i just picked up the september issue of mother earth news magazine.
i always want to love magazines but have a difficult time finding ones that suit my interest. mother earth news, readymade and hobby farm/hobby farm home are about the only ones i get. (aside from the household food porn....we're such foodies in this house. and donna hay, which is an indulgence i rarely submit to...the ultimate in food porn! ahh...so decadent, so luscious, so...expensive.)
well, this issue of mother earth news had an article "live on less" which rung like a finer detailed echo of my "top 10" post.
i thought it was neato, and i thought i would share it with you, dear reader, if only to remind myself that i'm not the only cheapskate lunatic in the world, oh no, there is a whole mess of us out there!
aside from that my week of workless freedom has found my garden happy and weed free, my dogs walked and my belly full.
my lover, however has been a bit under the weather.
as much as i sing the praises of living on the cheap there are inevitably bills to pay, and a lousy job market to rely on. and he handles the financial stress with a little less grace than i do, letting it nibble away at his mind and his nerves.
and this week yet another job opportunity flopped over and died on us. for both him and me.
so this evening i'm going to raid the garden, throw together a yummy pasta dish and hope the power of a contented tummy can soothe a discontented mind.
Friday, August 27, 2010
for what it's worth...
furnishing my house was probably the cheapest part of making a home.
after the nightmare with the $1000 sofa (you know, the one that FELL APART and the chain furniture store i bought it from did NOTHING to help solve the problem, that sofa..) i decided to look second hand for my furniture needs.
it was a great decision.
so here's what i've got and...how much i paid for it.
after the nightmare with the $1000 sofa (you know, the one that FELL APART and the chain furniture store i bought it from did NOTHING to help solve the problem, that sofa..) i decided to look second hand for my furniture needs.
it was a great decision.
so here's what i've got and...how much i paid for it.
Friday, August 20, 2010
jens top 10
if you were to ask me for the best advice i had to give, this would be it.
granted, not that i always follow said advice, or that it's even right for everyone...but it's what i have learned and is definitely something to think about.
1. you only have one chance at life, and you never know how long you're got.
this is the most important. that's why it's #1.
live how you want, be what you want. do what you want.
i make most of my decisions based on this one question " if i die tomorrow which would i look back and not regret?"
2. don't buy anything new. especially a car.
car payments can suck your income dry, nevermind the cost to insure it. it's dumb. shop around. there are no shortages of quality used cars. when you find one you like, take it to your mechanic for a look-over (they'll usually do it for free).
try to save up as much as you can to put down, but even financing a cheap used car is a better deal. even if, down the road, that car ends up needing work it's STILL a better deal.
think about it, if your new or high car payment is $270/ month that's $3,240/year. year two, you've already spent $6480.
instead, if you spend $2000 or so on a car, and get two years out of it without serious repair needs it makes even a costly $500 - 700 potential repair seem manageable.
3. live together before doing anything intense...like getting married or having children.
you don't really know someone until you live with them.
that's all.
4. have one low-limit credit card. use it for something, like gas, monthly and pay it off. and, most importantly, leave it at home!
this will help you build credit, but won't allow you the temptation to go crazy.this will; also keep it open for emergencies. as for every day stuff, keep a debit card.
use cash for your daily purchases.
if you're an idiot with money and balancing your checkbook (like me) this is a really really good idea. take out cash when you need to buy something, and keep tabs on your checking account via your banks online services. you'll spend less, think more about what you're buying and you'll still have some stashed in your checking account for small emergencies.
also, set aside a few bucks in a savings account with every paycheck...and then forget it's there.
i don't ever get to do this. hopefully you can.
5. use the auto-pay option for your monthly bills.
you'll have to pay them anyway, this way you won't forget and get late fees.
6. take care of yourself NOW. it's the best health insurance you can buy.
eat good food. cook at home. cut out processed, pre-packaged food. eat less meat, and make what you do eat organic. exercise. take a vitamin and probiotic.
look online, at the library or buy a herbal remedy book.(that shit's been around longer than our "western medicine", and big pharmaceutical companies aren't making money off you).
get dirty, your body needs it to build up immunity.
know your body. pay attention.
i rarely go to the doctor anymore because i rarely get sick. it's been over a year since i've set foot in a hospital and i don't have health insurance. i don't need it. i'll take my chances.
7. learn to make/ fix your own things!
learn to sew. pick up a set of tools (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, nails screws, tape glue, *cordless, rechargeable electric drill...seriously, i use it all the time! i won it at an office party, but you can get a cheap one for around $20) it it's amazing what you don't have to buy when you can fix your own things. it's even better when you can make or modify your own stuff. new pillows, earrings, bags, lamps, you name it!
8. don't be too proud to ask for and accept help when you need it.
friends and family...that's what they're there for. and quite frankly, it feels really good to be in a position to be able to help someone you care about. let them have that.
and also, don't be afraid to take advantage of community programs. that's what they're there for.
9. take stock of what is REALLY important to you. what you really need. and let go of what you don't.
for me, my time and my freedom is the most important thing in my life. not new boots or a flat-screen tv or the latest trendy cell phone. i have exchanged these things, and the money required to have them, with time to work in the garden, hang out with my love, or, well, write this blog.
make sure what you want is really what you want, not what is popular at the moment.
i know it sounds stupid and trite, but i also know too many miserable people working in a shit job that they hate just to pay for all the gadgets, clothes and, basically, the image they think they have to have.
10. be honest. be loud.
don't make excuses for who and what you are.
sometimes i'm a big hermit. people know that, it's ok.
i'm always late. people know that, it's ok.
don't try to change for anybody, and don't expect them to change for you.
i guess that's about it, as far as the important things go. i mean, i could also tell you to plant a garden and adopt a dog and invite someone over to help you cook, but i'm sure you're getting bored with me already, so i'll quit while i'm at least under the assumption that i'm ahead...
granted, not that i always follow said advice, or that it's even right for everyone...but it's what i have learned and is definitely something to think about.
1. you only have one chance at life, and you never know how long you're got.
this is the most important. that's why it's #1.
live how you want, be what you want. do what you want.
i make most of my decisions based on this one question " if i die tomorrow which would i look back and not regret?"
2. don't buy anything new. especially a car.
car payments can suck your income dry, nevermind the cost to insure it. it's dumb. shop around. there are no shortages of quality used cars. when you find one you like, take it to your mechanic for a look-over (they'll usually do it for free).
try to save up as much as you can to put down, but even financing a cheap used car is a better deal. even if, down the road, that car ends up needing work it's STILL a better deal.
think about it, if your new or high car payment is $270/ month that's $3,240/year. year two, you've already spent $6480.
instead, if you spend $2000 or so on a car, and get two years out of it without serious repair needs it makes even a costly $500 - 700 potential repair seem manageable.
3. live together before doing anything intense...like getting married or having children.
you don't really know someone until you live with them.
that's all.
4. have one low-limit credit card. use it for something, like gas, monthly and pay it off. and, most importantly, leave it at home!
this will help you build credit, but won't allow you the temptation to go crazy.this will; also keep it open for emergencies. as for every day stuff, keep a debit card.
use cash for your daily purchases.
if you're an idiot with money and balancing your checkbook (like me) this is a really really good idea. take out cash when you need to buy something, and keep tabs on your checking account via your banks online services. you'll spend less, think more about what you're buying and you'll still have some stashed in your checking account for small emergencies.
also, set aside a few bucks in a savings account with every paycheck...and then forget it's there.
i don't ever get to do this. hopefully you can.
5. use the auto-pay option for your monthly bills.
you'll have to pay them anyway, this way you won't forget and get late fees.
6. take care of yourself NOW. it's the best health insurance you can buy.
eat good food. cook at home. cut out processed, pre-packaged food. eat less meat, and make what you do eat organic. exercise. take a vitamin and probiotic.
look online, at the library or buy a herbal remedy book.(that shit's been around longer than our "western medicine", and big pharmaceutical companies aren't making money off you).
get dirty, your body needs it to build up immunity.
know your body. pay attention.
i rarely go to the doctor anymore because i rarely get sick. it's been over a year since i've set foot in a hospital and i don't have health insurance. i don't need it. i'll take my chances.
7. learn to make/ fix your own things!
learn to sew. pick up a set of tools (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, nails screws, tape glue, *cordless, rechargeable electric drill...seriously, i use it all the time! i won it at an office party, but you can get a cheap one for around $20) it it's amazing what you don't have to buy when you can fix your own things. it's even better when you can make or modify your own stuff. new pillows, earrings, bags, lamps, you name it!
8. don't be too proud to ask for and accept help when you need it.
friends and family...that's what they're there for. and quite frankly, it feels really good to be in a position to be able to help someone you care about. let them have that.
and also, don't be afraid to take advantage of community programs. that's what they're there for.
9. take stock of what is REALLY important to you. what you really need. and let go of what you don't.
for me, my time and my freedom is the most important thing in my life. not new boots or a flat-screen tv or the latest trendy cell phone. i have exchanged these things, and the money required to have them, with time to work in the garden, hang out with my love, or, well, write this blog.
make sure what you want is really what you want, not what is popular at the moment.
i know it sounds stupid and trite, but i also know too many miserable people working in a shit job that they hate just to pay for all the gadgets, clothes and, basically, the image they think they have to have.
10. be honest. be loud.
don't make excuses for who and what you are.
sometimes i'm a big hermit. people know that, it's ok.
i'm always late. people know that, it's ok.
don't try to change for anybody, and don't expect them to change for you.
i guess that's about it, as far as the important things go. i mean, i could also tell you to plant a garden and adopt a dog and invite someone over to help you cook, but i'm sure you're getting bored with me already, so i'll quit while i'm at least under the assumption that i'm ahead...
the beginning...
yesterday i was giving a tour of my home to a friend of mine.
i was explaining my treasures and my furniture, their origins, and what simple alterations were involved to make them home-worthy.
and i kind of felt like a "Ready Made" poster child...except most of my projects were even easier than some of theirs.
so i thought perhaps it might be helpful to share my home and what i've learned with the rest of the world.
I became a homeowner in 2004. at that time i was 23 years old had just started a great job, was newly engaged, had a dog, and was eagerly embracing the domestic life.
we bought a 3 bedroom house for about $49,000.
we also bought a $1000 sofa, a land line-phone, a new TV, a satellite system, and some other silly stuff i can't recall.
But after a few months...well, the relationship ended, the sofa FELL APART and the tv got turned on less and less.
which brings me to where i am today: engaged again, working a far less than great part-time job, have three dogs, three cats, a turtle, the same old tv, no cable or satellite, pay as you go cell phones, and my sister, her boyfriend and her dog as part-time residents.
Most of my furniture is second hand.
most of my furniture cost less than $20.
even some of my appliances, including the big ones, (range, freezer) are second-hand.
i've found that if you figure out what you want/need, spend a little time looking around and are open to seemingly unlikely possibilities, you can find exactly what you need for a fraction of what you would spend buying it new.
and with consumerism the way it is, there is no shortage of perfectly good, clean, functioning pieces discarded all the time, just waiting to be snatched up for little to no money.
But aside from just filling ones house with stuff, i've also learned how to keep bills low (through complete financial failure and idiot mistakes), how to live well and make a life out of what you've got.
and that's what this blog is all about.
i was explaining my treasures and my furniture, their origins, and what simple alterations were involved to make them home-worthy.
and i kind of felt like a "Ready Made" poster child...except most of my projects were even easier than some of theirs.
so i thought perhaps it might be helpful to share my home and what i've learned with the rest of the world.
I became a homeowner in 2004. at that time i was 23 years old had just started a great job, was newly engaged, had a dog, and was eagerly embracing the domestic life.
we bought a 3 bedroom house for about $49,000.
we also bought a $1000 sofa, a land line-phone, a new TV, a satellite system, and some other silly stuff i can't recall.
But after a few months...well, the relationship ended, the sofa FELL APART and the tv got turned on less and less.
which brings me to where i am today: engaged again, working a far less than great part-time job, have three dogs, three cats, a turtle, the same old tv, no cable or satellite, pay as you go cell phones, and my sister, her boyfriend and her dog as part-time residents.
Most of my furniture is second hand.
most of my furniture cost less than $20.
even some of my appliances, including the big ones, (range, freezer) are second-hand.
i've found that if you figure out what you want/need, spend a little time looking around and are open to seemingly unlikely possibilities, you can find exactly what you need for a fraction of what you would spend buying it new.
and with consumerism the way it is, there is no shortage of perfectly good, clean, functioning pieces discarded all the time, just waiting to be snatched up for little to no money.
But aside from just filling ones house with stuff, i've also learned how to keep bills low (through complete financial failure and idiot mistakes), how to live well and make a life out of what you've got.
and that's what this blog is all about.
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