Lizzie recently commented: "Mortgage rates are at historic lows right now; 3.8% for a 15 year fixed. If it took you 5 years to pay off $16,000 how long will it take you to save up $150,000?"
It took me five years to bring my net worth from -$16,000 to nearly $0. During that period of time I also got extensive dental work done, went through the immigration process with my husband, worked part-time for several years, and paid for several semesters of community college out of pocket. While it technically took five years to pay off about $16,000 worth of debt, it only took Darling and me three months to pay close to $6,000 of that debt. It's not just that we finally buckled down and applied ourselves. It simply took several years for some of our seeds to yield harvest.
I therefore feel entitled to assume that Darling and I will continue to make much more money than we did for the first four years of The Challenge and, as a result, will have much more to work with in the coming years of saving and investing. I chose monthly amount of $2,000 for the following calculations because it is easy to work with and relatively reasonable. This is not an exact plan, but two simple scenarios illustrating my reasoning that saving for a home will put me in a better position than paying a mortgage.
So, assuming that Darling and I were be approved for a loan, found a house we loved and qualified for, and - despite the our awful credit - managed to purchase a home for $150,000 at 3.8% interest, we could pay $2,000 a month and own our home in seven years. That is excluding all purchase fees, insurance, property taxes, furniture, appliances, maintenance, how much more we would pay on groceries and utilities from not sharing our home with half a dozen other people, the cost of commuting in the event that our jobs move away from our homes, and the million other consequences of home-ownership. Best-case scenario: In seven years I would be 34-year-old debt-free homeowner with no money. Despite paying my loan in only seven years, and somehow qualifying for these historically low interest rates, I will still have paid nearly $21,000 in interest!
If, instead, I put the idea of owning a house directly out of my mind, and instead set aside $2,000 a month, I would be able to invest in a 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond at a little more than 3% interest in five months. Even if I did not re-invest the resulting $25 increase of monthly income, I would still be able to make the exact same investment 16 times in seven years (besides likely fluctuations in interest). In this entirely fictional scenario, by 2019 I would be 34, debt free, have $160,000 invested in the safest possible way, and a passive monthly income of $400 a month. Although this is excluding the cost of renting, it's worth pointing out that Darling and I only pay $400 a month to pay for our room at the co-op, the rest of our "rent" goes to groceries, taxes, repairs, utilities, and the myriad expenses that would increase exponentially with personal home ownership. And I'm also completely ignoring the financial effects of the passive income resulting from the bond, which should more than make up for any extra potential expense of renting vs. owning.
I could then sell all those bonds, buy a $150,000 house and be a 34-year-old debt free home-owner with $10,000 in cash.
Showing posts with label Thinking Outside The Wallet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thinking Outside The Wallet. Show all posts
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Next Phase of The Challenge
As I fast approach the verge of debt freedom, the time has come to contemplate the next big phase of my plan: Saving.
This might seem like a strange "next" step. After all, paying off our $20,000+ debt meant living well below our means for the past seven years. Maybe Darling and I weren't Tightwad-Gazette-Frugal, but we've had our moments. Why should saving be such a big deal?
Not many folks would argue the wisdom of paying debt, but from here on out, the answers won't be so easy. We will not be researching mortgages or car loans. We will never bring our business plans to the bank or credit union to discuss financing. Our education, and the education of our children, will not cost us 5.250% more over the course of fifteen years. Every big purchase will be a matter of very careful thought, preparation, research, and basically every other human skill that I terribly lack.
The good news? My husband and I will spend significantly less money on these purchases over the course of our lifetime simply by avoiding interest rates and fees. This will make retirement radically easier and drastically reduce our time spent in the traditional workforce.
The bad news? There is a reason people choose to spend 20% more over a prolonged period of time rather than accrue $150,000 in the bank with which to purchase a home. I will be steering The Challenge away from the common consensus of what is correct and intelligent. Which means people who are more educated than me will be able to make good arguments for why my financial choices are misguided.
With that in mind, I decided to write a series of essays devoted to the best financial lifestyle choices I've made. Most of them are fairly radical. The give-up-your-daily-latte card has been done. I want to make some original - and yes, controversial - suggestions. I launched already with Part One: Share a Home. Other topics I plan to cover:
* Become a Vegetarian
* Kill Your Television
* Don't Buy New
Don't despair, this preaching is only to rev me up for the next set of blogs in which I transition from how I done good to how I've fallen off various wagons. For example, I'd love to post on how great it is not to own a car. But who's driving a big ol' truck in and out of town every day for the foreseeable future? This girl. Who gave up soda for over two years just to dive right back into a daily habit? Who loved being shampoo-free...for roughly six months? Who spends as much as $30 in a single month on library fees (with the help of her husband)? I'll spend a couple of months getting back on board with some good habits I let fall tot he wayside.
Eventually I'll work my way up to finding new and exciting ways to reduce spending. Or evolve into a higher, perfect life-form to merge with nirvana. Or fall off six new wagons. Time will tell :)
This might seem like a strange "next" step. After all, paying off our $20,000+ debt meant living well below our means for the past seven years. Maybe Darling and I weren't Tightwad-Gazette-Frugal, but we've had our moments. Why should saving be such a big deal?
Not many folks would argue the wisdom of paying debt, but from here on out, the answers won't be so easy. We will not be researching mortgages or car loans. We will never bring our business plans to the bank or credit union to discuss financing. Our education, and the education of our children, will not cost us 5.250% more over the course of fifteen years. Every big purchase will be a matter of very careful thought, preparation, research, and basically every other human skill that I terribly lack.
The good news? My husband and I will spend significantly less money on these purchases over the course of our lifetime simply by avoiding interest rates and fees. This will make retirement radically easier and drastically reduce our time spent in the traditional workforce.
The bad news? There is a reason people choose to spend 20% more over a prolonged period of time rather than accrue $150,000 in the bank with which to purchase a home. I will be steering The Challenge away from the common consensus of what is correct and intelligent. Which means people who are more educated than me will be able to make good arguments for why my financial choices are misguided.
With that in mind, I decided to write a series of essays devoted to the best financial lifestyle choices I've made. Most of them are fairly radical. The give-up-your-daily-latte card has been done. I want to make some original - and yes, controversial - suggestions. I launched already with Part One: Share a Home. Other topics I plan to cover:
* Become a Vegetarian
* Kill Your Television
* Don't Buy New
Don't despair, this preaching is only to rev me up for the next set of blogs in which I transition from how I done good to how I've fallen off various wagons. For example, I'd love to post on how great it is not to own a car. But who's driving a big ol' truck in and out of town every day for the foreseeable future? This girl. Who gave up soda for over two years just to dive right back into a daily habit? Who loved being shampoo-free...for roughly six months? Who spends as much as $30 in a single month on library fees (with the help of her husband)? I'll spend a couple of months getting back on board with some good habits I let fall tot he wayside.
Eventually I'll work my way up to finding new and exciting ways to reduce spending. Or evolve into a higher, perfect life-form to merge with nirvana. Or fall off six new wagons. Time will tell :)
Friday, March 16, 2012
Step Six of Your Money Or Your Life
One of my New Years Resolutions for 2011 was to pursue the 9-Step Program outlined in Your Money Or Your Life, which I first read around October of 2010. Since then I have tracked all the money earned and spent, tabulated it monthly to discover my Real Hourly Wage and how much time I spend on every category, and asked myself whether each expense was satisfying, in keeping with my values, and if I will have that expense when I no longer work for money.
The next step, which seemed like the simplest so far, was to create a physical (not digital) graph illustrating my income and expenses over a 3-5 year period. It took me fourteen months to get around to this task! Three of those months I was unemployed, so it's not like I was doing something better with my time!
I was torn between making a graph at home and buying graph paper at the store, which is ridiculous. In the end, I finally bought the paper (three large sheets for roughly a buck-fifty, I think), but the lines were so light that I had to basically dot the individual points with a permanent marker, so it looks like a really well-done homemade project.
I'm glad to have had a year's worth of data to record. My income is in red, and my expenses are in black, and both jump up and down like crazy. It looks like one of those lie detector read-outs from the movies. In the book's examples, the incomes show steady inclines, and the expenses show slow downward curves. There is nothing steady or consistent about either of mine, but there is definitely an upward trend. In February 2012 both my income and expenses are more than triple what they were in February of 2011!
The next step is to lower my monthly expenses. When I first read the book, I couldn't believe it took six chapters to bring this up! Now I understand how much more fun it will be to reduce my expenses and display it on my graph. Plus, I have fourteen months worth of data which really reveals where my surplus spending is going.
Another benefit of having officially reached the reduce-spending step is that I am months away from making my final debt payment. Right now I spend everything I earn because every extra penny is going to student loans. When that last payment goes through my expenses will drop like a rock and my chart is going to look really good.
The next step, which seemed like the simplest so far, was to create a physical (not digital) graph illustrating my income and expenses over a 3-5 year period. It took me fourteen months to get around to this task! Three of those months I was unemployed, so it's not like I was doing something better with my time!
I was torn between making a graph at home and buying graph paper at the store, which is ridiculous. In the end, I finally bought the paper (three large sheets for roughly a buck-fifty, I think), but the lines were so light that I had to basically dot the individual points with a permanent marker, so it looks like a really well-done homemade project.
I'm glad to have had a year's worth of data to record. My income is in red, and my expenses are in black, and both jump up and down like crazy. It looks like one of those lie detector read-outs from the movies. In the book's examples, the incomes show steady inclines, and the expenses show slow downward curves. There is nothing steady or consistent about either of mine, but there is definitely an upward trend. In February 2012 both my income and expenses are more than triple what they were in February of 2011!
The next step is to lower my monthly expenses. When I first read the book, I couldn't believe it took six chapters to bring this up! Now I understand how much more fun it will be to reduce my expenses and display it on my graph. Plus, I have fourteen months worth of data which really reveals where my surplus spending is going.
Another benefit of having officially reached the reduce-spending step is that I am months away from making my final debt payment. Right now I spend everything I earn because every extra penny is going to student loans. When that last payment goes through my expenses will drop like a rock and my chart is going to look really good.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Baby Shower Gift
I've really enjoyed having some time off. My weekend was spent in the kitchen, making waffles and potato pancakes for breakfast, muffins and cookies for friends, and an awesome pumpkin and sweet potato ravioli with handmade pasta dough!
Yesterday I purchased a gift for my stepsister's baby shower. This is my third baby shower in three years, and I'm starting to get a little bored by the offerings of Babies R Us and Target. I have a rule about getting new parents something sensible from their registry. My actual rule (and you guys are gonna love this) is that I try and get a more expensive boring item from the registry, something they'll otherwise have to buy for themselves.
Nothing on the registry fit that bill exactly: the only really pragmatic item was way out of my price range. So I bought a (fairly pricey) toy I've seen numerous other babies love to death. Feeling a little dissatisfied, my thoughts wandered to knitting. By the end of the day I'd learned a new technique using my short, double-pointed sock kneedles and a ball of pink yarn which had been given to me.
I've decided to do a hat, my first hat, and I need it by Saturday afternoon. None of my three sets of needles is appropriate, so I'm running down to Hill Country Weavers after finishing this post to pick up a new pair and possibly some soft new yarn. Which isn't going to save me money this month, maybe, but maybe in February my beloved Godson will get something handmade, rather than store-bought, in the mail on his birthday.
Yesterday I purchased a gift for my stepsister's baby shower. This is my third baby shower in three years, and I'm starting to get a little bored by the offerings of Babies R Us and Target. I have a rule about getting new parents something sensible from their registry. My actual rule (and you guys are gonna love this) is that I try and get a more expensive boring item from the registry, something they'll otherwise have to buy for themselves.
Nothing on the registry fit that bill exactly: the only really pragmatic item was way out of my price range. So I bought a (fairly pricey) toy I've seen numerous other babies love to death. Feeling a little dissatisfied, my thoughts wandered to knitting. By the end of the day I'd learned a new technique using my short, double-pointed sock kneedles and a ball of pink yarn which had been given to me.
I've decided to do a hat, my first hat, and I need it by Saturday afternoon. None of my three sets of needles is appropriate, so I'm running down to Hill Country Weavers after finishing this post to pick up a new pair and possibly some soft new yarn. Which isn't going to save me money this month, maybe, but maybe in February my beloved Godson will get something handmade, rather than store-bought, in the mail on his birthday.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Work Trade Learning Experience
Last week I met someone who referred to himself as a carpenter. Despite being a union apprentice and slowly/surely developing my power-tool prowess, I can't quite bring myself to claim the title. To be quite honest, building clean rooms is so sterile and standardized that it doesn't quite feel like carpentry. The carpenters who live in my mind's eye are rough and wind-blown and almost as dirty as farmers.
Anyway, this carpenter whom I happened to meet over a game of Scrabble (because I live in an after-school program, apparently), mentioned that that he has a compound miter saw he's looking to sell. I can count the number of power tools I've used on one hand, but it just so happens that a compound miter saw is one of them. I ask him about his price, mentioning that I've been sniffing around that area of employment. Then I dropped the matter, as my rule regarding tools is that if I'm not using it for an immediate job or in class, I probably don't need one.
A while later he brought it up again and I suggested a work trade. It just so happened that he needed help with a project at his house - just down the road from mine - and would trade the saw for a few hours of my time.
Not knowing what to expect, I showed up at his house Wednesday at noon. I was totally amazed at what I found. His house, located on a typical spacious South Austin Lot, is a three-story straw-bale structure. I've never seen anything like it.
He and another worker were already constructing a massive rain barrel out of cement and wire mesh. He taught me to mix cement in correct proportions and consistency and later showed me how his rainwater system worked. It was all very educational and not very difficult at all, the sort of thing many people would pay to attend a workshop on.
I should be heading back to finish the job in a few weeks and bring home my saw, which isn't a fraction as valuable to me as the learning experience. This guy is doing pretty much exactly what I want to learn! I can't wait to find out what other projects he might let me in on :)
Anyway, this carpenter whom I happened to meet over a game of Scrabble (because I live in an after-school program, apparently), mentioned that that he has a compound miter saw he's looking to sell. I can count the number of power tools I've used on one hand, but it just so happens that a compound miter saw is one of them. I ask him about his price, mentioning that I've been sniffing around that area of employment. Then I dropped the matter, as my rule regarding tools is that if I'm not using it for an immediate job or in class, I probably don't need one.
A while later he brought it up again and I suggested a work trade. It just so happened that he needed help with a project at his house - just down the road from mine - and would trade the saw for a few hours of my time.
Not knowing what to expect, I showed up at his house Wednesday at noon. I was totally amazed at what I found. His house, located on a typical spacious South Austin Lot, is a three-story straw-bale structure. I've never seen anything like it.
He and another worker were already constructing a massive rain barrel out of cement and wire mesh. He taught me to mix cement in correct proportions and consistency and later showed me how his rainwater system worked. It was all very educational and not very difficult at all, the sort of thing many people would pay to attend a workshop on.
I should be heading back to finish the job in a few weeks and bring home my saw, which isn't a fraction as valuable to me as the learning experience. This guy is doing pretty much exactly what I want to learn! I can't wait to find out what other projects he might let me in on :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Out With The Old, In With The Built
Before Darling headed west I got his permission to de-clutter. After years of focusing on frugal accumulation of furniture, and then downsizing substantially to squeeze into the co-op, we still have a hard time with organization. I think it's primarily a matter of utility. We really don't own that much stuff, our space just isn't equipped to handle it. I mean, have you ever had a kitchen without a utensil drawer, knife block, or spice rack? I have. If there isn't a place for everything, ain't nothing gonna be in place. That's what's happening in our room right now.
The first thing I sent away was a beloved coffee table that was gathering dust in the corner. We have a table surplus in the room, including the one Darling made last year and a telephone table serving as a bed stand. I really loved this one, but honestly couldn't tell you how I would use it except as a junk repository. I gave it to a group of people running a new permaculture community in East Austin who will definitely appreciate it.
Today my goal was to give away the book case. Tall and wide, it would be a total prize if not for its depth of about five inches. To make matter worse, an uneven bottom pitches it precariously forward. It can't be trusted with much more than DVDs and paperbacks.
This afternoon I finally got the chance to sort through the house's selection of odds and ends to come up with a replacement. After a goodly long while I came up with six two-foot lengths of 2x8 and twelve wall brackets. Besides the length, they were basically ideal. I primed and painted them a creamy-tan color and spent forever hunting for the perfect sized screws.
My first plan was to mount the pieces side-by-side to produce three four-foot shelves, but could foresee the inevitable sloppy appearance. I then thought to mount the shelves in a corner at right angles, which might lend a sense of design and intention to the stubby shelves, but there would be quite a bit of lost space where they came together.
I figured a similar effect could be gained by placing one shelf on one wall at the corner, and the next shelf on the adjoining wall about sixteen inches higher. Unfortunately, that placed the highest shelf out of my reach and the lowest shelf at knee-level.
I finally mounted one shelf against the corner, and two more on either side, one sixteen inches higher, the other sixteen inches lower, at varying distances from the corner. On the adjoining wall I placed the other three shelves in a similar design at equal heights. The result is neatly asymmetrical and creates intermittent focal points perfect for framed art. I was able to move all the books off the case and give it to a roommate (who had been warned of its defects, of course). Now I just have to determine whether my rocking chair or remaining table belongs in that corner or against either wall.
The first thing I sent away was a beloved coffee table that was gathering dust in the corner. We have a table surplus in the room, including the one Darling made last year and a telephone table serving as a bed stand. I really loved this one, but honestly couldn't tell you how I would use it except as a junk repository. I gave it to a group of people running a new permaculture community in East Austin who will definitely appreciate it.
Today my goal was to give away the book case. Tall and wide, it would be a total prize if not for its depth of about five inches. To make matter worse, an uneven bottom pitches it precariously forward. It can't be trusted with much more than DVDs and paperbacks.
This afternoon I finally got the chance to sort through the house's selection of odds and ends to come up with a replacement. After a goodly long while I came up with six two-foot lengths of 2x8 and twelve wall brackets. Besides the length, they were basically ideal. I primed and painted them a creamy-tan color and spent forever hunting for the perfect sized screws.
My first plan was to mount the pieces side-by-side to produce three four-foot shelves, but could foresee the inevitable sloppy appearance. I then thought to mount the shelves in a corner at right angles, which might lend a sense of design and intention to the stubby shelves, but there would be quite a bit of lost space where they came together.
I figured a similar effect could be gained by placing one shelf on one wall at the corner, and the next shelf on the adjoining wall about sixteen inches higher. Unfortunately, that placed the highest shelf out of my reach and the lowest shelf at knee-level.
I finally mounted one shelf against the corner, and two more on either side, one sixteen inches higher, the other sixteen inches lower, at varying distances from the corner. On the adjoining wall I placed the other three shelves in a similar design at equal heights. The result is neatly asymmetrical and creates intermittent focal points perfect for framed art. I was able to move all the books off the case and give it to a roommate (who had been warned of its defects, of course). Now I just have to determine whether my rocking chair or remaining table belongs in that corner or against either wall.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Catching Up and Making Plans
Yesterday I finally fixed my adopted bike. It really only needed a couple of adjustments: a lowered seat and new pedals. I gave it a good test ride to and from the library and, besides having no idea how the gear system works, I feel comfortable enough to ride it home tonight.
In order to assuage my friends' concerns about my riding eight miles from work, I walked home one evening last week to get the best possible feel of the route. It took me a little more than three hours, mostly because I got turned around at one point and added at least half an hour to my trip. Although it's not a walk I'd like to take again, it was not, as many of my coworkers insisted, "impossible." And if I can enjoy a trip on foot, taking it on a bike will be a breeze and a half.
Last night I baked chocolate oatmeal cookies and Darling and I had a very good talk about money, employment, capitalism, spending, and so on. At first he was a little alarmed at the thought of embarking on an extended consumer strike. During his break from ACC, he enrolled in a state-funded training program for NABCEP practitioners hosted by the local electricians union. We've long considered shifting his renewable energy studies into a career in electrical work, but he was hesitant to commit to a five year apprenticeship program. Hanging out at the union and getting to know instructors, contractors, and novices has finally compelled him to apply for a spot in the full program. Nothing is guaranteed, but upon acceptance he would qualify for wages and benefits that would totally change our financial reality. We'd finally be able to afford darn near anything we want! And, as a vegetarian living in a cooperative who rides his bike to and from the offices in the heat of the Texas Summer, Darling really, really did not want to hurt his small chance of fitting in with the hyper-traditional masculine crowd he'd be working with. So...not spending money? Pretty much the opposite of what my husband was looking forward to in the next ten months.
After explaining my theory and what I hope to accomplish, however, Darling got the point. The goal would not be to sacrifice needs or forgo wants, but cultivate a system of satisfying both needs and wants outside the capitalist system. I know that might sound ridiculous/impossible, and I'll go deeper into the details over time, but it is a worthwhile experiment. After lengthy debate, we agreed that it needs to be long term, but with scheduled periods for review. Due to the nature of the project we won't arrange for a gearing up period, as we had with early no-spend months. We'll start July 1st for ease of scheduling, even though we won't have any money for one last meal at a restaurant or trip to Goodwill. He is still going to get his $30+ worth of computer supplies he's been requesting for his birthday, but otherwise we don't expect to make many exceptions. Our first review period will be three months from the start, October, so we can make needed adjustments to our philosophy before the holidays.
I intend to spend the next nine days practicing and developing an awareness of what makes me want to spend, and how such desires can be met without buying.
In order to assuage my friends' concerns about my riding eight miles from work, I walked home one evening last week to get the best possible feel of the route. It took me a little more than three hours, mostly because I got turned around at one point and added at least half an hour to my trip. Although it's not a walk I'd like to take again, it was not, as many of my coworkers insisted, "impossible." And if I can enjoy a trip on foot, taking it on a bike will be a breeze and a half.
Last night I baked chocolate oatmeal cookies and Darling and I had a very good talk about money, employment, capitalism, spending, and so on. At first he was a little alarmed at the thought of embarking on an extended consumer strike. During his break from ACC, he enrolled in a state-funded training program for NABCEP practitioners hosted by the local electricians union. We've long considered shifting his renewable energy studies into a career in electrical work, but he was hesitant to commit to a five year apprenticeship program. Hanging out at the union and getting to know instructors, contractors, and novices has finally compelled him to apply for a spot in the full program. Nothing is guaranteed, but upon acceptance he would qualify for wages and benefits that would totally change our financial reality. We'd finally be able to afford darn near anything we want! And, as a vegetarian living in a cooperative who rides his bike to and from the offices in the heat of the Texas Summer, Darling really, really did not want to hurt his small chance of fitting in with the hyper-traditional masculine crowd he'd be working with. So...not spending money? Pretty much the opposite of what my husband was looking forward to in the next ten months.
After explaining my theory and what I hope to accomplish, however, Darling got the point. The goal would not be to sacrifice needs or forgo wants, but cultivate a system of satisfying both needs and wants outside the capitalist system. I know that might sound ridiculous/impossible, and I'll go deeper into the details over time, but it is a worthwhile experiment. After lengthy debate, we agreed that it needs to be long term, but with scheduled periods for review. Due to the nature of the project we won't arrange for a gearing up period, as we had with early no-spend months. We'll start July 1st for ease of scheduling, even though we won't have any money for one last meal at a restaurant or trip to Goodwill. He is still going to get his $30+ worth of computer supplies he's been requesting for his birthday, but otherwise we don't expect to make many exceptions. Our first review period will be three months from the start, October, so we can make needed adjustments to our philosophy before the holidays.
I intend to spend the next nine days practicing and developing an awareness of what makes me want to spend, and how such desires can be met without buying.
Monday, June 20, 2011
A Challenging Challenge
A funny thing happened on my way to...uh, the blog.
Yesterday I wrote a post entitled "I May Not Be A Dreamer" to explain that while, technically, I could embark on a really interesting challenge, I wasn't gonna. My very good excuse is that all my time, energy, and excess cash should go towards my dental health. The latter point remains. I will be going to a dentist and having my teeth fixed in the next six months, come Hell or high water. That said, writing my "non-dreamer" post evoked a strange internal response.
My thoughts drifted into strange and unusual places. What would it actually be like to go ten months without spending money? What if my intention wasn't to develop my frugality, but to step away from the capitalist process altogether? This blog has always been about abstaining from credit, which I imagined depended on proper money management. But, in looking at my progress so far, it is life management that has done me the most good. Living somewhere I don't need a car, sharing my daily expenses with eight other people, buying second hand, borrowing, and sharing have not only reaped substantial savings, but yielded deep bonds and an unexpectedly rewarding lifestyle. Why wouldn't I take this a step further?
What would it mean to cross the line between frugality and freeganism? Not straight up dumpster diving, per se, but a voluntary restriction from general spending? What if when someone asked me to go to lunch, I responded, of my own free will, "No thanks, I don't spend money," the way, as a vegetarian invited to a barbecue, I respond, "No thanks, I don't eat meat."
How would that change my life, myself, and the people around me? How would it influence my marriage and my family relations? Without money as a bridge, could I reach my Mom and Dad? Without the excuse of poverty, could I handle the guilt of holiday gluttony, or lack thereof? Where would I find a place in this city, where one is defined by her favorite bar and trailer taco, if I did not indulge so? How would I prove my worth as a person without expensive gifts and casual, pricey generosity? How would I ease my occasional frustrations without a trip to the corner store for ice cream and soda?
Would I burn out and morph suddenly into a shopaholic? Or would I find myself more easily satisfied, more creative, more loving and grateful? Would I find an interesting class of non-shoppers to befriend, scattered throughout my current life, eager to offer tips and share experiences? Would I run into jerks who feel inexplicably threatened by my lifestyle choices, like the coworker yesterday who announced his intention to "convert" me from my vegetarian ways?
Perhaps most importantly, from a social experimentalist perspective, do I even have the right to let such an opportunity slip away? After all, I'm young, childless, and living and working at cooperatives. My husband is totally behind any and every idiotic scheme I'm capable of coming up with. I have a proven capacity to record my endeavors for posterity, whether or not they're worth reading. I would not be embarking on said experiment out of necessity, and could "back out" whenever I wanted.
If we decided to go through with the experiment, I believe these would be the ground rules:
- We would start on July 1st and end on April 1st.
- The goal would not be to save, invest, or service debt, but to abstain from spending money, to potentially cauterize the wound of capitalism at its source. Therefore the success of this project lies not in how much we have in the bank come next April, but how deeply we can enjoy life regardless of our account balances.
- Because rent at our house covers food and other daily necessities, we will obviously continue to pay for that. Our second priority will be health and absolutely nothing will come between me and getting the dental care I need.
- We will also continue to purchase whatever is absolutely necessary to maintain hygiene, employment, transportation, and other needs as they arise.
- We will continue to manage money responsibly by saving 10% of our income and heavily servicing debt. Both saving and debt servicing will come after paying dental expenses.
- If and when we do spend, we will attempt to do so as responsibly as possible. We will first seek out a cooperative business, if one is not available we will purchase from a non-profit, and failing that we will purchase from a local business.
I have eleven days to consider this and talk it over with Darling. We'd definitely have some kinks to work out, but to be honest, I'm really not seeing why wouldn't go for it.
Yesterday I wrote a post entitled "I May Not Be A Dreamer" to explain that while, technically, I could embark on a really interesting challenge, I wasn't gonna. My very good excuse is that all my time, energy, and excess cash should go towards my dental health. The latter point remains. I will be going to a dentist and having my teeth fixed in the next six months, come Hell or high water. That said, writing my "non-dreamer" post evoked a strange internal response.
My thoughts drifted into strange and unusual places. What would it actually be like to go ten months without spending money? What if my intention wasn't to develop my frugality, but to step away from the capitalist process altogether? This blog has always been about abstaining from credit, which I imagined depended on proper money management. But, in looking at my progress so far, it is life management that has done me the most good. Living somewhere I don't need a car, sharing my daily expenses with eight other people, buying second hand, borrowing, and sharing have not only reaped substantial savings, but yielded deep bonds and an unexpectedly rewarding lifestyle. Why wouldn't I take this a step further?
What would it mean to cross the line between frugality and freeganism? Not straight up dumpster diving, per se, but a voluntary restriction from general spending? What if when someone asked me to go to lunch, I responded, of my own free will, "No thanks, I don't spend money," the way, as a vegetarian invited to a barbecue, I respond, "No thanks, I don't eat meat."
How would that change my life, myself, and the people around me? How would it influence my marriage and my family relations? Without money as a bridge, could I reach my Mom and Dad? Without the excuse of poverty, could I handle the guilt of holiday gluttony, or lack thereof? Where would I find a place in this city, where one is defined by her favorite bar and trailer taco, if I did not indulge so? How would I prove my worth as a person without expensive gifts and casual, pricey generosity? How would I ease my occasional frustrations without a trip to the corner store for ice cream and soda?
Would I burn out and morph suddenly into a shopaholic? Or would I find myself more easily satisfied, more creative, more loving and grateful? Would I find an interesting class of non-shoppers to befriend, scattered throughout my current life, eager to offer tips and share experiences? Would I run into jerks who feel inexplicably threatened by my lifestyle choices, like the coworker yesterday who announced his intention to "convert" me from my vegetarian ways?
Perhaps most importantly, from a social experimentalist perspective, do I even have the right to let such an opportunity slip away? After all, I'm young, childless, and living and working at cooperatives. My husband is totally behind any and every idiotic scheme I'm capable of coming up with. I have a proven capacity to record my endeavors for posterity, whether or not they're worth reading. I would not be embarking on said experiment out of necessity, and could "back out" whenever I wanted.
If we decided to go through with the experiment, I believe these would be the ground rules:
- We would start on July 1st and end on April 1st.
- The goal would not be to save, invest, or service debt, but to abstain from spending money, to potentially cauterize the wound of capitalism at its source. Therefore the success of this project lies not in how much we have in the bank come next April, but how deeply we can enjoy life regardless of our account balances.
- Because rent at our house covers food and other daily necessities, we will obviously continue to pay for that. Our second priority will be health and absolutely nothing will come between me and getting the dental care I need.
- We will also continue to purchase whatever is absolutely necessary to maintain hygiene, employment, transportation, and other needs as they arise.
- We will continue to manage money responsibly by saving 10% of our income and heavily servicing debt. Both saving and debt servicing will come after paying dental expenses.
- If and when we do spend, we will attempt to do so as responsibly as possible. We will first seek out a cooperative business, if one is not available we will purchase from a non-profit, and failing that we will purchase from a local business.
I have eleven days to consider this and talk it over with Darling. We'd definitely have some kinks to work out, but to be honest, I'm really not seeing why wouldn't go for it.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
What Darling Does For A Living
I think Darling might be the least understood aspect of my lifestyle, at least so far as the blogosphere goes. Our relationship is not traditional by any stretch of the imagination. I was nineteen when we married, a fact that now boggles even my own imagination, especially since he is that much older than myself.
Darling is extremely likable. Intelligent and well-read. He can quote entire episodes of Monty Python, discuss each American presidency in detail, recite most of The Hitchhikers Guide to The Universe, or discuss which leader of which third-world country has done what to affect the value of someone's currency. He knows the best times to call Saudi Arabia if you want to catch someone before they leave their office, which super heroes are Marvel and which are DC and the general histories and happenings of both universes, how to build a computer, and how to give one hell of a foot massage.
Those who know us personally consider us the model couple. We can barely go a month without a friend quietly confiding in us that they consider our relationship to be absolutely ideal. My married brothers and sister ask us what our secret is. My thrice-divorced parents congratulate me on finding the perfect mate.
People who don't know Darling, however, are confused by his employment and income history. While a number of the homesteading and sustainability blogs I read advocate the single income household, there seems to be the understanding that a husband should financially support his wife. Men, after all, can enter the lucrative and homestead-friendly careers of construction and carpentry, mechanics and the military, with far greater ease than most women. In the meantime, ladies can do the tough and very underpaid work of childbearing and housekeeping.
The fact that Darling and I don't have children and share the housekeeping duties with three men and four women only muddles the matter. The fact that I like to work a whole lot, and Darling has very strict preferences when it comes to earning money, gives a false impression of the support systems in this marriage. If Darling isn't out earning a living, or at least changing diapers, what the heck is he doing?
He's actually worked for the majority of our marriage, earning money building websites and doing tech support, landscaping, canvassing for environmental causes, and working kitchens. I'm definitely the breadwinner, however, and Darling becomes very dissatisfied very quickly with paid employment. Because I'm able to support us - and strongly believe in the merits of a single-income household - Darling spends most of his time pursuing unpaid endeavors.
He's an excellent house keeper, much better than myself at caring for and repairing clothing. He darns socks and mends sheets I'd just as soon toss in the trashcan. He's an excellent cook and does most of our personal housekeeping, such as cleaning our bathroom and making the bed.
He takes a great deal of responsibility within our housing cooperative. His current favorite project is re-wiring the house with an electrician friend of his from college. The co-op buildings were co
nstructed in the thirties, and aside for some piecemeal work done here and there, not much has been updated. We're a little tired of living in a fire hazard, so the house has been collecting quotes from electricians for years. Thanks to Darling and his friend, we're finally getting the work done at half the cost of the lowest estimate.If rewiring the house wasn't enough, Darling is also in the middle of re-engineering our legal standing as a corporation. The first year he was president of the board the co-op had to focus on damage control: our bylaws were in shambles and the only thing that was keeping the organization from liquidating was the worrisome fact that there would be hundreds of thousands of dollars dispensed, according to Texas Business Organization Code, among the previous five years of residents of the house. Even the three members of the house who would qualify for a large share of that money were horrified at the thought, and the founders of the co-op were reasonably suspicious of this legal ramification which was very much not what they had in mind when creating the company. Every action residents of the house took was under intense scrutiny, critique, and suspicion. Many people were afraid to hire a lawyer to clear up the misunderstandings and confusions, certain that any legal action would immediately escalate into lawsuits.
Instead, Darling and the rest of the board took firm and gentle action and spent countless hours sorting through a legal mess fifteen years in the making. A year later the house was able to hire a lawyer with the founders' blessing (more or less), and Darling was re-elected president of the board that is only months away from totally resolving dozens of issues that brought a thirty-year-old cooperative to the brink of a heartbreaking demise. This. was. not. easy. He spends hours a week communicating with the lawyer, digging through records, fine-tuning and amending paperwork, and trying to explain to everyone what's going on and why.
On top of being president of the board, legal liaison, and electrician's apprentice, Darling has also been volunteering two or three days a week with a non-profit company providing assistance to Austin's large population of people who are mentally ill, homeless, HIV positive, or all three. Darling has always experienced intense compassion for those with mental illness and is very happy being involved with that community again. Two days a week he offers phone support in a nearby office, and on Thursdays or Fridays he is on call for garden assistance. His hope is to eventually be put on the payroll.
I, on the other hand, work. I wait tables for South Austin's hippie elite, serving coffee to men and women who have nothing to do in the middle of a Monday afternoon than surf facebook and sip espresso. No doubt these men and women have decent jobs, no doubt they have earned their double soy lattes, but I doubt very many of them have devoted themselves to the good of Austin as my Darling has.
If Darling worked we would be debt free much sooner. We could afford property faster, adopt a child more easily. Instead, I support him and his endeavors. I encourage him to follow his heart, and he does the same for me. He has made me the center of his world, and works very hard to keep it as pleasant a world as possible.
I do not mind if Darling never gets a job. I want him at home and in the community. I want him developing skills and relationships that are outside the sphere of steady wages and income. I want to follow his example and learn to find worth beyond my paycheck, to embrace days that lack structure and authority, to give without taking. That's what my Darling does for a living.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A Change In Outlook
Reading Your Money Or Your Life has totally changed my outlook on future plans and current employment. See, for the past few years life has been something of a financial balancing act: I tried my best to find the best paying, most flexible, stress-free job that reflected my personal values. These priorities shifted in the wind: flexibility was vital when I committed to babysitting my niece once a week and cared for my sister while she was undergoing her treatment, low stress was my focus after this hectic Summer, and every time our dental needs go from bad to worse (earlier this year, when I had the root canal, and earlier this month when Darling's molar broke), maximum earnings suddenly take center stage.
The ultimate result has been an inconsistent income, which I'm finding to be less beneficial than a consistently low income. There are times of flood and famine, and we act accordingly, never developing a real plan on how we can achieve permanent independence. Because what are the chances of that happening any time soon?
I decided a long time ago that if I have to work, I want the flexibility and change, the inconsistencies and even the insecurity. Given the choice between doing almost anything from 9 - 5, Monday through Friday, or working whenever I feel like it...well, I'll take the freedom, thank you very much. Regardless of income.
For the first time, however, it occurs to me that maybe in a few years I won't have to work. If Darling and I maintain our current standard of living, and I got a semi-decently paid job with, say, the state, we could probably be debt-free in a year and a half. If I buckled down and saved for another year or so, we would have six months expenses saved. Easily.
I've known this for a while. I played with the figures and discounted the results because to achieve this goal would mean a cap on our standard of living. Darling and I wouldn't be able to travel, or move. I wouldn't be able to take classes. If this seems petty, don't forget that Darling and I don't own cars or cell phones, that we share our groceries with eight other people, that we don't have pets, and we only buy books used with holiday gift cards. We're not frivolous. Travelling is our passion. I honestly can't imagine abstaining for a full year, much less two or three.
But after tracking my progress for this long, I'm able to see how short a year is. 2010 has barely started, yet Solstice is around the corner. For the first time in my life two years sounds like the perfect amount of time to settle down, break out the Atlas, and plan the best trip ever. A trip defined by the fact that we will be, for the first time ever, totally free.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Craigslist is boring
I've been checking Craigslist pretty much nonstop, obsessed with the Free, Materials, Tools, General (for sale), and Farm and Garden sections. So far we haven't had any luck besides some random bits of wood. Either stuff sells too fast or is too hefty to load into Lenore's car. We'll have to come up with a hauling solution soon.
Darling has decided to work on Mondays at the cafe. I'm hesitantly considering other earning opportunities for the Summer. My mindset has changed quite a bit in only a few weeks. Employment and income were the centers of my universe. When I wasn't working, I could think of nothing else but how to get the next paycheck. Now that is only an aspect of my life rather than a driving force. Which is very scary and liberating at the same time. Maybe I'm just jaded by the fact that I spend a good deal of time being absolutely terrified at the prospect of building a house. While earning rent is a priority, it pales in comparison to putting in a steady foundation.
But maybe fear isn't numbing me. I actually feel alive and vibrant and happy. It is as though my life was on hold for months, maybe years, and I'm suddenly living. Making rent is important, but not the highlight of my month. Every day offers new and exciting challenges and opportunities and risks. Paying the bills - or not - falls into those categories. So does getting ahold of some cheap rebar. The hunt for the latter is far more interesting.
Well, except for the craigslist part. Craigslist is boring.
Darling has decided to work on Mondays at the cafe. I'm hesitantly considering other earning opportunities for the Summer. My mindset has changed quite a bit in only a few weeks. Employment and income were the centers of my universe. When I wasn't working, I could think of nothing else but how to get the next paycheck. Now that is only an aspect of my life rather than a driving force. Which is very scary and liberating at the same time. Maybe I'm just jaded by the fact that I spend a good deal of time being absolutely terrified at the prospect of building a house. While earning rent is a priority, it pales in comparison to putting in a steady foundation.
But maybe fear isn't numbing me. I actually feel alive and vibrant and happy. It is as though my life was on hold for months, maybe years, and I'm suddenly living. Making rent is important, but not the highlight of my month. Every day offers new and exciting challenges and opportunities and risks. Paying the bills - or not - falls into those categories. So does getting ahold of some cheap rebar. The hunt for the latter is far more interesting.
Well, except for the craigslist part. Craigslist is boring.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
New
Last night I had a chat with a new coworker. He is planning on getting married in the next year and wants to have the most affordable wedding possible. I mentioned that when Darling and I married, we had very little money to spend on the ceremony. The coworker wanted to know how much we spent, and I reiterated that I personally had literally no cash. "So you spent, what, less than a thousand dollars?" the coworker pushed, and I laughed aloud.
"Dude, we spent less than $500, probably less than $200, including the hotel," I replied, "we had no money." What got us was the cost of immigration, though I didn't bring that up.
A while later, the same coworker (I was basically unofficially training him), brought up work clothes. He was quite pleased that his twin works at Urban Outfitters and was able to get him 40% off on his black shoes and pants. Did I ever go to Urban Outfitters? I shook my head again, "This is going to make me sound weird, especially after the wedding thing, but I really just don't buy new clothes."
Buying new clothes - or not, as the case may be - is at the same time the easiest and occasionally least understood aspect of my lifestyle. Not having a car or television is practically normal to many Austinites (not having a bike is not), being a vegetarian is perfectly acceptable, and even waste-free shopping and cooperative living raises few eyebrows. But buying (or accepting for free) used clothing? That's what trips people up.
Even my sister asked if she could take me shopping for my B-day. I told her that if I go to the mall (for the first time in how many years...?), it's going to be for bras. But I'm pretty sure that Victoria Secrets still uses prison labor, and they probably still don't have my size.
I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but buying new clothing is just so WEIRD. I just can't get over it. Used clothing is so cheap, anything that actually survives the first owner tends to be good quality, and there's lots of it everywhere!!! New clothing is absurdly expensive, quality new clothing is totally out of my price range, and to be honest I'm not totally sure where one buys it these days outside of a box store or shopping mall. It's bad enough knowing that the majority of my clothing comes from China (at best), but at least used clothing is at least once removed from the system of exploitation, and often benefits a charity to boot.
Yet buying new clothing is a perfectly normal activity, like eating boxed cereal (huh) and talking on the cell phone (really?). Does anyone else have these sudden epiphanies that your normal is someone else's extraordinary (or vice versa)?
"Dude, we spent less than $500, probably less than $200, including the hotel," I replied, "we had no money." What got us was the cost of immigration, though I didn't bring that up.
A while later, the same coworker (I was basically unofficially training him), brought up work clothes. He was quite pleased that his twin works at Urban Outfitters and was able to get him 40% off on his black shoes and pants. Did I ever go to Urban Outfitters? I shook my head again, "This is going to make me sound weird, especially after the wedding thing, but I really just don't buy new clothes."
Buying new clothes - or not, as the case may be - is at the same time the easiest and occasionally least understood aspect of my lifestyle. Not having a car or television is practically normal to many Austinites (not having a bike is not), being a vegetarian is perfectly acceptable, and even waste-free shopping and cooperative living raises few eyebrows. But buying (or accepting for free) used clothing? That's what trips people up.
Even my sister asked if she could take me shopping for my B-day. I told her that if I go to the mall (for the first time in how many years...?), it's going to be for bras. But I'm pretty sure that Victoria Secrets still uses prison labor, and they probably still don't have my size.
I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but buying new clothing is just so WEIRD. I just can't get over it. Used clothing is so cheap, anything that actually survives the first owner tends to be good quality, and there's lots of it everywhere!!! New clothing is absurdly expensive, quality new clothing is totally out of my price range, and to be honest I'm not totally sure where one buys it these days outside of a box store or shopping mall. It's bad enough knowing that the majority of my clothing comes from China (at best), but at least used clothing is at least once removed from the system of exploitation, and often benefits a charity to boot.
Yet buying new clothing is a perfectly normal activity, like eating boxed cereal (huh) and talking on the cell phone (really?). Does anyone else have these sudden epiphanies that your normal is someone else's extraordinary (or vice versa)?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
We're IN!
Darling and I were accepted as members of the our favorite co-op last night. I feel both triumphant and nervous.
Property taxes for this area just increased 30% and rents are rising to compensate. Rent for this house is going to jump from $630 to $670.
Utilities have also gone up from $70 a month of $100. Because we share bills with our neighbors, we'd be paying much more for personal phone, Internet, and electricity if we were living alone.
Monthly food bills run about $250 a month. This is astronomical by our standards, but Darling and I have neither the time nor energy to cook lately. Beans are not soaking, rice is not boiling, the crock pot grows dusty...Our budget suffers as a result.
Other regular expenses include about $7 a month for water and about $25 a month for laundry and detergent.
All these expenses will be covered by a regular monthly rent paid to Sunflower. Unfortunately, that rent is $1,030. That is at least $40 than Darling and I would pay if we simply moved into a studio apartment and went about our private lives. We can't realistically promise that moving to Sunflower will save us any money.
But we're paying for more than a room.
What benefits does Sunflower offer, financial or otherwise?
Food: Buying groceries and lugging them home by bus is torturous in the Texas heat. Not only does it take hours, but we don't even have time to cook the bulk foods and organic vegetables we normally purchase. And when we do cook, the house becomes an unbearable sauna. I'm putting on weight and Darling is lacking energy. It will be great to give up grocery shopping once and for all and know that a healthy vegetarian dinner prepared in a well-venitlated kitchen will be on the table every single night, regardless of how exhausted we are.
Laundry: The past couple of houses we've lived have been mercifully located next to laundromats. We can't hope to always be so lucky. In Virginia and Houston I've had to drag bags of laundry several blocks to wash our clothes. Even with laundry a parking lot away, we spend a lot of quarters on those machines. Sunflower has a washer, dryer, and clothesline available for house use, so I will have free laundry for the first time in about ten years.
Shared Chores: Between school, work, the shelter, and sleep, Darling and I only have a few hours a week to do housework. He scrubs the toilet and takes out the recycling, I mop the kitchen and do the dishes. This is not enough to keep the house functioning to my liking. It will be a relief to sign up for specific chores every week and know that if the carpet won't go months without meeting a vacuum.
Like Minds: Two of the four people we met don't have cars. I forgot to ask the other two. No one seems to think that the vegetarian nature of the household is worth emphasizing, or that the homemade yogurt in the fridge is noteworthy. The television in the den is dusty with disuse. No one had a problem navigating our phone's party line. Our plan to downsize from a small house to a small room was met with understanding and appreciation. Ultimately, Darling and I feel that the people we've met at this household will appreciate and most likely share the values we live by.
Great location: Soco is expensive for a reason. Local businesses, farmer's markets, gardens, and parks make up the landscape. The latest library is being built just down the road. Californians and their condos haven't quite driven out the locals and our junkyard art. The Co-op is near our jobs and a short bus-ride from school. $1,030 is a lot of money, but quite cheap for the neighborhood.
These are a few reasons why I'm excited to live at the co-op despite the disappointing price. We will compensate by creating a new budget built around my bakery income, putting a hiatus on travel until Darling graduates college, and taking full advantage of the amenities offered by the house to get our money's worth.
Property taxes for this area just increased 30% and rents are rising to compensate. Rent for this house is going to jump from $630 to $670.
Utilities have also gone up from $70 a month of $100. Because we share bills with our neighbors, we'd be paying much more for personal phone, Internet, and electricity if we were living alone.
Monthly food bills run about $250 a month. This is astronomical by our standards, but Darling and I have neither the time nor energy to cook lately. Beans are not soaking, rice is not boiling, the crock pot grows dusty...Our budget suffers as a result.
Other regular expenses include about $7 a month for water and about $25 a month for laundry and detergent.
All these expenses will be covered by a regular monthly rent paid to Sunflower. Unfortunately, that rent is $1,030. That is at least $40 than Darling and I would pay if we simply moved into a studio apartment and went about our private lives. We can't realistically promise that moving to Sunflower will save us any money.
But we're paying for more than a room.
What benefits does Sunflower offer, financial or otherwise?
Food: Buying groceries and lugging them home by bus is torturous in the Texas heat. Not only does it take hours, but we don't even have time to cook the bulk foods and organic vegetables we normally purchase. And when we do cook, the house becomes an unbearable sauna. I'm putting on weight and Darling is lacking energy. It will be great to give up grocery shopping once and for all and know that a healthy vegetarian dinner prepared in a well-venitlated kitchen will be on the table every single night, regardless of how exhausted we are.
Laundry: The past couple of houses we've lived have been mercifully located next to laundromats. We can't hope to always be so lucky. In Virginia and Houston I've had to drag bags of laundry several blocks to wash our clothes. Even with laundry a parking lot away, we spend a lot of quarters on those machines. Sunflower has a washer, dryer, and clothesline available for house use, so I will have free laundry for the first time in about ten years.
Shared Chores: Between school, work, the shelter, and sleep, Darling and I only have a few hours a week to do housework. He scrubs the toilet and takes out the recycling, I mop the kitchen and do the dishes. This is not enough to keep the house functioning to my liking. It will be a relief to sign up for specific chores every week and know that if the carpet won't go months without meeting a vacuum.
Like Minds: Two of the four people we met don't have cars. I forgot to ask the other two. No one seems to think that the vegetarian nature of the household is worth emphasizing, or that the homemade yogurt in the fridge is noteworthy. The television in the den is dusty with disuse. No one had a problem navigating our phone's party line. Our plan to downsize from a small house to a small room was met with understanding and appreciation. Ultimately, Darling and I feel that the people we've met at this household will appreciate and most likely share the values we live by.
Great location: Soco is expensive for a reason. Local businesses, farmer's markets, gardens, and parks make up the landscape. The latest library is being built just down the road. Californians and their condos haven't quite driven out the locals and our junkyard art. The Co-op is near our jobs and a short bus-ride from school. $1,030 is a lot of money, but quite cheap for the neighborhood.
These are a few reasons why I'm excited to live at the co-op despite the disappointing price. We will compensate by creating a new budget built around my bakery income, putting a hiatus on travel until Darling graduates college, and taking full advantage of the amenities offered by the house to get our money's worth.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Bubble Wrap and Non-Profits
Thanks for all the encouragement on the shampoo front :)
I read that lining windows with bubble wrap can significantly reducing heating prices. I mentioned this to Darling, who informed me that as a young man he did this in England quite often. Through work I attained a large quantity of bubble wrap and have been gradually dressing our windows. All one has to do is cut the wrap to fit the glass, wet it, and press it smooth against the pane. I've done our front room and bedroom, only the office left to go.
Today Darling is campaigning door-to-door to raise awareness and funds for water conservation. Two weeks ago he trained several days for a non-profit telemarketing group, raised $45 for HRC, and was then fired for no appreciable reason. This will be his third attempt working for a non-profit since moving to Texas, his fourth since our marriage. It's really opened our eyes to how many of these organization work, and has certainly curbed our willingness to donate to just anyone. Canvasers for Texas Campaign For The Environment, for instance, keep 50% of their collected donations as their salary. Telefund didn't pay Darling at all for his 20 hours of "training." We can only expect exploitation from this water group, but keep our hopes up. Of course in the meantime my Darling is sending out resumes left and right, hoping for a real-life office job...
I read that lining windows with bubble wrap can significantly reducing heating prices. I mentioned this to Darling, who informed me that as a young man he did this in England quite often. Through work I attained a large quantity of bubble wrap and have been gradually dressing our windows. All one has to do is cut the wrap to fit the glass, wet it, and press it smooth against the pane. I've done our front room and bedroom, only the office left to go.
Today Darling is campaigning door-to-door to raise awareness and funds for water conservation. Two weeks ago he trained several days for a non-profit telemarketing group, raised $45 for HRC, and was then fired for no appreciable reason. This will be his third attempt working for a non-profit since moving to Texas, his fourth since our marriage. It's really opened our eyes to how many of these organization work, and has certainly curbed our willingness to donate to just anyone. Canvasers for Texas Campaign For The Environment, for instance, keep 50% of their collected donations as their salary. Telefund didn't pay Darling at all for his 20 hours of "training." We can only expect exploitation from this water group, but keep our hopes up. Of course in the meantime my Darling is sending out resumes left and right, hoping for a real-life office job...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Homemade "poo"
Darling bought shampoo in bulk a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what brand he purchased, but it is not our usual and it has been reeking havoc on our heads. Not only does it have my hair drastically fluctuating between greasy and dry, but it's made the skin along my hairline break out like never before. The worse part is Darling purchased a huge bottle of the stuff we now need to use up or repurpose.
It seemed like the perfect excuse for me to experiment with another DIY frugal and green concept: the shampoo-free life. According to my (minimalist as ever) research, hair can be washed with baking soda and apple cider vinegar and end up healthy, clean, and build-up free. For the past two washes (over a four-day period) I dissolved a tablespoon of baking soda in a bear-shaped ex-honey jar filled with warm water, and a tablespoon of vinegar in another. I wet my hair in the shower, then massaged the baking-soda water into my scalp and hair. I rinsed out the baking soda with the vinegar, resulting in a little fizz but of course no lather. I rinsed my long hair very, very well, missing the squeaky clean feeling of traditional cleaners. However, my hair is feeling, smelling, and looking perfectly clean so far. Apparently in a week or two I can expect a period of unbearable stringy locks, as my hair folicles should be used to over-producing oil, but I think I can survive that.
Darling is so far refusing to dabble in this experiment, and also emphatically refusing my next proposed lifestyle change, homemade toothpaste. Never before has he determined my green wanderings out of bounds, distasteful, or otherwise inappropriate. I'm doing my best to accept that this is a perfectly acceptable stance for him to take, but it brings me to wonder just how further we can push our own boundaries, where my own green boundaries lie. Some people choose not to garden, others refuse to live car-free, many people are addicted to petroleum products. My husband apparently distrusts and detests baking soda. I can live with that.
It seemed like the perfect excuse for me to experiment with another DIY frugal and green concept: the shampoo-free life. According to my (minimalist as ever) research, hair can be washed with baking soda and apple cider vinegar and end up healthy, clean, and build-up free. For the past two washes (over a four-day period) I dissolved a tablespoon of baking soda in a bear-shaped ex-honey jar filled with warm water, and a tablespoon of vinegar in another. I wet my hair in the shower, then massaged the baking-soda water into my scalp and hair. I rinsed out the baking soda with the vinegar, resulting in a little fizz but of course no lather. I rinsed my long hair very, very well, missing the squeaky clean feeling of traditional cleaners. However, my hair is feeling, smelling, and looking perfectly clean so far. Apparently in a week or two I can expect a period of unbearable stringy locks, as my hair folicles should be used to over-producing oil, but I think I can survive that.
Darling is so far refusing to dabble in this experiment, and also emphatically refusing my next proposed lifestyle change, homemade toothpaste. Never before has he determined my green wanderings out of bounds, distasteful, or otherwise inappropriate. I'm doing my best to accept that this is a perfectly acceptable stance for him to take, but it brings me to wonder just how further we can push our own boundaries, where my own green boundaries lie. Some people choose not to garden, others refuse to live car-free, many people are addicted to petroleum products. My husband apparently distrusts and detests baking soda. I can live with that.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Consumer Strike 2009
It's been so long since I had time to read any blogs it took me over an hour to catch up! Now I kind of want a nap :) Not simply out of sloth, but because I worked over 58 hours in five days, every day including Christmas until today. Hello, $3.16/hr waitress overtime...
Meg, the Vintage Flapper undertook a no-spend month challenge for the month of December. Darling and I discussed last February, during which we didn't even spend money for food (except once, I think). We've decided to undergo a similar challenge in 2009, but with some pretty important changes.
First off, we are going to label our experience a Consumer Strike. We want our actions to represent not only a series of frugal choices, but to also express our desire for dramatic changes to the economic system. We believe that corporations have been too long rewarded for exploitive employment policies, misleading advertisements, irresponsible packaging and shipment, and excessive use of experimental chemicals in food products. Thousands of people are being laid off right now because that system is not sustainable, environmentally or economically, and I don't believe that citizens should be pressured by the government to "stimulate" corporations who have dug us into a deep and terrible pit. I in no way wish to offend the many laid off workers or the families who are suffering due to this recession; our actions are not intended to bring an end to our faulty system, but encourage rapid and drastic change for the better.
Our consumer strike will last for the first two months of 2009. During January and February we will do our best to abide by the following guidelines, each of which is designed to improve the quality of our lives while abstaining from supporting irresponsible corporate mechanisms:
* Our transportation will be limited to walking and taking the bus. No accepting rides from friends or borrowing cars.
* No eating out or visiting bars or coffee shops, even if a friend really wants to take us out and offers to pay.
* The only grocery store we will visit is Wheatsville, which is a worker-owned co-op. There we will only purchase local eggs, which are packaged in containers we can return and are reused by the farmer, and organic bulk items we will package ourselves in canning jars. No packaging, preservatives, or convenience foods will come home with us from these trips. Except, of course, in the case of 7th toilet paper, which I am not yet prepared to go without.
* We will obtain our fruits and vegetables from Greenlings, which will be limited to only local produce. This will stimulate our most vital economy: that of our community.
* Excepting groceries, our money will be spent only on debt servicing, rent, bills, and preparations for our travel plans in March and April (plane tickets and hotel reservations, mostly).
During this Strike we hope to achieve a greater understanding of ourselves and our money, evaluate our priorities and financial habits, and inspire those observing us to challenge themselves and improve on their own lives. Obviously if an emergency comes up, we will react accordingly.
I have lots of other fun goals for the new year, including learning to preserve food with my canner and the dehydrator I've yet to even experiment with, developing my knitting skills, look at volunteer opportunities, arrange regular baking workshops, and reintroduce myself to our dentist and optometrist. So much to do, so little time between shifts!
Meg, the Vintage Flapper undertook a no-spend month challenge for the month of December. Darling and I discussed last February, during which we didn't even spend money for food (except once, I think). We've decided to undergo a similar challenge in 2009, but with some pretty important changes.
First off, we are going to label our experience a Consumer Strike. We want our actions to represent not only a series of frugal choices, but to also express our desire for dramatic changes to the economic system. We believe that corporations have been too long rewarded for exploitive employment policies, misleading advertisements, irresponsible packaging and shipment, and excessive use of experimental chemicals in food products. Thousands of people are being laid off right now because that system is not sustainable, environmentally or economically, and I don't believe that citizens should be pressured by the government to "stimulate" corporations who have dug us into a deep and terrible pit. I in no way wish to offend the many laid off workers or the families who are suffering due to this recession; our actions are not intended to bring an end to our faulty system, but encourage rapid and drastic change for the better.
Our consumer strike will last for the first two months of 2009. During January and February we will do our best to abide by the following guidelines, each of which is designed to improve the quality of our lives while abstaining from supporting irresponsible corporate mechanisms:
* Our transportation will be limited to walking and taking the bus. No accepting rides from friends or borrowing cars.
* No eating out or visiting bars or coffee shops, even if a friend really wants to take us out and offers to pay.
* The only grocery store we will visit is Wheatsville, which is a worker-owned co-op. There we will only purchase local eggs, which are packaged in containers we can return and are reused by the farmer, and organic bulk items we will package ourselves in canning jars. No packaging, preservatives, or convenience foods will come home with us from these trips. Except, of course, in the case of 7th toilet paper, which I am not yet prepared to go without.
* We will obtain our fruits and vegetables from Greenlings, which will be limited to only local produce. This will stimulate our most vital economy: that of our community.
* Excepting groceries, our money will be spent only on debt servicing, rent, bills, and preparations for our travel plans in March and April (plane tickets and hotel reservations, mostly).
During this Strike we hope to achieve a greater understanding of ourselves and our money, evaluate our priorities and financial habits, and inspire those observing us to challenge themselves and improve on their own lives. Obviously if an emergency comes up, we will react accordingly.
I have lots of other fun goals for the new year, including learning to preserve food with my canner and the dehydrator I've yet to even experiment with, developing my knitting skills, look at volunteer opportunities, arrange regular baking workshops, and reintroduce myself to our dentist and optometrist. So much to do, so little time between shifts!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Little Holiday Miracles: Butter, Linux, and Work
Darling and I purchased two pints of organic whipping cream on sale for 2/$5. Organic butter is so expensive, even on sale, that making our own seemed worthwhile. I researched the process rather briefly online before deciding to try the least complicated process.
I poured about a fourth of a pint of whipping cream into a narrow, widemouthed jar that fit easily in my hand. Then I shook it. Within a couple of minutes it became whipped cream far better than anything out of an aerosol can. As I continued shaking, it became thicker and thicker, until suddenly the butter and buttermilk separated. The result was about a 1/4 cup of incredibly delicious creamy butter. The entire process took less than ten minutes. I traded some to my neighbor in exchange for a couple of slices of bread and enjoyed buttered toast, pasta, and salad from our garden. For dessert we had iced chocolate cake made from scratch with whipped cream. I haven't checked prices to figure out if we'll be saving money by making our own butter, but the taste is so unbelievably superior I may never buy Earth Balance Buttery Spread again!
We were experimenting in the hopes of producing a most delicious and impressive sugar cookie recipe by Monday. I'm hosting a Cookie Decorating and Gingerbread Baking Party/workshop on Monday, so I need to prepare a lot of dough this weekend.
Today Darling's Christmas present arrived, but he's not putting it together until Christmas day. I mentioned before that he'll be building his own computer, but I didn't know until a few days ago that we will be using the Linux operating system. Doing some research, I'm learning that Linux is an excellent alternative to proprietary systems. I'm still very nervous though, I always figured that Linux users were super techies and I could not fathom their penguiny software. Guess I'll be finding out :)
Another present arrived via e-mail a little after the packages came: a note from our lawyer, informing us that Darling is legal to work in the U.S. again! He's so excited and can't wait to get the card.
I poured about a fourth of a pint of whipping cream into a narrow, widemouthed jar that fit easily in my hand. Then I shook it. Within a couple of minutes it became whipped cream far better than anything out of an aerosol can. As I continued shaking, it became thicker and thicker, until suddenly the butter and buttermilk separated. The result was about a 1/4 cup of incredibly delicious creamy butter. The entire process took less than ten minutes. I traded some to my neighbor in exchange for a couple of slices of bread and enjoyed buttered toast, pasta, and salad from our garden. For dessert we had iced chocolate cake made from scratch with whipped cream. I haven't checked prices to figure out if we'll be saving money by making our own butter, but the taste is so unbelievably superior I may never buy Earth Balance Buttery Spread again!
We were experimenting in the hopes of producing a most delicious and impressive sugar cookie recipe by Monday. I'm hosting a Cookie Decorating and Gingerbread Baking Party/workshop on Monday, so I need to prepare a lot of dough this weekend.
Today Darling's Christmas present arrived, but he's not putting it together until Christmas day. I mentioned before that he'll be building his own computer, but I didn't know until a few days ago that we will be using the Linux operating system. Doing some research, I'm learning that Linux is an excellent alternative to proprietary systems. I'm still very nervous though, I always figured that Linux users were super techies and I could not fathom their penguiny software. Guess I'll be finding out :)
Another present arrived via e-mail a little after the packages came: a note from our lawyer, informing us that Darling is legal to work in the U.S. again! He's so excited and can't wait to get the card.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Rent Solution
Yesterday our landlord, M, called and asked if Darling and I might want to consider farm work again. This was discussed earlier in the year, but never worked out due to the time restraints of school. Now that the Fall Semester is over, Darling and I have a lot more time on our hands, and with Spring around the corner, M has a lot less. I eagerly agreed and we sketched out a tentative plan.
Because M's land is out of town, we brainstormed ways to keep back and forth travel at a minimum. In order to get the most out of every trip, we will set out early, camp overnight, work most of the next day, and return home in time for the community meal. Our first excursion is planned for the first week in January. A previous tenant had a similar arrangement with the landlord, and gave it positive reviews, so I am really looking forward to this in the new year. If it works out as planned, Darling and I will be camping at least once a month, develop our farming skills under the instruction of a bio-intensive vegan, and pay our rent doing something we love. If we can cover most of rent this way, I will have the choice of either substantially reducing my hours, or, more likely, double our rate of savings and debt servicing. Having done very similar work in the past with Darling on two different farms, we know what we're getting into labor and "pay" wise (no money will actually change hands). We just need to iron out the details and get sowing!
Because M's land is out of town, we brainstormed ways to keep back and forth travel at a minimum. In order to get the most out of every trip, we will set out early, camp overnight, work most of the next day, and return home in time for the community meal. Our first excursion is planned for the first week in January. A previous tenant had a similar arrangement with the landlord, and gave it positive reviews, so I am really looking forward to this in the new year. If it works out as planned, Darling and I will be camping at least once a month, develop our farming skills under the instruction of a bio-intensive vegan, and pay our rent doing something we love. If we can cover most of rent this way, I will have the choice of either substantially reducing my hours, or, more likely, double our rate of savings and debt servicing. Having done very similar work in the past with Darling on two different farms, we know what we're getting into labor and "pay" wise (no money will actually change hands). We just need to iron out the details and get sowing!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Simple Complications
"Isn't it complicated to depend on the bus system?" a friend asked this evening. I was in her apartment enjoying a cup of tea, having come home and discovered myself locked out of our apartment. Darling was on his way home via the #3. I frowned and tried to formulate an answer that would make sense without turning into a lecture. Our life is not complicated. Our life is almost painfully simple because we choose to live a car free lifestyle. Darling and I don't over-schedule ourselves, nor do we spend many evenings out on the town or promise to attend out-of-the-way engagements, events, or appointments. We make choices on where we live, work, shop, play, and go to school based on the bus route. While this is limiting at times, it enables us to enjoy an organized life and regular schedule.
Sometimes, of course, we feel the pinch of our careful lifestyle. It is likely we will run into complications whenever we are required to accommodate others. It is these complications that seem to convince many people that owning a car is mandatory and somehow "simplifies" their life. An example of this is moving. I can't count how many times people have told me that moving is extremely difficult or impossible without a car. I have moved four time since my marriage in 2004 without the benefit of my own vehicle, once from the east coast to Austin, TX. Arranging for a vehicle was about as strenuous as negotiating the lease. We have also gone on a few road trips, dropped friends off at airports, gone camping, and enjoyed numerous other car-related endeavors without signing a lease or renting. Our car-free lifestyle takes creativity and planning at times, but it's nothing compared to the cost of owning and maintaining a car, truck, or SUV year round.
The current complication I'm facing involves my part-time job hunt. It is astounding to see that "reliable vehicle" has replaced "reliable transportation" on numerous job postings. It is fascinating to discover that a suburban housewife refers to her home as only "a few miles" south of downtown when she lives a 20 minute drive down a highway from downtown. It is amazing how many people think the phrase, "I don't drive any more than I absolutely have to," somehow translates into "I don't have any problem driving to and from your suburban home five days a week." Seriously, friends? Gas can fluctuate in price all it wants, but we're dealing with a nonrenewable resource and a horrible pollutant here. It is hard to believe that the majority of potential employees out there have no problem driving to and from jobs, that they take for granted the hideous commute and overlarge carbon footprint. I'm so grateful that Darling and I don't have to compromise our principles or our wallets when it comes to driving!
I'm still job-hunting, but I'm not going in for the kill until I find something that fits my needs and matches my lifestyle.
Sometimes, of course, we feel the pinch of our careful lifestyle. It is likely we will run into complications whenever we are required to accommodate others. It is these complications that seem to convince many people that owning a car is mandatory and somehow "simplifies" their life. An example of this is moving. I can't count how many times people have told me that moving is extremely difficult or impossible without a car. I have moved four time since my marriage in 2004 without the benefit of my own vehicle, once from the east coast to Austin, TX. Arranging for a vehicle was about as strenuous as negotiating the lease. We have also gone on a few road trips, dropped friends off at airports, gone camping, and enjoyed numerous other car-related endeavors without signing a lease or renting. Our car-free lifestyle takes creativity and planning at times, but it's nothing compared to the cost of owning and maintaining a car, truck, or SUV year round.
The current complication I'm facing involves my part-time job hunt. It is astounding to see that "reliable vehicle" has replaced "reliable transportation" on numerous job postings. It is fascinating to discover that a suburban housewife refers to her home as only "a few miles" south of downtown when she lives a 20 minute drive down a highway from downtown. It is amazing how many people think the phrase, "I don't drive any more than I absolutely have to," somehow translates into "I don't have any problem driving to and from your suburban home five days a week." Seriously, friends? Gas can fluctuate in price all it wants, but we're dealing with a nonrenewable resource and a horrible pollutant here. It is hard to believe that the majority of potential employees out there have no problem driving to and from jobs, that they take for granted the hideous commute and overlarge carbon footprint. I'm so grateful that Darling and I don't have to compromise our principles or our wallets when it comes to driving!
I'm still job-hunting, but I'm not going in for the kill until I find something that fits my needs and matches my lifestyle.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Not Renting = Mom Love
Darling and I have borrowed many a vehicle since our marriage. In Virginia, friends and coworkers made nothing of lending us a car to do laundry, get to the Mennonite grocery store, drive to the airport in D.C., apply for farm jobs, and even take a two-week road trip. One friend even gave us a copy of the key to her van.
In Texas, everything is a little more spread out and friends seem more car-dependent. Or maybe everyone is more likely to have exactly the amount of vehicle they need, be it none at all (we're certainly not the only car-free kids in town) or a car shared between two people.
The only person we can borrow from these days is my mom, who lives in a different town and has a car-dependent lifestyle. She loaned us the car once to visit VA, staying in our home while we were gone. We intended to do the same for Darling's birthday, but life threw us a curve ball and mom is no longer interested in staying in Austin.
Solution? Rent a car - which requires sending a large amount of money to a national corporation and away from my beloved community - or...ah...huh.
Why don't we invite mom along for the trip? She needs a vacation, loves Grand Isle, adores the beach...By day the three of us can barbecue veggies and play in the surf, by night my husband and I can share a romantic campground while she enjoys an air-conditioned hotel room and cable. For less than the price of renting a car, and with the added bonus of desperately needed family time.
I offered my mom an all expenses vacation this morning and she sounds really excited. We won't know if she can come until Sunday, but I'm crossing my fingers.
In Texas, everything is a little more spread out and friends seem more car-dependent. Or maybe everyone is more likely to have exactly the amount of vehicle they need, be it none at all (we're certainly not the only car-free kids in town) or a car shared between two people.
The only person we can borrow from these days is my mom, who lives in a different town and has a car-dependent lifestyle. She loaned us the car once to visit VA, staying in our home while we were gone. We intended to do the same for Darling's birthday, but life threw us a curve ball and mom is no longer interested in staying in Austin.
Solution? Rent a car - which requires sending a large amount of money to a national corporation and away from my beloved community - or...ah...huh.
Why don't we invite mom along for the trip? She needs a vacation, loves Grand Isle, adores the beach...By day the three of us can barbecue veggies and play in the surf, by night my husband and I can share a romantic campground while she enjoys an air-conditioned hotel room and cable. For less than the price of renting a car, and with the added bonus of desperately needed family time.
I offered my mom an all expenses vacation this morning and she sounds really excited. We won't know if she can come until Sunday, but I'm crossing my fingers.
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