark, we used the bark from the trees.  They're big pieces now, but they will break down in time.  Some of the sawdust was raked into deep depressions made by falling logs.  It too, will break down and support plant growth.  At our place, it's whatever wild grass seed blows into it.

Right now, vow to never throw leftover food away!  Well, unless it's really crappy or burned.  If you aren't going to eat it in a couple of days, make little entrees or tv dinners, label and pop into the freezer.  That half a cup of green beans can go in the freezer.  Add more veggies to it when ever there's leftovers you won't eat.  Later, make a pot of soup.  Even the soup can be frozen if you have a couple servings left over.  I don't know how many times you can keep cooking and freezing this stuff before you have some major quality control issues, so plan on eating it, k?

Clean the dust bunnies from anything that has a fan.  That includes your blow dryer, refrigerator, freezer, furnace, computer equipment, etc.

Learn new skills.  About any skill.  It's either DIY or PAY.  If you're reading this, you have a computer.  Get to typing in the search bar.  There are some things that shouldn't be messed with other than by someone who really knows what they're doing, but there are many things that YOU can do if you take the time to search online for instructions, tips, trouble shooting, hints.  We have friends that paid someone $80 to come out and change the battery backup in their CO2 monitor.  He wasn't happy about it, either.  Had he taken the time to get on the computer, he probably would have read what the beeping was all about.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

50 ways to save money

Here's some tips on saving your hard earned cash.  Most have been all over the web for a long time, but maybe you'll find a new one here.  This list is in no particular order:

1.  Don't go shopping because you're bored or feeling sorry for yourself.  You may have lost your job and haven't figured out what to do with all this time in between updating your resume.  Stay home and do something productive there, even if you have to force yourself.  It's okay to cry while you're cleaning out a closet.
2.  Don't run out and buy those CFL bulbs you have been thinking about to save on your electric bill.  Turn your lights off, then replace with CFL's as they burn out.
3.  Eat at home.
4.  Learn to cook so you can do #3 more economically.  There's lots of good recipes online that can be made on the cheap.
5.  Don't buy any more paper products.  You really don't need paper plates, napkins, paper towels, etc.  If you're really broke, you can use rags instead of toilet paper.  Yes, you can.
6.  Unplug everything when you aren't using it.
7.  Use your cooking appliances in the following order to save electricity:  slow cooker first, microwave, any small appliance before cranking on the oven or using the range top.
8.  If you're going to use the oven, bake several things at once, or one after the other.  Saves power by not preheating the oven again.
9.  Make enough for at least two meals when you cook.  Freeze some or have it again in a couple days.
10.  Plan your meals from what you already have in the kitchen.  No running to the store to pick up a couple things.  Got nothing but ramen noodles and eggs?  Ramen fritattas cheap to make and taste better than they sound. 
11.  Jot down some menu ideas and then make your grocery list from that.  Make sure you have some simple to throw together meals for when you don't feel like cooking or are short on time.  Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are pretty fast.  So are pancakes and eggs.  Stick to the list, but check the sales on meat, staple foods and the mark down baskets.  Then plan other meals using those things.
12.  Make your own convenience foods.  Think about what you buy and then do a search for 'make your own ___'.
13.  Make your own cleaners for around the house.  All you need to make a plethora of products are simple and cheap items like baking soda, white vinegar, borax, etc.
14.  Don't buy any more plastic film stuff and limit aluminum foil.  Try to bake things that normally would be covered with foil in a roasting pan that has a lid.  Better yet would be to try to make it on the stove top or in a slow cooker.  Use resealable containers for leftovers or put a plate over the bowl before you put it in the refrigerator.  Wash out bread wrappers and use them for dividing up bulk meats.  Throw plastic bags away if they have had raw meat in them.  If you bake bread, a loaf doesn't fit into a gallon size bag.  But it sure fits in a recycled bread wrapper.  I usually double bag it before I put it in the freezer.
15.  Google everything to see how to make it yourself or cheaper.  We eat better meals for a lot less money now. 
16.  If you have zipper plastic bags, wash 'em and reuse 'em.  You can use your auto dishwasher for drying the bags.  Just stand them up over the prongs and leave the door cracked.
17.  Cancel the HBO on your television package.  If you can't abide going without the tube, see what they have on cheaper packages.  Check out Hulu online, or other free viewing shows/ movies on the computer.
18.  No, you don't need to have all the bells and whistles and internet on your cell phone plan.  While a lot of us are locked into contracts, some are not.  Check out the cheap pay as you go cell phones that allow you to keep your phone number.
19.  When you have to purchase something like a garden hose, think long term.  This might be the time to spend more for a garden hose that will last forever instead of buying a cheap one from the dollar store every year.
20.  Make your own non toxic bug sprays, compost and nitrogen fertilizers (green grass clippings are great, and even your diluted urine (10 parts water to 1 part pee) is great for plants...once you get past the ewwww factor.  Google it and see why a lot of gardeners call it liquid gold.
21.  Unwrap those bars of bath soap right this minute.  The drier they are, the longer they'll last.
22.  Make your own laundry soap (tons of recipes online) and use vinegar instead of fabric softener.  You may be surprised at how well it works.
23.  Line dry your clothes if you can.  Hate stiff clothes?  Throw them in the dryer with a couple of dry towels, set the dryer on LOW heat then set your timer for 10 minutes.  Get the clothes, hang 'em up on the line or hangers to finish drying and they won't be stiff.
24.  If you can't line dry, then just throw the dry towels in with the wet clothes and dry on LOW heat.  Clean the lint trap every single load, and shake out the wet clothes as you put them in the dryer.  Those things alone can reduce the drying time by as much as 10 minutes.
25.  If you have an electric dryer, vent it into the house during the winter.
26.  Store your baking stone in your oven during the colder months.  It will hold the heat when you bake - more even baking and release heat longer after the oven is off and you have the door cracked.
27.  During the warmer months, use your slow cooker outside so you don't heat up the kitchen.
28.  If you can be there and WATCH, use your slow cooker on low, wrap a towel around it and it will cook like it's on high heat but use less power.  I can do this with one cooker, but dang near melted the cord on the other one...eeeeek!
29.  Make a 'hay box'.  It's basically a well insulated box that you put a boiling hot pot in to finish cooking with no added power.  Don't have to use actual hay, either.
30.  Make a solar oven using a cardboard box or pizza box and aluminum foil.
31.  Got a wide mouth thermos?  You can cook foods for one in a good thermos.
32.  Freeze water in a couple of milk jugs outside during the winter and put in the frig to keep it from kicking on as much.
33.  Heat water in milk jugs during the summer by putting them in the sun and use for washing dishes by hand.
34.  Wash dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher.  Check the post on here somewhere for how to do that using less water.
35.  Wash your clothes in cold water, on the shortest wash cycle if your machine has a 'soak' cycle.  Your clothes will come out cleaner, and you'll save about $1 a load on electricity.  If you're used to washing in hot water and switch to doing this, you'll save about $2 a load.
36.  Turn up the temperature on the airconditioner and crank on some fans to move the air.  You'll feel cooler.  Shut the curtains.
37.  Turn down the temperature on the heater and use a heating pad to keep you warmer if the sweatshirt just doesn't cut it.
38.  Consider a vegetarian lifestyle.  It's generally healthier and can be cheaper, but if you gotta have some meat (like me), plan on at least one (or more) meatless meals a week.
39.  Use more oatmeal in your cooking.  You can make meatballs and meatloaf stretch a lot further by adding oatmeal and plenty of onions, seasoning, etc.  You can make great homemade granola, protein bars, granola bars, cookies, cakes, breads, different flavors of oatmeal, etc.  My mother loves butterscotch oatmeal.  I had never considered it until she told me about it.
40.  Embrace the 'half theory'.  It's nothing more than seeing if you can get by using half of whatever you usually use - half the shampoo, half the toothpaste, etc.
41.  Consider bartering, borrowing, renting or stealing before buying.  Well, not actually stealing, but you know what I mean.  I loaned a very fancy dress to a friend for a wedding so she didn't have to buy one.  If you need a pickup or trailer, what about renting instead of buying?  Can you rent from a friend or neighbor?  Or barter skills?  I put together a basic website for someone and he mowed my small acreage a couple of times when our mower had shot craps.  We didn't barter or anything, it was just mowed when we got home one day.
42.  Clean out your closets, garage, storage unit and have a garage sale.
43.  Clean out that storage unit and quit paying rent on it.  If you have had it for more than a couple months or so, you must not really need anything that's in it.  Sell the stuff or donate it.
44.  Learn to cut hair.  This may involve a learning curve...but it will grow back, honest.  Choose a simplier style.
45.  Cancel magazine subscriptions.  With all the information online, I can't understand why anyone would pay for a magazine any more.
46.  Do all your errands in one trip to save gasoline, instead of making daily runs here and there.
47.  Accept that you may have to have some 'not so healthy' meals when you're really broke and you're just trying to fill bellies.  You probably won't die if you have to eat hot dogs, oatmeal or beans unless you have some major allergies.
48.  Re-evaluate your entertainment.  We used to go out to eat with friends once a month, now we do a pot luck dinner instead, or buy take-n-bake pizza and split the cost.
49.  Re-evaluate the common greeting card, etc.  I hate spending $5 for something that's going to get thrown away in a week. When a friend had surgery last year, instead of balloons or a get well card, we gave him a watermelon after he got home.  Honest.  He loved the old seeded watermelons that NO store had around here.  My husband was on his way home from another state and saw a roadside market that had the watermelons, so he snagged a couple.  Perfect.
50.  Learn to drink water again.  You can spend a ton of money in a year buying soda pops, flavored drinks, expensive coffees, etc.  That doesn't mean that you go buy bottles of water.  A lot of thrift stores will have a used Brita pitcher.  Even buying a new one will save you money in the long run.

Remember that even if your spouse, kids or significant other doesn't want to make some of these changes, you'll still save money overall if YOU make the changes.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

It's all about Attitude - in Life and Retirement

As Bill and I get older, I find myself Googling retirement stuff.  Holy shit!  The bulk of it is people freaking out because they don't have the millions of bucks they have been told they need to live after chucking their jobs.  Right now, I'm feeling rather good about life in general, so I'll be brave and say 'boo hoo'.  You can live quite happily with just a little. I'm glad that I have the brains to know that all the money in the world isn't going to magically make me happy.  I know that we also have choices and options, right this minute and also ten years in the future.  Some of them might end up being ... well, not pleasant, but hey, that's life.  You can still be happy in between plan B and plan C.  You might end up really liking plan C after you get to that step, too.  Some of the happiest people I have ever known have been the ones living in what a lot of us would consider dire straits most of their lives.

Some of the goofball retiree comments I have heard:
I have worked too hard all my life to do with less than what I have now - So you've been miserable for 40 years, working the job you didn't like, but have the big house, two cars, eat out, drive around because you're bored, watch the tube...and stay miserable counting your nickels trying to maintain that lifestyle. 
I'm retired now so I have time to bitch - First of all, courtesy is cheap, so acquire some.  The first step in resolving any problem is communication, not bitching.  The poorly paid person you are bitching at didn't create your problem/issue.  Remind yourself to "be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle".
I can't afford a hobby - Finding something you enjoy doesn't have to be expensive.  And you don't have to succeed at it, either.  Try something different!  Try a lot of different things!  Here's a few options:
     1. Don't think you would like to garden?  Then try a tomato plant or an herb in a pot on your porch.  You might discover that you actually do have a green thumb.  Most gardeners will happily share plant starts or extra seeds.  If you don't have a big flower pot, you can probably get a 5 gallon bucket from the deli section at the grocery store or the local fast food restaurants and poke some holes in the bottom and lower sides for drainage.  You can also make your own natural bug spray.
     2. Take up walking - get to know your neighbors.
     3. Do some volunteer work without expecting anything in return - Meals on Wheels, help someone weed their garden, paint their house, repair their fence, give them a lift to their doctor appointment.  The best way to feel good about yourself is to help someone else.
     4. Read a book.  Not the same news in different newspapers, a book.  That's something in print meant to be enjoyed.  If you're reading this, you have access to a computer.  There's gobs and gobs of stuff to read on the web.
     5. If you can afford it, adopt a pet.  As pet owners everywhere know, there's no such thing as a free cat, dog, chicken, lizard, whatever.  But having some living creature to care for will give you hours of joy...and frustration at times.  Definitely not free, but for a lot of us, it's still worth it.

Some things are not hobbies!  If you're doing any of the below on a daily basis, you need a hobby. See above.  For example:

Constantly checking the expiration dates on your food.  Once in a while is good, put the older stuff in front.
When people casually ask 'how are you', you tell them...in great detail.
Holding the store clerk hostage with your lengthy story about your gall bladder surgery.
Calling companies daily and complaining about their product, like the M&M's are smaller now, etc.

You get the drift.  All the complaining in the world isn't going to make you happy. The hobbies may bring you some happiness, but if you start every idea with 'I don't think I'll like this', then you may be doomed.

If you want some changes in your life, you have to be willing to make some changes.

Now then, some options if you're retiring semi broke:
Be willing to live in a smaller place.  Sell your house, rent a smaller place, buy an RV or boat and go experience life while you still are healthy enough to do it.  Go through your stuff, keep what you need and actually use, sell or donate everything else.
ASK for what you need and choose 'used' over new  - Most areas have Freecycle, Craigslist, DAV, Goodwill, etc.  But tell people that you're in the market for a good used ____.  You might get exactly what you need for cheap or nothing.
Need more to eat?  Check the web for groups that forage in your area, local Food Banks, churches usually have some info on where you could get emergency food. Quit buying convenience foods, paper and cleaning products, etc, so you can make your food dollars go further.  Yes, you really can use rags instead of TP if you need to.  Read up on square foot gardening and container gardening.  Tons of forums and blogs about those things.  Yes, you really can produce some of your own food.
Get your vitamins from food, not pills.  My usual diet is so crappy that I need to take a couple vitamins, but overall, I'd rather eat a banana than take a potassium pill.  Do some research online to see what you can eat to get the vitamins you need.  Overall, a more vegetarian lifestyle is cheaper and healthier.  (I'm getting better at that...) 

And while you're checking that out online, check into the free online herbalism courses.  You'll probably still need some big Pharma drugs sometimes, but if you can make some 'food' type medicines, what do you have to lose?  Millions of people have done it throughout the generations, and it's still very common in other cultures.  Maybe not on your block, but it's still practiced.  And a lot of it works.  Just my opinion, as I'm no doctor.  One thing that I do when I have loose stools is drink some cornstarch water.  Yep.  Just a spoonful of cornstarch in a half cup of water, chug it down.  Hold your nose, it doesn't taste the best.  Then drink some water to get the taste out of your mouth.  You need the extra fluid anyway if you got the poops.  Repeat if necessary. That's what they used to use before Kaopectate and Imodium hit the shelves. 

Google everything.  How to make _______.  Frugal living forums.  Cheap living.  Tightwad living.  The full time RV'ing websites have some interesting information, even if you aren't going to do the RV thing. They have some pretty nifty ideas for storage in dinky spaces.  We have friends doing it now, and it sounds like a great community of rich and not so rich.  You can live in an RV for $500 a month, or of course, way more than that.  Again, Google everything.  Then you can make some informed choices of what's going to work in your situation.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Just One Step

Our daughter made a comment the other day that when you really get into the eco-friendly lifestyle, you're more aware of how wasteful other people are.  Isn't that the truth.  Some of them just don't know there are alternatives, some have limited time and others just don't give a rat's ass.

Recently when Bill and I were at the grocery store, a woman was in the aisle, clutching a handful of coupons, staring at the 'Mr. Clean ' eraser things.  She commented that she couldn't make up her mind if she should buy the name brand with the coupon or the store brand, which would still be cheaper.  She asked which one I would buy.  I was polite when I told her that I was probably the wrong one to ask, as I would use baking soda to clean anything that needed the eraser thing, so I wouldn't buy either one.  As she was explaining in great detail all the money she saved by using coupons, I was looking at what she had in her cart.  There must have been at least 10 different cleaning products in there.  Sure, she saved $4 because of coupons, but she spent $20 or more when she probably had everything at home to make alternatives that would work just as well.  I have to admit that I was a little saddened because of all the plastic bottles, too.  I hope she recycled, but so many people don't.

I don't want this to be some kind of rant, so I'm putting out a challenge:  Can you take ONE STEP, just ONE STEP each month towards a better world for the future?  Even something as simple as taking your lunch to work one day a week, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a hamburger, is making a difference.  Another easy step is to unplug things that you aren't using.  Or using a Brita filter pitcher instead of buying bottled water.  Or drinking one less soda pop a day.  Or using your slow cooker more often.  You get the drift, these aren't difficult or truly lifestyle changing, but it all adds up.

I am more extreme than ever since I watched 'No Impact Man', but I'm still looking for ways to be more eco friendly yet not too labor intensive.  And there's a comfort level that I want, too.

My latest change is the cat litter. Over the course of a couple of years, I went from purchased, silicone kitty litter to Feline Pine to making my own w/ recycled newspaper and baking soda to now scooping up straw bits and leaf crumbles from the garden into a 5 gallon bucket to store by litter boxes.  I have a coffee canister with some pine sawdust to sprinkle over the top after I scoop out the poops AKA composting toilet for kitties.  I have five cats inside, but I don't want my house to smell like I have five cats inside, you know?  Oh, I also scooped up a trash can full of straw/leaf crumbles and put that in the shop so it wouldn't freeze solid in the winter. It's easy to go out, dip up a bucketful and bring it into the house.  A lot easier than hauling 20 lb. bags back from the store, I'm telling ya.  Edited 3/9/11:  Well, that didn't last too long as the cats tracked it all over the place.  I think I didn't have enough dirt type stuff in it.  I also quit making the newspaper litter as I had to keep a batch going constantly since I have too many cats.  So, it's back to Feline Pine.  But I did read that some people use chicken scratch grains, so I might try that next.  Or a bale of pine shavings used for bedding.
Another edit 5/1/11:  Well, the pine shavings worked as far as odor control, but man, that stuff can travel when it's clinging to a long haired cat!   We even found a piece on our bed!  So, back to the Feline Pine.
Now, I admit that most people wouldn't go that far, or don't have a garden, etc, but how about makng the switch to a litter that is more eco-friendly like Feline Pine, Yesterday's News or another recycled litter?  No huge life changing step there, but it does make a difference.

Just one step - can you find some little thing to change each month?  Heck, you'll feel so good about yourself after a bit, the next steps will be easy!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

More Creative Re-Using with T-shirts

There are those that thrive on finding different uses for 'stuff'.  I'm in that category, just in case you haven't noticed.  I like learning things, even if they aren't things that I am going to do.

Take the lowly old t-shirt.  Most of us have them, right?  Most of us have a few too many, too.  So, other than going to the rag bag, what do you do with them when they're past their prime?

I have seen or read that you can (and these ideas have been around for a long time):
Tear strips and crochet a rug or bathmat
Ditto on tearing, but then crochet a grocery bag or tote
Make a quilt
Make a dog toy

Other t-shirt stuff that I recently read:
Sew a tote from the t-shirt.  Sure would be faster than crocheting.  Mine would look crappy either way.

Make diapers for baby.  I guess there are patterns online for them, or you can buy them at a luxury price of $8 each!

Sew into sanitary napkins.  Lots of patterns online for this.

Cut into wide strips, fold lenthwise a few times and use them for sanitary napkins.  The post that I read about doing this pretty much told you that you were stoo-pid to take the time to sew your own personal products.  It was kind of funny, she was really ranting about it.

Use them in place of toilet paper, AKA family cloth.  Now, this gal had the system down!  She had four daughters and was constanly buying toilet paper.  She put the cut up t-shirts in a tissue box (easy dispensing and no folding) and kept a plastic coffee canister next to the toilet.  Then she added a tablespoon of white vinegar to some water in the canister for easy, odor free collection.  When it was fairly full, she'd drain the water off, add water and shake with the lid on for a pre-rinse.  Drain and add more water, add a shot or two of liquid hand soap, few more shakes, drain.  Then into the washer with her other clothes.  With all those kids, she did laundry every other day anyway.  She kept TP on the roller so their friends didn't freak out.

The posts that followed hers were interesting, too.  (My comments in italics.)
There was the 'ick' factor from poo - she responded that each person was responsible for rinsing out their cloth before it went into the container.  You're going to wash your hands anyway, aren't you?  What about doing the initial wiping with TP and follow up with cloth? Added bonus would be if the sink was close by so you could use a damp rag, too.
Some were concerned about washing them with other clothes, stating that they should be washed seperately.  Her response was that you wash your underwear with other clothes, don't you?  And that makes sense.  These aren't diapers, completely soaked with urine.  There would be just a very small amount of urine on the rag, and it's getting a prewash before it goes in with the rest of the clothes.

The comment that cracked me up was from a gal from another country that had never used toilet paper in her life.  She said that using TP was about the nastiest thing she had ever heard of - you wouldn't rub your dirty hands on a piece of paper and then call them clean, would you?  She has a point...

It is kind of funny that so many people will spend more for toilet paper that feels as soft as cloth, but freak out at the thought of actually using cloth. I sure wouldn't go buy flannel (or take the time to sew around the edges), or buy any product stated for said use.  Use those old t-shirts - I suggest you cut off logos and paint goobers.