Why Buying Used Saves Both Money and Stress

My ten-year-old son has many great qualities. He’s a gifted artist, funny, a loyal friend and let’s face it — he’s just plain cute. But he’s also the five-star general of the space cadets. I send him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and he washes his hands; I lay clothes for the day [...]

Fabulous Must-Read Article From “Get Rich Slowly”

Want to know the secret to becoming a millionaire? Well Get Rich Slowly’s J.D. Roth sat “John,” his next-door-neighbor down to glean how he achieved financial freedom on a teacher’s salary.
There’s nothing tricky or ah-hah about it. It’s just spend less than you earn, turn off lights when not in use and learn to cook [...]

12.1% Oregon Unemployment

The latest statistics for March just came out for Oregon, and the state’s unemployment rates have increased to 12.1%. (A few counties are even posting 18.5%!)
This is shocking to me, yet sadly is not surprising, as my family has been affected by unemployment. (My husband was laid off in January, and only now has retained [...]

In Defense of Non-Productivity

I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I could conceivably clean, cook, organize and generally work on my house every waking moment and never, ever run out of stuff to do.
Yes my house is big, but it’s not monstrous. There’s just one bathroom to clean, (this is the positive spin with which I choose to [...]

Eight Things You Should Know About Expiration Dates — A Guest Post by Jonathan Bloom

The following is a guest post by Jonathan Bloom of wastedfood.com. And remember, it’s never too late to join The Non-Consumer Advocate’s Waste-No-Food-Challenge!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

From individual eggs to bottled water (water!), expiration dates are printed everywhere these days. While they ultimately do more help than harm, expiration dates and the [...]

Click here to read a fantastic article about one woman’s quest to spend as little on her food budget as possible. Her take on incorporating leftovers into subsequent meals is inspired. (I think I may steal her term of flexipe!)
I’m feeling pretty good about how tonight’s dinner will be burritos made with leftover pressure cooked [...]

Are You a Daily Washer?

My friend Jan came to the house yesterday to pick up her son, and was wearing the cutest red cable-knit sweater. I then went to her house today to pick up my son, and guess what? She was still wearing that very same cute red sweater.
“Ha!” I joked to her, “I caught you wearing the [...]

I Hate To Be One Of Those Lame People — A Guest Post

 

 
The following is a guest post from missmoneybags. She is a fellow member of The Compact, (buy nothing new) a friend, and frankly — one funny lady.
Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

I hate to be one of those lame people who blog about their appliances. But I admit it:   
I’m [...]

A Love Letter To My Cast Iron Pans

The following is a reprint from an earlier published blog. Enjoy!

Hello, gorgeous. I’ve been thinking about you.
We’ve been together almost twenty years now, and your allure beckons as much as the day we first met. I got you on the rebound from the furniture-selling Van Gronas. The classified ad in The Village Voice was officially for a couch, but [...]

What Will My Garden Grow?

I have an insanely shady backyard, which means that I only have a small space approximately four feet square in which to plant vegetables. Although I stretch this out by planting lettuce in a wheelbarrow and beans in window-box planters, it’s still not much. (Blueberries and raspberries also grab a few rare sunny spots.)
But I won’t [...]