Archive for February, 2006

February 23rd, 2006 - Cool gift

I forgot to write that when I saw my brother (hi Michael!) last week, he gave me a gift, and it’s just what I’ve always wanted!!! A flashlight that is powered by shaking it vigorously! Woohoo!!!! We thought it didn’t work at first, but it’s just that the “30 seconds of shaking” should be “about 60 seconds of vigorous shaking.” I would love to have more things around the house that didn’t use batteries or electricity (especially my digital camera which eats a $20 pack of lithium batters every 1-2 months.) My next step is to get an old fashioned alarm clock. My clock radio is dying anyway–the radio hasn’t work well for years so I never use it. The clock part runs fast, gaining about 15 minutes every month. I use the thing to tell the time about 4x a day (when I go to bed, and multiple times if I wake up before my alarm, which is typical) and to have an alarm (used about 1x per week). I totally don’t need to be wasting electricity 24/7/365 on these purposes. (However, the digital part is important since I don’t read time very well. But I don’t always read digital time properly either. And I can read analog clocks. I just have to do it carefully and thoughtfully and check it twice. [To indicate how bad I am about reading time, I am not allowed to tell my husband when a flight arrives or leaves. I have gotten it wrong too many times, although we’ve never actually missed a flight. I have to show him the time instead.] This is an actual learning disability, which I learned as an adult from a women’s mag at my grandmother’s house. Made me feel a little better about being highly intelligent but not able to read an analog clock until I was in junior high. I’d have to count it out like “Okay, it’s 5, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18 minutes after. Clocks without numbers were really tough.)

Anyway, the flashlight is totally awesome and I adore it! Oh, and instead of a bulb, it has an LED so I don’t even have to worry about buying new bulbs for it. My brother rocks!

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February 23rd, 2006 - Garbage collection

This winter, I’ve started putting out the garbage less often. Ok, I must confess, it started because one day when it was really cold I didn’t feel like making a lot of trips for the recycling items. That’s when it occurred to me that I didn’t *have* to do the recycling each week when it would be only a bag or two. I could wait and put out twice as much the next time around. And that would mean one less stop for the recycling truck. Then I realized that I didn’t have to put out the gargbage every week, either! It takes us about 2 weeks to fill one garbage can (usually one kitchen bag and the rest is diapers and kitty/dog cleanup). Sometimes, I put it out with just one bag in the bottom. What a waste of time for the garbage men!

What does this have to do with simply or frugal living? If everyone skipped one week of garbage pickup a year, that would a week’s worth of stops the trucks would skip. I can’t claim it would save a week’s worth of gas and emissions, but it would save some. Just another one of those little things that could add up if you do them more or more people did them.

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February 21st, 2006 - Non-frugal trip

We got back Sunday morning at 3 or 4 am (I no longer recall!). Our trip was not frugal, intentionally. Times like this simply aren’t a time to worry about each dollar spent. However, due to our somewhat-frugal lifestyle in general, we were able to not worry about things for a week. We also weren’t going around throwing money away, either. We’ve always given ourselves daily spending money on trips ($5/day, $10 on travel days; food bought at the grocery store in advance doesn’t count against you!). I used mine for our Valentine’s date (free babysitting, woohoo! We went to the restaurant where we had our first in-person date about 8 years ago. So cool! We hadn’t been back inbetween. Eric thought of it!). I still have to go through the receipts, but I believe it will be about a $400 trip; gas and toll roads probably total over half of that. It’s a 17-18 hour drive from WI to NJ, tollway about 90% of the way (everywhere but NJ and WI!). We also visited my parents and brother in PA; tollroads all the way except them to OH. (Which reminds me–we have to go get an EZPass. All of the roads take it except maybe around Chicago and I think they might now too. It’s definitely worth it. In some places, the EZPass was half the cost of cash. And around Chicago, they are getting open road tolling: NO SLOWING DOWN! Since we’ll be returning within the next couple months and we usually go out there at least once a year anyway, it’s worth it.)

On the positive side, for the first time in the 4.5 years we’ve owned a house, I thought of turning down the water heater during a vacation! It has an actual vacation setting, making it nice and easy. I also reprogrammed the thermostat–60 during the day and 55 at night. (I thought 55 the wholw day was too low for the kitties, and the dogs were supposed to be there 2 days as well.) We also unplugged a lot of things–my bedside clock, tv, VCR (never used, so left unplugged after returning), XBox (ditto), and the computer and peripherals. I’m so proud of us! We’ve *never* done this before and it’s so easy I really should have thought of it. (I have turned down the thermostat, always, just not the rest.)

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February 21st, 2006 - TES on Paula Zahn

The arrival of the last two elephants from the Hawthorn herd was part of a Paula Zahn (CNN) show on the 17th. I watched the arrival on the TES webcam; it’s much cooler on this broadcast! They also talk with staff, show the elephants interacting at the Sanctuary, and more.

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February 9th, 2006 - Food coop

One additional note I forget to mention on the prices–I also got a 5% discount on my total. I’m not sure why but it was listed on my invoice. I’ll try to remember to ask when I pay for it. I don’t know if it’s a first-time buyer deal or a permanent thing or based on how much I buy or how much the club buys at once….

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February 7th, 2006 - Bulk powdered milk

Meredith wondered at what prices I could get powdered milk from the food buying coop. First, it’s through United Natural Foods. Here’s what I could get for instant vitamin fortified non-fat (the typical powdered milk I buy at the store): 25# for 63.05 (which is 2.52/#). The catalog is ordered, within categories, by company name rather than product, so it’s hard to find prices to compare. There’s a website where you can search the catalog, but it doesn’t include prices (nor page numbers to look it up in the catalog). I found a couple non-instants as well as some organic ones as well. Those were all more expensive. Special tip: 25# of milk makes about 30# gallons of milk.

I wish I’d noticed this before. I think I would have ordered it. 25# is more doable than 50#. Our next order isn’t for two more months….but, actually, it’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about it this week. The order arrives Thursday…and we’re heading off to New Jersey on Friday. I probably won’t post at all from the 10-20 while we are gone. Eric’s Dad has been terminally ill for the last 5.5 years and now it looks like the end is really near. We’re doing a last minute last trip so Les can see Eric and Maggie one last time. Unless, of course, he beats the odds again. He wasn’t supposed to live the last 5.5 years, either.

Posted in General, Food | 1 Comment »

February 6th, 2006 - Milk and cheese

Catherine wondered if you could make homemade cheese with powdered milk. The short answer is yes; you can use any kind of milk for cheese making. However, most cheese are made with whole milk because the fat content is a pretty important part (tasty) of cheese! You might try half and half, however, like the “part skim mozzerella” you can find in the store. (I don’t know how much of that is made with skim.)

And no, I won’t buy my powdered milk at Wal*Mart. I’m proud to say that it has been at least 5 years since I was in one and I plan to never go in one again. I believe it is morally criminal the way they treat female workers, under pay their staff, and choose corporate profits instead of fair benefits (leaving the rest of us to pay for things such as healthcare for employees’ children). Among other things. They aren’t the only ones who do this, and I am working at avoiding other such stores as well.

On the other hand, I’ve just joined a local food buying coop (thanks to Frugal Veggie Mama!) and I can get 50# of powdered milk through them at a very good rate. I’m a little nervous however. I wish I could sample it first…and I haven’t figured out how to store that much milk, either!

Posted in Food | 3 Comments »

February 1st, 2006 - Hair gel update

No, I didn’t forget about the homemade hair gel experiement from two weeks ago. The problem was that at the end of the week, I realized I had no idea how my hair compared to a week with store bought gel. I really don’t pay much attention to my hair. So I had to pay attention for another week while I used my regular gel.

The outcome: The store-bought gel out-performed the homemade gel in general terms of “making my hair look nice.” It’s also more convenient since it can be stored in my bathroom. I used more homemade gel, but the price difference is dramatic. And, of course, no chemicals is a huge point in its favor.

However, the difference isn’t enough for me to waste my money any longer. The difference was noticable to me…but I doubt to anyone else. It was a little more frizzy and a little less shiny by the end of the week.

I should note one more thing about the experiment: I wash my hair only once a week. I suspect that the difference, if you wash your hair daily or EOD would be negligible. On the other hand, for saving money on water, I can recommend less frequent washings!

For those who can’t imagine not taking a daily shower, I merely remind you that this has become the “thing to do” only in the last couple generations and only in America. Most of us do not get very dirty sitting at our desks jobs and driving to/from work (even walking!). Wash the important parts–whatever they are to you–daily with a washcloth and a sink and think of the water and money you will save! While you are at it, use cold water and save your water heater costs as well. I realized in high school or college that I wasted a lot more water running it till hot that I actually used to rinse and wash my face twice a day. I now find the cold water quite refreshing and certainly a great wake-me-up in the mornings. I also do not fill the sink. I run water and use my hands to splash my face. I soap up with the water running (took more water to rinse the soap off the handles than runs while I wash my face) and rinse off. I tested it, and I used up more water filling the sink. Plus, the running water means clean water for rinsing.

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February 1st, 2006 - Cats and sweets

I just heard AGAIN (this is probably the 3rd time in a month) that cats can’t taste sweetness. The gene for sweet reception is lacking in cats of all sizes.

Except my two little kitties! Shmi ADORES donut holes. Sith ADORES marshmallows (he even stole a Peep off the table right next to me last Easter!). Both ADORE fruit breads and Rice Krispie treats (but not plain Rice Krispies).

I have mutant cats. Not that I haven’t thought that before. Hmmm….maybe they’d be worth something now! (Not that we’d ever sell them, but if someone would like to pay Shmi’s medical bills, I wouldn’t mind. As long as she stayed with us!)

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My Adventures in Simple Living

Archive for February, 2006

February 23rd, 2006 - Cool gift

February 23rd, 2006 - Garbage collection

February 21st, 2006 - Non-frugal trip

February 21st, 2006 - TES on Paula Zahn

February 9th, 2006 - Food coop

February 7th, 2006 - Bulk powdered milk

February 6th, 2006 - Milk and cheese

February 1st, 2006 - Hair gel update

February 1st, 2006 - Cats and sweets

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